The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a comprehensive set of principles and practices designed to help organizations adopt agile methods on an enterprise level. It provides a set of guidelines and best practices that enable large-scale product development with agility.
At its core, SAFe has a hierarchical structure, which assigns different roles and responsibilities in order to facilitate efficient and effective product development.
In this article, we will explore the hierarchy of SAFe in detail, looking at each role and how they fit into the framework. Through this exploration, readers will gain a better understanding of SAFe’s hierarchical structure and how it works to help organizations successfully adopt agile methods.
A Brief Overview of the SAFe Hierarchy
The SAFe hierarchy has seven levels. Each one manages a different aspect of the development process. From highest to lowest, these levels are as follows.
1. Portfolio Level
The highest level of hierarchy in SAFe, representing a portfolio of solutions, products, and services. The Portfolio level is responsible for defining the overall business strategy, allocating resources, and managing the overall value stream.
2. Solution Level
The level below Portfolio, representing large, complex solutions that require multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs) to deliver. The Solution level is responsible for coordinating the efforts of multiple ARTs to deliver a complete solution.
3. Agile Release Train (ART) Level
A long-lived, cross-functional team that delivers value to the customer through the delivery of solutions. The ART level is responsible for planning, executing, and delivering value to the customer in the form of fully functional solutions.
4. Program Increment (PI) Level
A timebox of 8-12 weeks during which the ART delivers a fully integrated and tested increment of working solutions. The PI level is responsible for defining and managing the scope of the ART’s work, and ensuring that the ART delivers on its commitments.
5. Feature Level
A collection of stories that together deliver a larger, more significant capability. The Feature level defines the features the ART will deliver during the PI. It also makes sure teams deliver them on time and within budget.
6. Story Level
A small, independent slice of a feature that delivers value to the customer. The Story level is responsible for defining the specific tasks that the development team will work on to deliver the feature.
7. Work Item Level
A smaller work item that represents a specific task a team must finish to complete a story. Work Items are the smallest unit of work in SAFe. Teams use them to track progress, estimate work, and plan sprints.
How SAFe Configurations Relate to the Hierarchy
Organizations can apply SAFe in different configurations depending on their delivery needs. These configurations determine which parts of the framework they use, rather than requiring every organization to adopt the same structure.
- Essential SAFe: Brings Agile teams together within an Agile Release Train. It provides the foundation for coordinating planning and delivery.
- Large Solution SAFe: Adds coordination across multiple ARTs working on a complex solution. This includes Solution Trains and a solution backlog.
- Portfolio SAFe: Connects delivery to business strategy through investment decisions, portfolio priorities, and Lean Portfolio Management.
- Full SAFe: Combines Essential, Large Solution, and Portfolio SAFe for organizations that need all three.
Understanding these configurations helps explain why SAFe implementations differ. An organization coordinating several teams within one ART has different needs from an enterprise managing multiple interconnected solutions.
The 7 Levels of SAFe Explained, in Depth
1. Portfolio Level of SAFe
The Portfolio level of SAFe focuses on the strategic initiatives the enterprise manages. This level enables organizations to identify their overall goals and objectives, create plans to achieve them, and execute strategies for achieving those goals.
It provides an environment where programs and projects can be coordinated across value streams, enabling seamless implementation of portfolio strategies.
2. Solution Level of SAFe
The Solution level of SAFe is the next level in the framework. Organizations use it to manage large, complex solutions that need multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs) to deliver. At this level, teams are able to develop a set of integrated capabilities across multiple ARTs in order to create an end-to-end solution that meets customer requirements.
3. Agile Release Train (ART) Level of SAFe
The Agile Release Train (ART) level of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is where the long-term value delivery begins. This level typically consists of a cross-functional team, typically composed of 8 to 12 agile teams, that works over multiple program increments and provides ongoing development toward meeting customer needs.
The ART level is responsible for setting priorities, managing risk and dependencies, providing coordination between agile teams, and ensuring alignment with the larger organizational strategy.
Examples of types of work managed at this level include developing large solutions or initiatives that need to be broken down into smaller tasks for several agile teams to execute on in successive iterations; integrating components from other teams across programs; and working with stakeholders to ensure progress is in alignment with business goals.
At the ART level, the organization turns its vision into concrete deliverables that ultimately benefit customers.
At the Agile Release Train (ART) level, SAFe emphasizes agile values such as collaboration, customer focus, and respect for people. This encourages teams to remain flexible and responsive when working together across multiple program increments – allowing for a more adaptive approach to value delivery over time.
By delivering solutions in small increments via the agile teams, organizations using SAFe at this level are able to quickly respond to customer demands and make adjustments if needed along the way.
4. Program Increment (PI) Level of SAFe
The Program Increment (PI) level is the next level in SAFe. It focuses on large initiatives that span multiple releases and often involve multiple teams or departments. At this level, teams develop a program roadmap that aligns releases with business objectives.
The PI also serves as a timebox in which all Agile Release Trains (ARTs) complete Portfolio Epics, Features, and value streams.
Examples at this PI level include large infrastructure upgrades. Organizational change initiatives, such as rolling out a new workflow system, also fit here. In addition, strategic programs such as launching new products or services may begin at the PI level.
At the end of each Program Increment (PI), teams hold a review to assess progress and find areas for improvement. This includes an examination of how well each Agile Release Train (ART) performed against the program roadmap, including release plan targets.
The PI level also provides a forum for teams to share best practices and lessons learned with each other.
5. Feature Level of SAFe
The Feature level of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) manages larger capabilities that consist of a collection of related stories.
Features are generally larger in scope than individual user stories. In addition, they set high-level objectives for the team to fulfill. Teams can break a feature into multiple work items so it fits within an iteration or sprint.
Examples of features could include a new product feature such as a customer onboarding process, building a tool for data analysis, or creating an authentication system with multi-factor authentication. These features typically require a combination of tasks and resources to complete them and have measurable business goals associated with them.
At this stage, teams split features into smaller stories and work on them in parallel. As a result, the team can complete the feature within a set timeframe and budget.
Tip: Sometimes you may hear the word Epic & Feature used interchangeably. However there is a difference. An Epic is typically a larger user story that is too large to be completed in a single sprint, and is therefore broken down into smaller, more specific user stories called Features. Or to put it another way: “an EPIC is a set of Features”.
6. Story Level of SAFe
The Story level of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) manages individual work items that together deliver a specific capability. At this level, teams create and refine user stories to clarify what they need to build and how it should work.
Then, they break these stories into tasks and assign them to team members.
Typical stories at this level include creating an order processing system, building a web form, or integrating a third-party API.
By breaking larger features into smaller stories, teams can quickly see which tasks will move the feature forward.
This way, the team builds the feature efficiently and keeps progress visible at all times.
7. Work Item Level of SAFe
At the lowest level, SAFe has the Work Item (aka Tasks). This is a unit of work or an actionable item the team must finish for the project to move forward. It can also represent any type of working package, such as a feature, user story, bug fix, etc.
All such items are managed within a system like JIRA or Trello and tracked until completion.
Each Work Item is assigned to an Iteration (or sprint), which allows it to be worked on by one or more teams. The Iteration should include every task needed to complete the work item. That way, teams can monitor and measure progress.
In addition, team members can collaborate on larger items and make sure they identify every task required.
Once complete, the Work Item becomes part of a larger Feature or Epic that the Program Level manages. This allows teams to see their progress within a particular program and how their work fits into the bigger picture.
Teams can then track the feature or epic and measure velocity, resource utilization, and other delivery metrics.
How Teams Coordinate Across the SAFe Hierarchy
Defining the hierarchy gives organizations a structure, but teams also need a way to coordinate their work. PI Planning provides a regular opportunity for Agile teams, ART leaders, and stakeholders to agree on objectives and identify dependencies.
The Release Train Engineer facilitates this event. Teams review upcoming priorities, consider their available capacity, and identify where they need support from other teams. The resulting plan makes dependencies and expected feature delivery visible across the ART.
For example, one team may need an API from another team before it can complete a customer-facing feature. Identifying this dependency during planning allows both teams to adjust their work before it becomes a delivery blocker.
Within each Agile team, the Product Owner and Scrum Master/Team Coach support delivery, while the team determines how to carry out the work. Multiple teams collaborate through a shared ART backlog, vision, and roadmap. This connects team-level decisions to broader objectives while preserving the team’s ability to organize its own work.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a comprehensive model for managing software and product development projects using an iterative approach. By breaking down larger features into smaller stories and tasks, teams can efficiently coordinate their efforts while providing visibility into progress at all times.
As a result, teams can quickly see which tasks remain to finish the project on time and within budget. In addition, it provides a structure for tracking progress and measuring resource utilization, velocity, and other metrics necessary for successful project delivery.
By following the SAFe methodology, teams can ensure that they are able to effectively manage large-scale projects with ease.
