Scrum SAFe-POPM - SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager POPM (6.0)

The problem-solving workshop is more effective than traditional lessons learned documents because it makes improvements actionable through backlog items for the next Program Increment (PI). A problem-solving workshop is a structured approach to identify and solve problems that affect the performance and quality of the Agile Release Train (ART) or Solution Train1. Unlike traditional lessons learned documents, which are often passive and rarely implemented, a problem-solving workshop results in a set of improvement backlog items that are prioritized and planned for the next PI2. This way, the teams can implement the improvements and measure their impact on the value delivery3.

References:

•Inspect and Adapt - Scaled Agile Framework

•Why is the problem-solving workshop more effective than traditional …

•Problem-solving workshop: Step-by-Step - Agilephoria

The Inspect and Adapt (I&A) agenda in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a significant event at the end of each Program Increment (PI), focusing on continuous improvement and adjustment in Agile processes. It comprises three main parts:

1.PI System Demo: This is the first part of the I&A event, intended to showcase all the features developed by the Agile Release Train (ART) over the course of the PI. It typically includes a broader audience and is more formal than regular system demos. Business Owners collaborate with each Agile team to score the actual business value achieved for their Team PI Objectives.

2.Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement: This part involves the collective review of quantitative and qualitative metrics agreed upon by the teams. This review is aimed at discussing data and trends to measure the team's performance. Important metrics like the programpredictability measure are also analyzed, with each team's planned vs. actual business value contributing to this measure.

3.Retrospective and Problem-Solving Workshop: This structured session allows teams to reflect on their performance, identify areas of improvement, and create action plans. It includes identifying improvements, conducting root cause analysis using tools like the "5 Whys" or fishbone diagrams, brainstorming solutions, prioritizing actions, and creating detailed action plans for implementation.

The I&A event promotes continuous improvement, enhanced agility, increased transparency, higher quality outcomes, better decision-making, improved employee engagement, and alignment with organizational goals. It's essential for both Agile Release Trains and Solution Trains to effectively inspect and adapt their processes for optimal performance and continuous improvement.

References:

•Scaled Agile Framework: Inspect and Adapt.

•Dee Project Manager: SAFe Inspect and Adapt: Supercharge Agile Excellence.

Capacity allocation is an allocation of work by work item type for an upcoming planning period1. It helps the Agile Teams to balance their investments across different types of backlog items, such as new features, enablers, defects, and technical debt2. One benefit of capacity allocation is that it prevents different types of backlog items from being compared against each other based on their relative value or priority, which can be misleading or subjective3. Instead, capacity allocation allows the teams to focus on delivering value and quality in each work item type, without compromising the other2.

References:

•Capacity Allocation - Scaled Agile Framework

•Team Backlog - Scaled Agile Framework

•How Does SAFe Handle Capacity Planning and Resource Management? - Value Glide