The Successful Business
Analyst’s Role in the
Scaled Agile Framework
®
BAPDD 9/11/15
www.scaledAgile.com
V3.0.2
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
1
What we’ll cover today
 Lean-Agile Values and Principles of SAFe
 SAFe Practices – Overview of the Model
 Implications for the Successful Business Analyst
 Breakout Discussions and Q & A
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
2
We thought we’d be programming like this:
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
3
But sometimes it feels like this:
Library of Congress
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
4
And our retrospectives read like this:
Too little
visibility
Too early
commitment
to a design
that didn’t
work
No way to
improve
systematically
Underestimated
dependencies
Massive
growth in
complexity
Hard to
manage
distributed
teams
Late
delivery
Problems
discovered
too late
Phase gate
SDLC isn't
helping
reduce risk
Poor
morale
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
5
The Management Challenge
It is not enough that management
commit themselves to quality and
productivity, they must know what it
is they must do.
Such a responsibility cannot be
delegated.
—W. Edwards Deming
“…and if you can’t come, send no one”
—Vignette from Out of the Crisis, Deming,1986
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
6
What it is they must do
 Embrace Lean-Agile Values
 Apply Lean-Agile Principles
 Implement Lean-Agile Practices
 Lead the Implementation
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
7
Embrace Lean-Agile Values
Relentless
improvement
Innovation
Flow
Respect for
people and culture
VALUE
LEADERSHIP
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
8
Value in the Shortest Sustainable Lead Time
Relentless
improvement
Innovation
‣
Flow
Respect for
people and culture
VALUE
LEADERSHIP
Achieve the sustainably shortest
lead time with
‣
Best quality and value to
people and society
‣
High morale, safety,
customer delight
There is only one boss. The
customer. And he can fire
everybody in the company.
—Sam Walton
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9
Apply Lean-Agile Principles
#1-Take an economic view
#2-Apply systems thinking
#3-Assume variability; preserve options
#4-Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles
#5-Base milestones on objective evaluation of working systems
#6-Visualize and limit WIP, reduce batch sizes, and manage queue lengths
#7-Apply cadence, synchronize with cross-domain planning
#8-Unlock the intrinsic motivation of knowledge workers
#9-Decentralize decision-making
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
10
Build Incrementally: Accelerate Value Delivery
4
444
Documents
Documents
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
:
Unverified System
System
11
Take an Economic View: Increase Value
Early delivery provides fast value with fast feedback
Value Delivery
Fast feedback
Time
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
12
SAFe Practices
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
13
SAFe is an online, freely revealed
knowledge base of
proven success patterns
for implementing Lean-Agile development
at enterprise scale.
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
14
3.0
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
15
SAFe 3.0 Overview in 9 Minutes-Lean Samurai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WZzeNQm7L0w
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
16
Nothing Beats an Agile Team
▸ Cross-functional Agile Teams deliver working software every
two weeks
▸ Scrum roles and project management practices, XP-inspired
technical practices; Kanban for flow
ScrumXP
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Kanban
17
Except a Team of Agile Teams
▸ Cross-functional teams-of-agile-teams deliver working system
increments every two weeks
▸ Operate with common Vision, architecture and UX guidance
▸ Collaborate, align, and adapt with face-to-face planning and
retrospectives
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
18
Executing Strategy in an Agile Portfolio
▸ Organize Agile Release Trains around Value Streams
▸ Centralize strategy; decentralize execution
▸ Empower decision makers with Lean-Agile budgeting
▸ Provide portfolio visibility and WIP limits
▸ Leverage objective metrics for governance and improvement
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
19
That Delivers Business Results
30–75%
faster time
to market
Happier, more
motivated
employees
20–50%
increase in
productivity
50%+
defect
reduction
See ScaledAgileFramework.com/case-studies
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
20
Implications for the Successful BA
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
21
Leadership
Relentless
improvement
Innovation
Flow
Respect for
people and culture
VALUE
LEADERSHIP
People are already doing
their best; the problems are
with the system.
‣
Lead the change
‣
Know the way; emphasize
life-long learning
‣
Develop people
‣
Inspire and align with mission;
minimize constraints
‣
Decentralize decision-making
‣
Unlock the intrinsic motivation of
knowledge workers
Only management can
change the system.
—W. Edwards Deming
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
22
Panel Discussion
 Peggy Blake and Bindu Mehra, Grange business
analysts
 How has your role changed after becoming part of
the Website Redesign Team?
 What were the benefits of participating in an Agile
Proof of Concept Team for CRM 2.0?
 What additional opportunities can SAFe enable?
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
23
Breakout Session – 10 minutes
 Gather in groups of 4-6 people
 What opportunities have you seen as a business
analyst on an agile team?
 What challenges have you experienced or are you
concerned about with implementing agile?
 Report out
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
24
Questions?
ScaledAgileFramework.com
ScaledAgile.com/training
ScaledAgile.com
Cindy Casebolt, PMP, CSM, SPC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindycasebolt
ScaledAgile.com for links to everything
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
25