SAFe Term Acceptance Criteria Agile Architecture Agile Program Management Agile Release Train (ART) Agile Teams Architectural Runway Backlog Built-In Quality Business Owners Capabilities Communities of Practice (CoPs) Continuous Delivery Pipeline Customer DevOps Enterprise Architect Epics Events Features Increment Innovation and Planning Iteration Inspect and Adapt (I&A) Integrated Team Iterations Kanban Lean Portfolio Management Minimum Viable Product (MVP) NFRs PI Objectives PI Planning Portfolio Product Increment (PI) Product Owner Program Backlog Program Increment (PI) Planning Program Kanban Release Management Release on Demand Release Train Engineer (RTE) Roadmap Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Scaled Agile Framework� (SAFe�) Scrum Master ScrumXP Solution Architect Solution Context Solution Train Spikes Story System Team Team Backlog Value Stream Execution (VSE) Value Stream Vision Statement Vision Acceptance Test Driven Development (ATDD) Agile Agile Business Train Agile Executive Team Agile Product Delivery Architect Sync ART Backlog ART Flow ART Kanban ART PI Risks ART Planning Board ART Predictability Measure ART Sync Backlog Refinement Baseline Solution Investments (BSIs) Batch Size Behavior Driven Development Benefit Hypothesis Burn-Down (Burn-Up) Chart Business Agility Business Context Business-Enabled ART CALMR Capacity Allocation Collective Ownership Combined Portfolio Compliance Confidence Vote Continuous Deployment (CD) Continuous Exploration (CE) Continuous Integration (CI) Continuous Learning Culture (CLC) Coordinate and Deliver Core Values Cost of Delay Customer Centricity Customer Journey Map Decentralized Decision-Making Definition of Done Deploy Design Thinking Develop on Cadence Development Value Streams Empathy Map Enablers Enterprise Enterprise Solution Delivery Epic Hypothesis Statement Epic Owners Essential SAFe Estimating Poker Extreme Programming Flow Flow Distribution Flow Efficiency Flow Load Flow Predictability Flow Time Flow Velocity Foundation Full SAFe Gemba Hackathon Integration Point Investment Horizons Iteration Goals Iteration Planning Iteration Retrospective Iteration Review Large Solution SAFe Lean Lean Budgets Lean Business Case (LBC) Lean Governance Lean Quality Management System (Lean QMS) Lean User Experience (Lean UX) Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) Lean-Agile Leadership (LAL) Lean-Agile Mindset Little's Law Measure and Grow Milestone Minimum Marketable Feature (MMF) Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) Modified Fibonacci Sequence Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) Operational Value Streams (OVS) Organizational Agility (OA) Pareto Analysis Participatory Budgeting (PB) Personas Phase Gate Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA) Planning Interval Portfolio Backlog Portfolio Canvas Portfolio Flow Portfolio Kanban Portfolio SAFe Portfolio Vision Pre-Plan Problem-Solving Workshop Product Management Product Owner (PO) Sync Refactoring Relative Estimation Release Relentless Improvement Roadmap SAFe Big Picture (BP) SAFe for Government SAFe Lean Startup Cycle SAFe Lean-Agile Principles SAFe Overview SAFe Practice Consultants (SPCs) SAFe Scrum SAFe Team Kanban Scrum Master/Team Coach (SM/TC) Set-Based Design Shared Services Solution Solution Architect Solution Demo Solution Intent Solution Management Solution Train Backlog Solution Train Engineer Solution Train Flow Spanning Palette Sprint Story Map Story Point Strategic Themes Sunk Costs Supplier SWOT Analysis System Architect System Demo Systems Thinking Team and Technical Agility Team Sync Team Topologies Test-Driven Development (TDD) TOWS Analysis U-Curve Optimization Value Management Office (VMO) Value Stream Coordination Value Stream Identification Value Stream KPIs Value Stream Management (VSM) Value Stream Mapping Verification and Validation Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) Work in Progress 5 Whys SAFe 6.0 Definition Defines the boundaries of a user story to confirm when it is completed and working as intended. The architecture strategy used in SAFe to build systems incrementally while keeping options open. It emphasizes architecting Provides teams guidance on business alignment, dependencies, risks, and coordination across the Agile Release Train (ART), S Long-lived virtual organization that develops and delivers solutions incrementally using Agile, Lean, and DevOps principles an Cross-functional and empowered teams that develop complex solutions in an iterative, incremental manner. Typically 7 +/- 2 Intentional architecture investment by teams to reduce technical risk and prepare for upcoming features. Items that describe what the team plans to build in an iteration or release. Backlogs are made up of features, fixes, non-funct Building quality attributes such as compliance, reliability, security, performance into each story/feature during development. Represents the interests of the business function across the portfolio. Participates in governance and decision-making for the Enablers of business activities and outcomes. SAFe organizes development around delivering capabilities. Groups organized around shared knowledge, skills, and learning to support value streams. Membership crosses ARTs. Automates the end-to-end steps required to build, test and deploy code to users. Person or organization that uses a solution, commissions development, or purchases the capabilities the ART provides. Combines development and operations roles to optimize the Agile Release Train for delivering value. Applies systems thinking to facilitate change across the portfolio, maintaining coherence and conceptual integrity. Large and vaguely defined pieces of work that capture a potential solution. Epics are sized or split into stories that can be com The regularly occurring activities in the SAFe framework like PI Planning, Iteration Planning, System Demo, and Inspect & Ada User-centric services, functions and components that enable business capabilities. Features are sized and split into stories. Integrated set of Stories validated by the Product Owner and System Demo that provide a meaningful capability when release Special iteration used for innovation, planning, Architectural Runway, and Inspect & Adapt events. Occurs every 8-12 weeks. Occurs every PI to reflect on performance, share learnings, and adjust. Drives continuous improvement. Cross-functional and self-organizing team that develops complex solutions in an incrementally. An Agile Release Train is made Timeboxed periods of development that conclude with a System Demo and feedback from stakeholders. Typically iterations a Visual method to control work in process with work item visualization, flow management, explicit process policies, and WIP li Aligns strategy to execution by connecting portfolio vision to the programs and teams building the systems. Increments that meet the minimum level of quality and functionality needed to validate and get feedback on a solution. Nonfunctional Requirements such as security, performance, reliability. NFRs constrain the design of features. Defines what business goals each ART aims to accomplish by the end of the PI. Provides alignment across multiple trains. Planning session that kicks off each Program Increment. Teams break down features into stories and tasks for the upcoming P Represents the investment mix needed to achieve strategic business goals. It includes Epic funding by business initiatives. Period that extends from the beginning to the end of a PI Planning. Typically 8-12 weeks long. Has content authority for the program backlog. Represents the business side working with Agile teams. Hold features, enablers, risks and defects that have been identified by the Product Management and Product Owner to be ex Planning session that re-plans the upcoming Program Increment (PI). Helps teams adjust based on learnings from the previou Visualizes the flow of value from one ART to another in a value stream. Shows dependencies between ARTs. Combination of business analysis, user experience, engineering, and testing to deliver value continuously. Releasing to users whenever there is an increment that meets the quality and business acceptance criteria. Servant leader and coach for the ART. Helps teams build high-quality systems and facilitates events, processes, and coordinat Visualization of solution releases or milestones over time. Roadmaps convey strategic intent and initiative sequencing to stak Provides Lean-Agile principles, values, practices across the enterprise to align portfolios, programs, teams and process for dev Provides Lean-Agile principles, values, practices across the enterprise to align portfolios, programs, teams and process for dev Helps Agile teams follow Scrum practices like organizing Scrum events, resolving impediments, facilitation techniques. Agile methodology that blends Scrum events with Extreme Programming (XP) technical practices for quality and productivity. Translates needs into solutions by applying proven patterns, defining interfaces and ecosystem, and establishing end-to-end s The people, processes, tools and information necessary for training, developing, testing solutions. Identifying dependencies o Long-lived virtual organization that develops and delivers complex solutions across an Agile Release Train. Timeboxed research used to resolve risk, reduce uncertainty, build a quick proof of concept, or learn a new skill/technology n Short description of a small piece of desired functionality written from the user's perspective. Stories are sized to be complet Cross-discipline resources that assist in building and validating the solution under development but are not on one of the Agil Holds the stories, defects and non-functional requirements that the team is actively working on during an iteration. Represen How the SAFe framework is applied to a value stream to build and deploy solutions with Agility. Series of steps that produce a continuous flow of value from a portfolio to the end user. The SAFe Big Picture represents the e Short aspirational description of the future state the solution aims to achieve for customers and the business. Long-term strategic idea of the future state the enterprise aims to achieve for that value stream over time. Provides guidance Practice in which acceptance tests are created to define requirements and drive the development of features. Ability to create and respond to change. Methodologies based on the values and principles expressed in the Agile Manifesto. A virtual organization that aligns teams to business capabilities and oversees budgeting/funding for those teams. Cross-functional senior leaders that guide value stream execution and strategic initiatives using Agile practices. Building solutions in an iterative, incremental way with fast feedback and adaptation. Releasing value early and often. Regular meeting for Solution/System Architects and Solution Management to identify dependencies, risks, and mitigations. Prioritized list of upcoming features, enablers, and fixes to be developed by the teams on the ART. Visible on the Program Kan Rate at which an ART delivers value through developing and deploying capabilities. Flow metrics help identify bottlenecks. Visualizes the flow of features from exploration through delivery by the ART teams. Swimlanes for each value stream the ART Potential events that may impact the ART's ability to meet the PI objectives. Managed proactively. Physical or electronic board that contains information relevant to PI Planning for the ART like objectives, teams, features, dep Metric for an ART based on its teams' ability to deliver on their iteration plans and forecasts. Regular meeting to review progress, issues, and dependencies between teams on the ART. Ongoing process of detailing and estimating the stories and enablers in the backlog. Typically done in the iteration prior to im Key enablers needed across multiple value streams like infrastructure, security, data integration. Funded separately from valu The amount of work-in-progress (WIP) allowed during a process activity before passing on to the next. Smaller batch sizes im Extends TDD by connecting tests to expected behaviors and outcomes that matter to business and users. Theory on how an initiative will provide value and support strategic objectives. Used to test ideas and evaluate results. Graphs daily changes in remaining work or functionality delivered within a timebox like an iteration. Communicates progress Ability of an enterprise to sense and respond to market changes, opportunities, and threats with speed, safety, and quality. Environmental factors like competition, regulation, technology trends relevant to solution decisions. Provided by Product Ma ART aligned to a major business capability or line of business rather than a technology platform. May contain multiple apps/s Set of principles for scaling Lean-Agile development: Culture, Automation, Lean, Measure, Recover. Process of sharing the capacity of teams across multiple value streams based on WIP limits and demand. Practice where any team member can update existing code or tests to add new functionality, fix defects, improve designs, etc Union of the portfolios related to developing Value Stream capabilities and the supporting Lean-Agile and Agile Architecture c Adherence of a solution to regulations, standards, contracts, policies that govern it. Often represented as NFRs. Quick confirmation of the team's commitment to complete forecasted work in an iteration. Done at the Iteration Planning. Practice of deploying increments that meet the quality and business acceptance criteria to users immediately and often. Continually exploring ideas and assumptions for improving solutions to serve current and potential future users. Integrating, building, and testing code changes from multiple developers frequently to detect issues quickly. Done several tim Enterprise culture that encourages and provides resources for everyone to gain new skills and share knowledge. Additional synchronization points between ARTs needed beyond PI planning to manage dependencies and risks. Typically nea Fundamental shared beliefs that guide behavior and decision making. SAFe Core Values: Alignment, Built-in Quality, Transpar Potential value that could be realized if a given initiative was delivered sooner. Factors into WSJF prioritization. Making customers and their desired outcomes the main focus of solutions. Directly engaging customers for feedback. Visualization of the end-to-end steps customers go through to accomplish key tasks that use the solution. Delegating authority and empowering teams to make decisions about how they build solutions. Shared quality criteria that must be met before a team can say a user story or feature is complete. Making an increment developed by teams available for use and feedback through the Solution's standard release process. Set of practices for understanding users more deeply, generating creative ideas, and prototyping/testing possible solutions. Establishing a reliable, fixed development cycle that Teams can baseline against. Typically every 2 weeks. Series of steps used by ARTs and Solution Trains to build solutions and capabilities continuously. The SAFe Big Picture describ Visual projective technique to better understand an individual user's behaviors, attitudes, pain points, and needs. Components shared across features that enable teams to build vertical capabilities. Includes services, components, libraries, An organization coordinating multiple value streams to provide solutions to internal and/or external customers. Coordinating the people, processes, and tools across value streams to continuously deliver solutions that provide strategic va Summary of the expected benefit and measurement strategy for determining if an Epic achieved the desired outcome. Representatives from Business/Product Management responsible for defining epics and prioritizing the initiatives under them The most critical elements of the Framework needed to achieve business agility. It provides the minimum viable SAFe introdu Technique where each team member privately selects an estimate for a user story or feature, then estimates are revealed sim Agile methodology focused on technical agility through practices like pair programming, test-driven development, continuous The movement of work items through a process from start to finish. Metrics like cycle time, throughput, and work-in-process Histogram of process cycle times used to analyze flow performance and variation over time. The percentage of total lead time actually spent working on an item versus waiting. Higher percentages reflect better flow. Cumulative amount of work requested of a group over a given time period. Ability to reliably forecast when work will complete based on flow metrics and bottlenecks identified. The total elapsed time from when work enters a system until it exits out the end. Comprised of process, wait, and adjustmen The average rate at which a group or process delivers work. Often measured in story points per iteration for Agile teams. The minimum configuration of the Framework needed to realize the core benefits of business agility. It includes Essential SAF The complete configuration that provides guidance for all levels of an enterprise to be Lean-Agile. It includes all levels from Te Japanese concept meaning 'the actual place'. Going to the work to observe reality first-hand rather than relying on theory or Timeboxed event where multiple teams build proofs of concept and innovators explore ideas hands-on. The intentional merging of work from multiple sources before proceeding further in the process flow. Helps identify issues ea Grouping of initiatives and budgets needed to achieve strategic goals based on their timeframes. 1) Now (Current Quarter) 2) The specific objectives teams intend to achieve within the upcoming iteration. Documented on the iteration plan. Timeboxed event where teams select user stories from the backlog to work on in the upcoming iteration. Stories are estimate Inspect and adapt event during which the team reflects on their last iteration to identify what went well, problems, and impr Review session at the end of each iteration where teams demonstrate their completed increments to stakeholders for feedba Configuration to scale Lean-Agile across multiple ARTs and Solution Trains developing large integrated solutions. Philosophy focused on delivering customer value through practices that optimize flow and eliminate waste. Emphasizes conti Funding model that directly connects strategy to execution. Provides transparency and Agile financial planning. Lightweight approach to evaluate ideas and ongoing initiatives based on hypotheses, risks, costs and benefits. Replaces static Applying Lean principles like visual management, limiting WIP, fast feedback, decentralizing decision-making to strategy and e The practices used to build quality directly into solutions and continuously improve processes. Replaces heavyweight process UX design approach based on hypothesis-driven development, Agile practices, and validated learning for maximum customer Group of change agents that coach and guide teams and leaders in applying Lean, Agile, and SAFe principles and practices. Style of leadership that emphasizes understanding customers, unlocking intrinsic motivation, decentralizing decision-making, Way of thinking centered on respect for people and culture of shared leadership, learning and improvement. Values individua Formula that states work-in-progress (WIP) equals throughput (flow rate) multiplied by flow time. Fundamental principle of f Practice of using measurements to determine if changes are producing the desired effect and drive further improvements. Significant events that communicate progress to stakeholders at major time checkpoints in the program. Not tied to solution Smallest set of functionality that provides meaningful customer value to support a marketing campaign/initiative. MMFs help Formalizing descriptions, designs and behaviors of complex systems in models to understand interactions early. Simple linear progression (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20) commonly used for relative story point estimation. Goal setting technique to define objectives, measurable key results to achieve those goals, and regular progress tracking. The Essential SAFe value streams responsible for day-to-day support and operations for live customers and end users. How quickly and easily an organization can mobilize resources to deliver value in complex, rapidly changing conditions. Statistical technique identifying vital few sources causing most defects or other effects by ranking them by occurrence freque Practice that includes teams in budget allocation decision-making to increase engagement, transparency, and financial aware Detailed archetypical users whose goals and characteristics represent a larger user group to focus solution designs on real use Sequential process where phases separate development stages. Work must past criteria at gates before proceeding to next p Four stage iterative cycle for executing change: Plan change, Do try change, Check if it worked, Adjust based on results. Basis Period of time between PI Planning sessions where teams execute what was planned. Typically 8-12 weeks. Prioritized list of proposed initiatives yet to be analyzed and approved for inclusion in one of the Investment Horizons. One page conceptual map of the vision, business benefits, risks, and measured outcomes of a portfolio. Created collaborative Tracking initiatives from ideation through retirement visualizes how the portfolio is evolving and shifting over time. Visualization of portfolio epics or initiatives as they flow from idea to launch, funding state, and progress towards retirement. Configuration that applies Lean-Agile principles and practices to strategy and investment funding at the portfolio level. Concise statement of the future state to aim for over the long term that guides portfolio roadmaps and provides purpose for Occurs in advance of PI Planning where Product and Solution Management refine and prepare content for the upcoming PI. Timeboxed event for digging to the root causes of defects and developing targeted countermeasures. Often follows the Five W Business role responsible for identifying market opportunities, managing roadmaps, and defining what the product teams wil Regular meeting for Product Owners and Product Management to share knowledge, plan, and coordinate dependencies impa Improving existing code without changing functionality to improve adaptability, performance, testability. Eliminating duplicat Estimating size or effort using categories like S, M, L, XL rather than absolute units like hours or days. Velocity calculated from deployable Increment developed by Agile teams that provides new functionality users can access. May contain content from Mindset for continually challenging the status quo and finding ways to improve how value is delivered no matter how well th Visualization of solution releases or milestones over time. Roadmaps convey strategic intent and initiative sequencing to stak Central graphic in the Framework that provides an orientation to the various elements making up Full SAFe. Variation of the Framework that incorporates U.S. government agencies' acquisition and compliance requirements. Apply hypotheses, experiments, validated learning to find product/market fit faster in large enterprises. Combines Lean Start Foundational beliefs of SAFe that are key to understanding and implementing the Framework successfully. High-level view of SAFe and its configuration levels: Team, Program, Large Solution, Portfolio. Helps determine what configur Individuals trained and certified to coach leaders and teams specifically on SAFe principles and practices. Prescribes additional roles, events, and processes to integrate Scrum teams building large systems into ARTs and the SAFe pro Kanban system used by Agile teams that makes work visible, limits WIP, and measures flow. Represented on a physical or ele Team member with facilitating skills who coaches the team in continuous improvement and following Scrum, XP and SAFe. Exploring sets of design options in parallel, gradually narrowing options based on learning, to delay costly commitments. Internal service providers of common capabilities and resources to support multiple value streams like IT, HR, Finance, Legal. Combined set of capabilities, Enablers, and services that provides a result for a customer or user. Built and evolved over time Technical role responsible for a Solution's architecture vision and conceptual integrity from ideation through retirement. Lead Event that concludes each PI where teams demonstrate integrated working solutions to stakeholders for feedback and valida Lean business case created collaboratively by Product and Solution Management to align vision, investment, and evidence ne Technical role that works with Product Management and ARTs to provide technical context, manage interfaces and dependen Prioritized view of upcoming capabilities to be built by ARTs on the Solution Train. Visible to teams on the Solution Kanban. Coaches Solution Trains on applying Lean-Agile development principles. Manages risk, dependency management, measureme Rate at which a Solution Train and its ARTs deliver value by developing capabilities that realize the solution vision. Method to connect strategy to execution by visually linking features and capabilities under development to the business bene Timeboxed period when work is done. In Scrum, represents iterations of 1 month or less for performing analysis, design, deve Organizes user stories into coherent groups to provide a big picture view of the solution and plan incremental development. Relative measure of the effort needed to implement a user story. Velocity helps forecast how much can be completed in itera Broad areas critical to achieving the Portfolio Vision. Initiatives are mapped to Themes to ensure strategic alignment. Time or expenses already incurred that cannot be recovered. Sunk costs should not influence External company that provides services, components, technologies, or other capabilities to support value stream developme Assesses internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats to inform strategic planning. Technical leadership role responsible for architects in a Solution Train and facilitates applying emerging technologies. Event that concludes each PI where teams demonstrate integrated working systems from multiple ARTs to stakeholders for f Holistic approach focused on the interrelationships between parts rather than siloed elements. Examines cycles of influence a Ability of Agile teams to deliver value and adapt quickly through technical excellence, shared accountability, and continuous l Regular meeting for teams to inspect and adapt processes and update status, dependencies and blockers affecting the team. Organization patterns that influence team cognitive load based on team dependencies and interactions. Recommend approp Writing tests first to define requirements and design, then writing just enough code to pass those tests before refactoring. Examines internal strengths and weaknesses along with external opportunities and threats to develop strategic actions. Simil Temporary divergence from performance goals to stretch system capabilities required for the next level of performance. Cross-functional team that helps establish value streams and guides continuous value optimization via metrics, budgeting, an Connecting and managing dependencies between multiple value streams needed to deliver end-to-end enterprise solutions. Defining the steps that an enterprise uses to build and deliver solutions to users to meet strategic objectives. The first step in Metrics that provide insights into the performance of essential value streams from the strategic portfolio level down to team Practice of visualizing the flow of information and materials needed to deliver solutions to users to identify waste and delays. Lean technique to map process steps and metrics to understand flow and identify improvement opportunities. Verification - Checking work was done correctly. Validation - Checking the completed work meets the actual user need. Prioritization model that ranks initiatives based on risk reduction, time criticality, and business value. The amount of work at each state of an Agile process from backlog to done. WIP limits facilitate flow. Lean problem-solving technique drilling down to root causes by asking "Why?" 5 times to understand systems and escape sup e during development. Ensuring the solution meets minimally acceptable quality levels throughout development.
