Book Image

SAFe® Coaches Handbook

By : Darren Wilmshurst, Lindy Quick
Book Image

SAFe® Coaches Handbook

By: Darren Wilmshurst, Lindy Quick

Overview of this book

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) is widely recognized as an eff ective methodology for implementing Agile practices at the Enterprise level. However, the complexity of SAFe® can make it challenging for Teams and organizations to determine which practices can be safely adapted to their unique needs. Although SAFe® is a framework rather than a set of rules, promoting adaptation, it’s crucial to understand why SAFe® practices are designed the way they are along with the consequences of modifying them. The SAFe® Coaches Handbook is a comprehensive resource that goes beyond a how-to guide, providing a deep understanding of SAFe® principles and practices. The chapters are designed in a way to teach you how to successfully implement SAFe® in your organization and eff ectively manage the Team’s Backlog while avoiding common pitfalls. You’ll discover optimal ways to create SAFe® Teams and run successful Events. You’ll also learn how to plan Agile Release Trains (ARTs), manage the ART Backlog, conduct PI Planning, and grasp the importance of Value Stream Identifi cation in driving value delivery. By the end of this book, you’ll be armed with practical tips and advice to help you successfully customize the Scaled Agile Framework to your Enterprise’s needs while preserving the aspects that make it work successfully.
Table of Contents (26 chapters)
Free Chapter
2
Part 1: Agile Teams
7
Part 2: Agile Release Trains
13
Part 3: Portfolio
20
Chapter 17: Embracing Agility and Nurturing Transformation
21
Glossary
Appendix A

What is a User Story?

We define a User Story as “a short description of a small piece of desired functionality written from the user’s perspective, implemented by Agile Teams as small, vertical slices that can be completed in a few days or less” [2]. But what does any of that really mean?

User Stories evolved from Extreme Programming (XP) [8] as a response to shortcomings in traditional software development methodologies. XP emphasizes the importance of collaboration between developers and customers with frequent feedback and an iterative approach to development. XP identified User Stories to capture customer requirements. The idea was to write brief informal descriptions of the user’s need, focusing on what the user wanted to achieve rather than how the software would accomplish it. The User Stories were typically written on index cards. The practice has evolved and was adopted by other Agile methodologies.

On the front of the index card, we typically...