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Live Webinar – May 14th, 2015, 11:30 am – 7:00 pm EDT
Duration: 6 Hours Credits: 6 PDUs Category B – Free PDU
Note: NetObjectives is an REP ( 3045) but this opportunity is a Category B PDU.

SAFe is a proven process framework for scaling lean and agile across the enterprise.

For an excellent introduction to SAFe see the:

Scalable Agile in the Enterprise: SAFe and the Future of Agile” post and follow the link to the recording.

1 Category A PDU

SAFe can be used as a base for successful transitions but that “SAFe out of the box” often has challenges.

  •  SAFe is a framework, and one identified for use at scale, not everywhere.
  • SAFe should be thought of as a tool-box of great ideas that can sometimes be used as is, but more often benefits from some degree of elaboration.

This day presents a quick overview of SAFe followed by four elaborations we’ve seen useful in most of our SAFe implementations.

These elaborations are:

  • Why and how you must drive from business value – why using Minimum Business Increments (MBIs) is essential
  • How to create your trains even when they are not well defined and everybody seems to be working on everything
  • An introduction to Leanban, Net Objectives’ new team level approach that provides consistency across the enterprise while enabling it to be tailored for the context in which it is being used
  • Using SAFe at the mid-scale (organizations of 30-150 people) for which the standard adoption of SAFe may be too heavy
 8:30am-  9:30am SAFe in an Hour. This presents what SAFe is and why it works. It explains SAFe from a Lean-flow perspective while describing how teams are organized so that they can work together.
10:00am-11:00am Driving from Business Value in SAFe, the Net Objectives Way. Years before SAFe existed, Net Objectives had been doing scaled Agile by focusing on high density value to be delivered. The Lean Startup does this with MVPs (minimal viable products).  We prefer to call them Minimum Business Increments (MBIs). We have found that embedding MBIs into the SAFe framework makes it considerably more effective. This talk discusses how focusing on high density business value improves SAFe’s practices while helping align people as well.
11:30am-12:30pm Creating Trains When Everybody Is Working on Everything. While SAFe prescribes an effective team organizational structure of trains, getting well-defined trains is not usually easy or even possible. For most companies implementing SAFe, trains are poorly formed in the early stages of SAFe adoption. This talk will describe how blending Lean with SAFe provides several methods for improving team organization and thereby train formation.
1:30pm- 2:30pm An Introduction to Leanban.  Leanban is the next generation of Agile at the team level.  More than an integration of Scrum and the Kanban Method, Leanban incorporates Lean practices with Acceptance Test-Driven development to provide proven methods that will work in all areas of an organization.Leanban enables an organization to have essentially one approach that can be tailored by teams to meet their needs.  This avoids the Agile wars within an organization, allows people to move freely across teams, and yet enables teams to have an approach that works well for them.  Leanban also has a method of transitioning to new practices in an effective manner, enabling teams to improve their practices as they mature.
2:40pm- 2:55pm LeanKit Presentation.LeanKit
3:00pm- 4:00pm Using SAFe in Mid-Scale Organizations. As good as SAFe is, it is intended for large scale organizations (trains of over 50 people).  However, many organizations with program smaller than 50 are using SAFe, but in a cumbersome manner.  This talk describes how smaller organizations can use SAFe effectively by tailoring key practices.  In particular, these include Program Increment Planning, team organization and backlog management.  This provides the value of SAFe’s all-in agreement while keeping it Agile and effective.

See the current listing of SAFe with Net Objectives Extensions courses here.

Session Presenter: Alan Shalloway (Linkedin Profile & @alshalloway) is the founder and CEO of Net Objectives. With 40 years experience, Alan is a thought leader in Lean, Kanban, PPM, Scrum and agile design. He is the author of Design Patterns Explained: A New Perspective on Object-Oriented Design, Lean-Agile Pocket Guide for Scrum Teams, Lean-Agile Software Development: Achieving Enterprise Agility, and Essential Skills for the Agile Developer: A Guide to Better Programming and Design. Alan is a co-founder and board member for the Lean Software and Systems Consortium.

PDU Category B (PMBOK 5) documentation details:

Process Groups: Executing
Knowledge Areas: 4- Integration 6 – Time 8 – Quality 9 – Human Resources

  • 4.1 Develop Project Charter
  • 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
  • 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Work
  • 5.3 Define Scope
  • 6.2 Define Activities
  • 8.1 Plan Quality Management
  • 9.3 Develop Project Team

As a Category C ‘Self Directed Learning Activity’ remember to document your learning experience and its relationship to project management for your ‘PDU Audit Trail Folder’

Click to register for Day of SAFe 3: Elaborating SAFe