Agile Transformation and SAFe
For those who think going to an Agile Development System in a large development department will be easy, I can tell you that you'll be disappointed. But the reward is worth it. In my experience with an enterprise software deployment, as well as numerous web-based startups, Agile is the way to go. Here are some of the benefits I personally helped achieve:
1. More frequent releases of new product features
When we started revamping the Agile process in a scaled software department, the pipeline was so tangled up and the codebase so broken, it seemed hopeless to ever release the next version. But by breaking up the releases into bite sizes, giving visibility across teams, and communicating to all stakeholders the plan, we were able to begin shipping meaningful new product again in the first year and on a tight schedule by the second year.
2. Higher quality
Getting into a drum beat scrum rhythm allowed faster identification and prioritization of bugs related to the next release instead of trying to fix everything at once. This also improved efficiency of support operations like technical publications, QA and release management. Test-a-thons provided real use testing and platform stress as releases approached.
3. Better integration of modules through Scrum of Scrums
The Scrum of Scrums meetings allowed communication across teams of roadblocks, inter-dependencies and upcoming major events. It should be held at least once per Sprint. Weekly is even better. It should be held at the same time and place. It works best if it is mandatory for each team to be represented.
4. Team cohesiveness
Better visibility to the teams meant all team members understood what the schedule was, what their deliverables were, and how their activities fit in with the bigger picture. We employed post release surveys to assess progress and overall measurements of how the process was doing and where impediments still existed. As a result, teams' assessments of their own progress showed continuous improvement as did their adoption of the process.
5. Improved cross functional communication
Communications with other areas of the business, including finance, marketing, sales, and executive management all improved as predictability of releases improved. Better planning and scheduling of events was possible and customers were no longer disappointed by missed release dates.
Summary
My experience with instituting Agile and SAFe was that even a more complex product could be more effectively managed. It required a transformation of every aspect f the process and took time and patience but the results were dramatic.