Applying the
Scaled Agile
Framework (SAFe)
to Lean Systems
Engineering
Harry Koehnemann
Director of Technology
321Gang
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Engineering Challenges
Increasing complexity
Rapid reduction in cycle times
Risk meeting customer/market needs
Products in a continuous release cycle
Solutions cross organizational
boundaries (Systems of Systems)
System-wide collaboration demands
(BOF vs. BOM)
Increased product variation
Compliance - contractual, regulatory
2
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Test
Our Current System Cannot Address Challenges
System requirements, design, and schedule “defined” up front
Difficult to defer decisions; reluctance to provide detail
Project success defined by executing plan vs. delivering value
Slow value deliver - delays, WIP, handoffs
Not aligned to deliver value
3
DevelopmentBig DesignUp Front
Value
Knowledge
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Where Does Agile Excel?
Answer: Alignment and Collaboration
But, only solves team-level alignment
and collaboration
4
Product
Backlog
(Stories)
Sprint
Backlog
(Stories)
Potentially
Shippable
Software
30-day
Sprint
24
Hours
Sprint
Review
(Demo)
Sprint
RetrospectiveSprint
Planning
Product Owner
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved 5
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 5
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6
Economic
Trade-offs
Assume Variability; Preserve Options
Aggressively evaluate alternatives.
Converge specifications and solution sets. — Allen Ward
You cannot possibly know everything at the start
Requirements must be flexible to economic design choices
Designs must be flexible to changing requirements
Preservation of options improves economic results
Flexible
specifications
Design
sets
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved 7
Integrate and Test Frequently
“Integration points control product development”
The Lean Machine:
How Harley Davidson Drove Top-Line Growth and
Profitability with Revolutionary Lean Product Development
—Dantar P. Oosterwal
Integration points are pull events
that accelerate learning
• Routine communication
• Reduce variation
• Objective evaluation
Development can proceed no faster
than the slowest learning loop
Improvement comes through
synchronization of design loops
and faster learning cycles
D
CA
P
D
CA
P
D
CA
P D
CA
P D
CA
P D
CA
P D
CA
P D
CA
P D
CA
P
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Coordinate and Align Within and Across Layers
*
*
Solution
Manager
Product
Manager
Solution Arch/Eng
System Arch/Eng
Product
Owner
Scrum
Master
RTE
Value Stream
Coordinator
Content TechnicalProcess/
CoordinationIntegration
/Test
Team
Systems
DevOps
Systems
DevOps
10
11© 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Organize Around Value
Value doesn’t recognize organizational or geographic
boundaries
Organize your people around your Value Streams
Value Streams deliver solutions
Systems
Controls
Mechanical
…
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Programs Are NOT (necessarily) Value Streams
Value Streams do not (necessarily) equate to contracts or programs
Too much “people motion” leads to:
Unpredictable team performance
Lost productivity - form-storm-norm-perform
Limited reuse
Localized optimizations
No economies of scale
12
Program 1
Program 2
Program 3
Program 1 Program 2 Program 3
Don’t bring people to the work… …Bring work to the people
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Use Value Streams to Deliver Product Variants
Eliminate handoffs
Organize around
common product lines
vs separate VSs
Variants may be by
feature or time (model
year ‘17, ‘18)
Variant A
Variant B
Variant C
Variant A
Variant B
Variant C
13
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Value Streams Deliver Solutions
Solution may be a component or feature
Fund ARTs and cross-stream initiatives, not projects
14
Powertrain
HVAC
Active Safety
Infotainment
Autonomous
…
Vehicle Programs
Co
mp
on
en
tF
eatu
re
…
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Solution May Require a Context
Represents Suppliers and Systems or Systems
Customer continuously collaborates on multiple dimensions
Content (backlog), technical, integration, program/budget
15
Solution
Arch/Eng
Systems
DevOps
Solution
Manager
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
ARTs Build Value Stream’s Solution
ARTs deliver each increment (and ideally sprint)
Continually integrate solution at least each increment
Value Stream roles coordinate – content, technical, I&T
16
Solution
ManagerSolution Arch/Eng
Value Stream
Coordinator
Systems
DevOps
17© 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Replace Gates with Cadence-Based Learning Cycles
“Pull” event to integrate entire system
Work may include simulations, models, experiments, etc.
Base milestones on objective evaluation of working system
Risk
Value
Waterfall
Risk
Value
Lean-Agile
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Learning Moves Variable to Fixed
Simultaneously learn what we know, discover what we don’t know
Enablers create knowledge, decisions, and runway to build Features
Decisions made with sufficient time to support feature building
Accelerated by MBSE and Set-Based Design
18
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Record Knowledge in System Intent
Repository of collective system knowledge
Single source of truth to communicate decisions
Populated by results of Enabler work
Facilitates impact analysis
Supports regularity and contractual compliance
19
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
:Vehicle
:Motion Base
:Drive
:Chassis
:Accelerator :Radar :Steering :Brake
:Vehicle Control
ctrl
Use Models (MBSE) to Organize System Intent
Communication
Impact analysis
Strategic reuse
Source for generating
compliance documents
20
System Model
(structure,
behavior,
simulation,
parametrics,
allocations)
Domain
Models
(designs,
analysis, etc.) MCAD Thermal, … Software
Requirements
Model
(functionality,
constraints)
System
ConstraintsCustomer
System
Req
Regulatory
Use Case
Model
21Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Make Better Decisions with Set-Based Design
Set-Based Design preserves options to make the best
economic decisions based on objective evidence
Realizes the Cone
of Uncertainty
No predictable
stabilization
Time
Set-Based
Point-Based
Learning Points
Adjusted
Too much to
adjust
Multiple
Design
Options
Single
Option
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Manage Change with Solution Kanban
Organizes “boards”/CCBs
Prioritized by Solution Management
Reviewed by System Engineering (utilize System Intent)
Analyzed by effected stakeholders
Funnel Review Analysis
Change
TeamsSMEs
Solution Manager
Arch/Eng
Solution
Backlog
New Capability
New Analysis
22
ARTs
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Connected Kanbans
Backlogs contain
centralized initiatives and
local context
Centralized strategy;
decentralized decisions
Increased visibility into the
flow
Hierarchical content
governance system
23
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved 24
Change Requires Leadership
People are already doing
their best; the problems are
with the system.
Only management can
change the system.
—W. Edwards Deming
‣ 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
Respect
for
people
and c
ulture
Flo
w
Innovation
Rele
ntless
impro
vem
ent
VALUE
LEADERSHIP
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved 25
Acquire the Knowledge
1
34
Leffingwell et al. © 2015 Scaled Agile, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Implementing SAFe
2► Ingrain deep SAFe
knowledge (SPCs)
► Identify value streams;
structure ARTs
► Train others
Leading SAFe
► Develop Lean-Agile
leaders
► Organize and
support ARTs
► Implement Agile Portfolio
Supporting role-basedcurriculum
► Product Manager/
Product Owner
► Portfolio Management
► Scrum Master *
► Release Train Engineer *
SAFe for Agile Teams& ART Quick start
► Organize and train
Agile Teams
► Start the Train
► Plan and execute the
first Program Increment
SAFe
Program
Consultants
(SPCs)
SAFe ScrumXP
Scrum Master &
Product Owner
Orientation
©2012- 2015 321 Gang
Rational Support For SAFe LSE
©2012- 2015 321 Gang 27
CCM
RM, DM, RELM
QM
Reporting
PI Objective (Team) Story/Enabler Team Test Plan
PI Objective (Program) Feature/Enabler Program Test Plantracks
tracks
Program Epic
Feature/Epic(lightweight business case)
System Req
NFR/Cust/Reg/Safety/etc.
Requirements
System Test Plan
System Model(structure, behavior, simulation,
parametric, allocations)
Use Case Model
Links depend
on needs
(compliance,
contract)
Domain Model(ECAD, MCAD, SW, etc.)
guides
DM/RELMRM
CCMQM
Simulation, Study, etc.
Team
Program/
Value Stream
System Intent
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