What Are the Responsibilities of a SAFe Agilist?

Becoming a SAFe Agilist Practitioner and bringing the Agility to the organization, is not new for today as with the implementation of Agile Methodology, comes the fact that it has provided huge contributive significance in the Software & IT industry for growth, improved results and development.

As the SAFe Agilist plays a vital role in getting significant improvement throughout the Agile Journey, the way of management and implementation of the responsibility acts as a backbone for getting improved results.

SAFe Agilist

SAFe Agilist is the key force who implements the fundamentals of SAFe Framework at an early stage of the product development process. SAFe Agilist, with the use of SAFe principles and techniques, develops the culture of the work process which is based on the Lean-Agile method to scale up various operations within the institute.

SAFe Agilist creates the planning and execution of program increments within an organization by adapting the fundamentals of Scrum Framework. Apart from implementing the fundamentals of SAFe in the work process, they also guide their respective team to bring success and better results and become Agile with the work process.

They also help the knowledge workers to understand the value of being Agile to enhance capability and engagement.

Key Responsibilities of a SAFe Agilist

Planning and Execution of Program Increment

A SAFe Agilist has a vision of what is necessary for the Agile Development process. The SAFe Agilist makes strategic planning as a lead, which forges the path for the Development team and other members of the organization to embark on an Agile path with the workflow process.

The SAFe Agilist plans and implements incremental values through Program Management. This includes time box planning in the form of working, tested software, and systems. They Inspect and Adapt the whole of the Workflow process involved in the planning and execution of the Program Increment with the motive to have a fixed time box for the building, validation of the system value, demonstration of the values, and getting fast feedback. They ensure there is consistency with the workflow process and have ART wide retrospectives.

Planning and Execution Through Agile Release Trains

Agile Release Trains combines teams for a common technical and business goal. Every Release Train is a cross-functional team consisting of typically 50 – 125 people that commit, plan, develop, and implement together. Agile Release Trains are thoroughly systemized for the organization's significant Value Streams and exist solely to keep the promise of that value which builds Solutions and delivers incremental benefits to the end-user. Agile Release Trains works cross-functionally and has the capabilities that deliver a continuous flow of value.

A SAFe Agilist makes sure that the planning and execution through Agile Release Trains are appropriately done, and the workflow process of Agile Release Trains are thoroughly organized by being a part of the ARTs. 

The SAFe Agilist promotes the Principles of ARTs such as fixation of schedules, timely increment in systems, applying the synchronization, embracement of Agile Mindset and SAFe core values, face to face planning, innovation and planning, etc. with the virtue of thorough inspection and adaptation.

Vision and Implementation of the Lean-Agile Principles

The roots of SAFe Framework lies on the ten basic Lean-Agile Principles:

1. Take an Economic View
2. Apply System Thinking
3. Assume Variability, Preserve Options
4. Build Incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles
5. Base milestones on the objective evaluation of working systems
6. Visualize and limit WIP, reduce batch sizes, and manage queue heights
7. Apply cadence, synchronize with cross-domain planning
8. Unlock the intrinsic motivation of knowledge workers
9. Decentralize decision-making
10. Organize around value

Implementation of the Lean-Agile Principles and values in the workflow process is the primary task that SAFe Agilist governs. Working under the Lean-Agile Principles helps the SAFe Agilist up to the best possible extent in the building of Agile Portfolio management with Lean-Agile Budgeting. 

With the virtue of Agile Portfolio Management, the SAFe Agilist enhances identifications, priorities, organization, and management of products developed. This proves to be of great use in optimizing the development process that is sustainable in the long run.

Efficient and Optimized Flow of Kanban Solutions

Kanban is an optimized, efficient, and simple planning system which aims to manage and control the flow of work as an inventory method at every stage of development, production, and delivery. Kanban Solutions have proved to be of great use and has a significant contribution to the evolution of the modern workflow system. 

The Process of Kanban was developed back in the 1940s by a Japanese Industrialist, and since then it's values and principles have been implemented as governing workflow processes for every industry. When it comes to the Software and IT industry, almost every section has been successfully implementing it for a long time.

The SAFe Agilist is responsible for the continuous efficient and optimized flow of Kanban Solutions. While keeping the track of Kanban Solutions, the SAFe Agilist ensures that the workflow process is visualized at an early stage which eliminates the traffic and blockages at an early stage and makes the workflow process smooth, cost-efficient, and optimized.

Develop a Collaborative, Cross-Functional and Supportive Approach

Collaborative Approach is the backbone for the growth and development of any organization, big or small. The Culture of Collaboration enhances the cross-functional benefits and gives provides support both physically and mentally to outreach the success with efficiency with a happy environment.

As a SAFe Agilist and expert of Agile Framework, one leads the team with the Collaborative, Cross-Functional, and Supportive approach for the fellow team member and the other member of the organization as well. Agile teams are motivated when having shared vision with a collaborative approach that delivers value to the end-user. This helps the SAFe Agilist as being the team member and makes themselves fully dedicated to the Agile Team which supports the common goals.