The AgileCraft Insider eBook Series

The Seven Keys to Release

Train Management:
A Survival Guide for
SAFe® Release
Train Engineers
By Tina Behers of AgileCraft

AgileCraft 2018 © All Rights Reserved.

For more information visit us at www.agilecraft.com or email info@agilecraft.com
 Table of Contents

Key #1: Understand the Role of the Release Train Engineer 3

Key #2: Train Everyone & Launch the Train 4

Key #3: Know the Speed of Your Train 6

Key #4: Know How to Launch and Drive the Train 8

Key #5: Avoid Derailing Before Reaching the Destination 12

Key #6: Keep the Train at Speed 15

Key #7: Bring the Train to the Station 16

BONUS: Power Tips for RTEs 17

2
Key #1: Understand the Role of the Release Train
Engineer

The three primary responsibilities of the Release Train Engineer, or RTE, are
planning, launching, and driving the SAFe® release train for value delivery.

The RTE is a servant-leader who is responsible for the steering of the train,
ensuring it rolls down the right tracks and reaches the intended station. This
role requires a tremendous amount of skill around facilitation, connecting
strategy to execution, and creating a culture of empowerment across the
teams and trains. RTEs are responsible for fine-tuning what the train will be
not only in terms of value delivery, but the train size, members, team
composition, and staffing.

3
Key #2: Train Everyone & Launch the Train

Launching a train is a deep topic, and requires us to think about how we

organize around delivering value. The best way to bootstrap a train launch is to
work with business owners to identify your value streams and create agile
release trains to support them. When a value stream is identified,
understanding the skills and resources required can be quickly identified. Once
the correct resources are identified, features and stories can be created, and
the Program Increment backlog can be assembled.

A precursor to this is the training and common understanding that is required

across the trains. The standard practices that will be used should be consistent
across teams, as should the key events that take place during the Program
Increment. Launching the train can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months,
depending on the organization’s appetite for transformation and need for
speed of transformation.

There are a number of different models that can be used to structure trains,
and the most important aspect of any of them is to ensure the proper mix of
skill sets in place. The best way for organizations to accomplish this is to think
through two key questions when setting up a train:

1. How is value getting to our customers?

2. What are the resources we need to deliver that value to them?

There will be a broad mix of skills needed, and it’s critical to ensure you look at
the train needs holistically. In addition to the product development and
technical skills, input and work from the business and DevOps side of the
organization are needed to work in concert for value stream delivery.

When launching multiple trains simultaneously, a common and difficult

outcome to manage is an overload of dependencies between them that
inevitably arises. This is an indicator that trains might need to be re-aligned to
be more efficient. When you start with the end in mind, you can understand
the value and flow efficiency and avoid these entanglements. This may often
result in some fundamental re-training and re-allocation or distribution of
resources.

4
The tipping point to success in most companies is when they are able to gain a
broad understanding of what they are trying to do organizationally with
lean/agile practices. In order to gain that understanding, a recommended best
practice is to prioritize and allocate time in your organization to spend the time
for a 4-day SAFe® class, which has the benefit of energizing the
transformation in addition to providing a common understanding of the
framework. Executives should also prioritize training and education to align
with the way the teams and programs are working together in order to achieve
the vision they set forth. Then, identify the agile champions in your
organizations and provide them a 1 – 2-day training to establish them as SAs
and/or SPCs. Finally, specialized role training such as ScrumMaster or Product
Owner should happen as the train is ready to launch. This up-front investment
in training will pay off exponentially in the long run.

5
 Key #3: Know the Speed of Your Train

The way we measure how much work can get done on a team for a
given sprint or PI is done by monitoring team velocity. Velocity is
the amount of work your team gets through in a set amount of
time. In SAFe®, teams measure work in points that represent the
relative size of that work to other work. Over time, teams establish
an average amount of points that are accomplished in each sprint
or PI which becomes the team or program velocity. Having an
understanding of velocity is key, so that the Product Owners and
managers can determine the right set of features that can be
loaded into that event.

In addition to team estimation, it’s critical to incorporate a buffer

into your velocity. Using the metaphor of a highway, when traffic is
flowing smoothly, there is a buffer between all vehicles and they can
move around each other easily. If even a single car
breaks down, a massive gridlock can occur: there are
8 POINTS PER PERSON only so many lanes for cars to be on highway so when
PER TEAM FOR A SPRINT IS that buffer is lost, everything slows down. Even when
THE RULE OF THUMB FOR the accident is finally resolved, traffic still moves
BASELINE VELOCITY. slowly where it occurred.

How is a Highway Like a PI?

A single car is Lack of buffer / too

the cause of gridlock much WIP = dramatic
reduction in flow

A release train is the same way: if there’s no buffer factored into

velocity, teams will become overloaded. They’ll get backed up with
too much work in progress, and will experience a dramatic reduction
in flow, resulting in incomplete stories and features.

6
By far, executives and leaders’ primary concern with product delivery is
predictability. The best measure of predictability is having a solid
understanding of velocity. When release trains are predictable, RTEs are
empowered to know how much to plan and how much can get done. This isn’t
something that happens overnight – it takes discipline and consistency, along
with the right tooling to achieve a predicable velocity, but is pure magic when
it happens. Predictability can also be thought of as integrity – when there is
confidence in being able to do what is committed, we build trust through not
only the teams but across trains and throughout the organization. This leads to
empowerment and decentralized decision making, which is truly the sign of a
successful SAFe® release train. Delivering consistent predictability creates
trust, which in turn leads to greater decentralized decision making.

SAFE® Principle #6

Visualize and limit WIP Reduce batch sizes Manage queue lengths

To establish velocity, refer to SAFe principle #6.

7
Key #4: Know How to Launch and Drive the Train

Launching the release train involves planning not only the top priority features
that should be brought into the PI, but also identifying risks, objectives,
dependencies, skill sets, resources, and services that will be needed to deliver
value to the customer. This is accomplished in a 2 – 4 day PI planning event.
SAFe provides multiple methods to enable and create a framework around PI
planning.

Launch

The standard SAFe PI management typically follows this format:

• PI Planning
• Backlog Management
• Program Board – visualize and manage the agreement between product
and delivery
• Dependency, risk, and objective tracking and management.
• Work in Process – managing WIP at epic, capability, feature, and story
levels
• Post PI Clean-up – ensuring all work is done, closed, and accepted or
planned into the next PI

There are additional tools, such as set-up checklists, that are available from
SAFe coaches and SPCs, as well as natively available in the AgileCraft platform.
These resources were created to improve the efficiency of train launches. Even
post-launch, we recommend you revisit them regularly as they have proven to
be valuable in monitoring the health of your release train. It is recommended
to regularly revisit:
• Who is on the train
• Location of people on trains
• New people who need training
• People moving between trains that need new training

Companies are living, evolving organisms, and there always people changes in
leadership and new people coming on. It’s important to understand if they
have they been exposed to the environment of a release train, and if they are
familiar with SAFe, Scrum, or lean/agile practices. They may not have any level
of training, nor an understanding of where each train is headed, and this may
create an impact on the team and program. Having mechanisms in place to
review this regularly can help fill these gaps before the impact is felt.

8
Cadence
RAC recognized that GEAR would only succeed if the IT in
Another part of this key isment
establishing a cadence.
team worked This means
in alignment making
with sure
the business. It was
you not only clear on the sprint cadence, but also the PI planning events.
coordinate their strategy and activities to meet some
Making sure these happen regularly means plenty of up-front scheduling
deadlines. It was also critical that the development team
and calendar coordination, so never underestimate the lead time it will take
most
to set these up. PI planning important
requires projects
a large physicaland features
space, whichthat
is had the most im
typically at a premium in most organizations
all business - particularly
strategy when performance.
and financial trying to Having
get 100+ people together in one location. The further ahead you book your
solution to support this (and other) projects and provide
PI planning event, the easier it is to secure physical space that can
critical. After exploring the market-leading products, a te
accommodate all the participants.
top IT leadership and product development managers
"We were looking for a platform that would enable alignm
Establish the Cadence
cy, and communication between the
business and development teams," said Tayne. "We were a

raft as our single system of record, keeping everyone al

common goals. The metrics and visualizations spanned

needed to manage, starting from the enterprise, with

Program/Train Level Team Level
portfolio, program and team levels.“
PI Planning (Big Room) Sprint Cadence - Synchronized
Meeting Sprint Planning Meetings
Demo Daily Standups
Inspect Team Demos
Retrospectives

Using AgileCraft, the GEAR development team delivered t

In addition to the large PI planning event, make sure to schedule the other
schedule and on budget, a major success for the IT team
events important to your release train success, including inspect and adapt
sessions, demos, team of achieved its business
teams, or scrum goals,These
of scrums. increasing
eventsRAC's
are purchasing p
ing in
equally important as the daily significant
standups and cost savings. The
retrospectives, application
so it’s importantmet its te
to ensure all key stakeholders
Withare able to
native participate.toAdvance
integrations event
both JIRA and HP Quality C
scheduling has proven on most SAFe organizations to improve
visible success of this critical software is enabling RAC
predictability of the train. While it seems like a small change, having an
practices throughout the company, even to parts of the
event heartbeat in the organization does wonders for discipline and
consistent SAFe practices.using
It canAgileCraft at the team
be the cornerstone forlevel. What’s next? “Things a
establishing
alignment across the organization.
open up with AgileCraft from an innovation perspective

RAC’s Vice-President of IT Business Solutions. “We pl

Establishing a synchronized team level cadence is the foundation of an
footprint of AgileCraft beyond the IT and executive team
overall release train cadence. Having the same conversation across teams
and trains is important, soextended storeyou
ensuring that network to contribute
have tooling ideasinright in the Ag
and training
– and
place at all levels can bridge then
those measure
gaps. howRTEs
Teams and thewant
impact of their ideas dire
to know
when pivots occur, and where the injection
performance of business.”
of our that work will be. This is
where the organization needs to have broad, consistent discipline as they
adapt their behaviors around principles of agile.

9
Planning
RAC recognized that GEAR would only succeed if the IT in
SAFe has a consistent agenda
mentinteam
termsworked
of the overall process,
in alignment inputs,
with the outputs,
business. It was
and how the meetings themselves can be most effectively conducted.
coordinate their strategy and activities to meet some

deadlines. It was also critical that the development team

The PImost
Planning Process
important projects and features that had the most im
INPUT OUTPUT
all business strategy and financial performance. Having
Program Board
solution
Vision and top 10 - 15 Features to support this (and other) projects and provide
Team and Program PI Objectives
Team stories - planned into sprints
Dependencies
critical. After exploring
Risks the market-leading products, a te

top IT leadership and product development managers

"We
Vision were looking for a platform that would enable alignm

cy, and communication between the

PI Planning
Program
Backlog business and development teams," said Tayne. "We were a
Top 10-15
Features
NFRs
raft as our single system of record, keeping everyone al
Program Board
common goals. The metrics and visualizations spanned
The 2 – 3 day PI planning process involves input of vision, 10 – 15 stories and output of a committed PI backlog of
needed to manage, starting from the enterprise,
stories, as well as dependencies and risks. with
portfolio, program and team levels.“
The first day sets the overall context for the PI planning session, and identifies
risks and impediments to work through. Ensure that timeboxes are tightly
managed, so all objectives can be completed. You may have to break these up
across time zones to accommodate any distributed teams.
Using AgileCraft, the GEAR development team delivered t
Day 1 Agenda
schedule and on budget, a major success for the IT team
8:00-9:00 Business context
achieved its business goals, increasing RAC's purchasing p
State of the business and upcoming objectives

9:00-10:30 Product/Solution Vision Vision and prioritized features

ing in significant cost savings. The application met its te
Architecture Vision • Architecture, common frameworks, etc.
10:30-11:30
With native
& development practices integrations
• Agile tooling, engineeringto both
practices, etc. JIRA and HP Quality C

11:30-1:00
visible success
Planning context and lunch
of this critical software is enabling RAC
Facilitator explains planning process

• Teams develop draft plans and identify risks and impediments

1:00-4:00 Team breakouts
practices throughout theManagers
• Architects and Product company,
circulate even to parts of the

4:00-5:00 Draft plan review using AgileCraft at the

Teams present team
draft plans, risks,level. What’s next? “Things a
and impediments

5:00-6:00 Management review

& problem solving
open up with AgileCraft
Adjustments from
made based on an risks,
challenges, innovation perspective
and impediments

RAC’s Vice-President
Train Team enter draft of help
Visualizations made early, IT toBusiness
identify Solutions. “We pl
6:00-7:00 plan into AgileCraft potential areas of risk to the train
footprint of AgileCraft beyond the IT and executive team

extended store network to contribute ideas right in the Ag

– and
The second day of planning thenthe
solidifies measure
teams’ how the impact
commitments and of their all
ensures ideas dire

performance
risks and dependencies are of our
well understood business.”
and actioned. After the
commitment at the end of day 2, it’s critical to have a short PI planning
retrospective so that the next PI planning incorporates any learning gleaned
from this event.
10
 Day 2 Agenda
RAC recognized that GEAR would only succeed if the IT in
Planning adjustments Planning adjustments made based on previous day's
8:00-9:00
ment team worked in alignment with the business. It was
Management meeting

• Teams develop final plans and refine risks and impediments

9:00-11:00 Team breakouts
coordinate •their
Businessstrategy and
Owners circulate activities
and assign business to meet some
value to team objectives

11:00-1:00 Final plan review &deadlines. ItTeams

waspresent
alsofinalcritical that the development team
plans, risks, and impediments
lunch
most important projects and features that had the most im
1:00-2:00 Program risks Remaining program-level risks are discussed and ROAMed

2:00-2:15
all businessTeam
strategy and financial performance. Having
and program confidence vote
PI confidence vote

2:15-???
solution to support
Plan rework if necessary
this (and other) projects and provide
If necessary, planning continues until commitment is achieved

critical. After exploring the market-leading products, a te

• Retrospective
After Planning retrospective • Moving Forward
Commitment & moving forward top IT leadership and product development managers
•Final Instructions

6:00-7:00 "We were looking

RTE/Train Team enter/update for
Visualizations madeaearly,
platform that would enable alignm
help to identify
potential areas of risk to the train, now become RTE's
final plan into AgileCraft
dashboard to maintain alignment.
cy, and communication between the
business and development teams," said Tayne. "We were a
This format has proven to consistently flow well and is highly adaptable to
raft as our single system of record, keeping everyone al
most organizations’ needs. While the timing of events and the way objectives
common
are accomplished may change, goals. has
the format Theremained
metrics and visualizations
relatively spanned
unchanged.
needed
The important point is that to manage,
the changes starting
come from from train
the release the members
enterprise, with
and the PI retrospective. Working
portfolio,with business
program andowners, teams can implement
team levels.“
positive changes as a result, as the PI represents a broad, release train-based
perspective.

The beauty of SAFe is that the practices not only organize you for success, but
are constantly improving Using
themselves. This will
AgileCraft, theenable
GEAR leaders to growteam
development an delivered t
organization that can deliver - in some cases, SAFe may unlock the first-time
schedule and on budget, a major success for the IT team
experience of predictable delivery, which can feel truly revolutionary. It’s
achieved its business goals, increasing RAC's purchasing p
important to keep in mind that with this success comes change, which will
breed new responsibility. ing in significant there
Organizationally, cost savings.
will be a The
shiftapplication met its te
towards SAFe,
With
and new release trains will native as
be formed integrations to both
leaders recognize theJIRA and
ability toHP Quality C
deliver
in a predictable way. visible success of this critical software is enabling RAC

practices throughout the company, even to parts of the

using AgileCraft at the team level. What’s next? “Things a

open up with AgileCraft from an innovation perspective

RAC’s Vice-President of IT Business Solutions. “We pl

footprint of AgileCraft beyond the IT and executive team

extended store network to contribute ideas right in the Ag

– and then measure how the impact of their ideas dire

performance of our business.”

11
Key #5: Avoid Derailing Before Reaching the
Destination RAC recognized that GEAR would only succeed if the IT in

ment team worked in alignment with the business. It was

There are three stations your train will need to skillfully navigate in order to
coordinate their strategy and activities to meet some
keep the PI rolling along and on the right set of tracks: dependencies, risks, and
deadlines. It was also critical that the development team
objectives.
most important projects and features that had the most im

all business strategy and financial performance. Having

Station 1: Dependency diamond

solution to support this (and other) projects and provide

Dependencies
critical. After exploring the market-leading products, a te

top IT leadership and product development managers

Multi-Team: a single team needs
"We were looking
something for athan
from more platform that would enable alignm
one team
cy, and communication between the
Team: a single team needs
business andfrom
something development teams," said Tayne. "We were a
another team
raft as our single system of record, keeping everyone al
External: a team needs soething
common goals.
from a team The of
outside metrics andsuch
the train visualizations spanned
as compliance or legal reviews
needed to manage, starting from the enterprise, with
Vendor: hardware,
portfolio, software
program and team patch,
levels.“etc.

Dependencies should not be approached lightly – they can impact the

effectiveness of a train and is one of the most challenging parts of cross-team
alignment. They are notoriously difficult to track
Using AgileCraft, downdevelopment
the GEAR and manage across
team delivered t
teams and release trains. Multiple teams need to have the capacity to manage
schedule and on budget, a major success for the IT team
a unified workflow between themselves, as well as with internal partners (such
achieved its business goals, increasing RAC's purchasing p
as certification or DevOps) and external partners (such as vendors or security
companies). ing in significant cost savings. The application met its te
With native integrations to both JIRA and HP Quality C
Not only should teams bevisible
lookingsuccess
at theseof
types
thisofcritical
work dependencies, but
software is enabling RAC
also be conscious of skill set dependencies between programs and objectives.
practices throughout the company, even to parts of the
Once the PI is planned, look at the teams that have the most dependencies
using AgileCraft at the team level. What’s next? “Things a
between each other – this could be an indication that there is an issue with the
openThey
mix of skill sets on each team. up with
couldAgileCraft from an
also investigate innovation
types of perspective
dependencies they have to help foster
RAC’s that organizational
Vice-President change Solutions.
of IT Business that agile “We pl
transformations can require to be most successful.
footprint of AgileCraft beyond the IT and executive team

extended store network to contribute ideas right in the Ag

– and then measure how the impact of their ideas dire

performance of our business.”

12
Teams work through leaders in the organization to facilitate the change that
they need to resolve dependencies. This means
RAC recognized that leaders
that GEAR would need the abilityifto
only succeed the IT in
visualize dependencies and
mentpatterns
team of dependencies
worked from awith
in alignment highthe
level. Root It was
business.
cause can vary greatly, be it misaligned skill sets, boundaries being drawn on
coordinate their strategy and activities to meet some
the train, or misalignment with the functional organizations. Additionally,
deadlines.
dependencies can be discovered notItonly
wasatalso
the critical
featurethat
level,the
butdevelopment
also at the team
most
portfolio level. Product and important
portfolio projects
managers and
need tofeatures that had
identify these the most im
up front
in order to reduce the impact on the product
all business teams
strategy andasfinancial
they planperformance.
their sprint Having
and PI work.
solution to support this (and other) projects and provide t
critical. After exploring the market-leading products, a tea
Station 2: Risk ranch rail
top IT leadership and product development managers c

Risks
"We were looking for a platform that would enable alignm

cy, and communication between the

Types: program increment, feature, epic
business and development teams," said Tayne. "We were a

raft as our single system of record, keeping everyone ali

Risk Identification
common goals. The metrics and visualizations spanned

needed to manage, starting from the enterprise, with

Upward management via
accurate
portfolio,reporting
program and team levels.“

Impact on objectives

Risk management can be Using

one ofAgileCraft,
the most painful processes
the GEAR in software
development team delivered t
delivery, but also one of the most important. When working through risk
schedule and on budget, a major success for the IT team
identification, having a cross section of business and product development
stakeholders is critical, asachieved its business
perspectives can varygoals,
widelyincreasing RAC'stwo
between these purchasing p
ing in significant
groups. These should be identified in the PIcost savings.
planning Theand
session application
analyzed met
to its tec
discern paths to mitigation and/or
With resolution.
native integrations to both JIRA and HP Quality C

visible success of this critical software is enabling RAC

This also presents an opportunity to upwardly manage - the more you can
practices throughout the company, even to parts of the
expose from an organizational perspective that might be slowing down the
using
train, the more predictable AgileCraft
we can becomeatand
thedevelop
team level. What’s
a steady next? “Things ar
velocity.
open up with AgileCraft from an innovation perspective”
When working with risks,RAC’s
employ a model of looking
Vice-President of ITforBusiness
concise, relevant, and
Solutions. “We pla
accurate information. Accurate reporting is important because the organization
footprint of AgileCraft beyond the IT and executive teams
is now set up to move quickly and solve problems. Inaccurate information or
extended
resolved risks creates waste storecycles
in spending networkon to contribute
risks ideas The
that are done. right in the Ag

whole organization is set –upand then

to be fast,measure how thetoimpact
so it's important of their
make sure accessideas
to dire
information is clear. performance of our business.”

13
Station 3: Objective operating rod
RAC recognized that GEAR would only succeed if the IT i

Objectives
ment team worked in alignment with the business. It wa
coordinate their strategy and activities to meet some

deadlines. It was also critical that the development team

Types: most important Associated
Definingprojects and features that had the most im
Program, with
Objectives
all business strategy and Objectives
financial performance. Havin
Team
solution to support this (and other) projects and provide
critical. After exploring the market-leading products, a te

top IT
The goal of defining objectives leadership
is to andthey
ensure that product development
are connected managers
with the
deliverables we want to accomplish
"We wereinlooking
the PI. for
Objectives are that
a platform a great way enable
would to align
ensure the train is movingcy,
at speed, and allowing you
and communication to monitor
between the the plan. This
will ensure that you are making progress and know how to measure and
business and development teams," said Tayne. "We were a
communicate it. To harken back to the highway metaphor, objectives help you
understand when you break raftonasthe
our single
sharp system
curves of record,
to keep keeping
our train movingeveryone
at a
common goals. The metrics and visualizations spanned
the right speed for delivery.
needed to manage, starting from the enterprise, wit
portfolio, program and team levels.“

Using AgileCraft, the GEAR development team delivered

schedule and on budget, a major success for the IT tea

achieved its business goals, increasing RAC's purchasing

ing in significant cost savings. The application met its te
With native integrations to both JIRA and HP Quality C

visible success of this critical software is enabling RAC

practices throughout the company, even to parts of the

using AgileCraft at the team level. What’s next? “Things a

open up with AgileCraft from an innovation perspective

RAC’s Vice-President of IT Business Solutions. “We p

footprint of AgileCraft beyond the IT and executive team

extended store network to contribute ideas right in the A

– and then measure how the impact of their ideas dir

performance of our business.”

14
Key #6: Keep the Train at Speed
RAC recognized that GEAR would only succeed if the IT i
The best way to drive thement
release train
team at velocity
worked is to establish
in alignment with an
theintegrated
business. It wa
view of the program so that all factors at play - similar to a traditional “sticky
coordinate their strategy and activities to meet some
notes on the wall set-up” – this includes dependencies, features, risks, and
deadlines. It was also critical that the development team
objectives. Any time a risk is identified, it should be clearly articulated and
most
visualized as to demonstrate important
the impact onprojects and features
the program. It’s alsothat had the
important tomost im
all businessis strategy
ensure sure this overall visualization andmonitored
updated and financial in
performance.
real time, so Havin
teams can stay aligned and pivot quickly
solution to respond
to support to aother)
this (and change as well and
projects as beprovide
advised of anything that could impact the release train. Having a clear
critical. After exploring the market-leading products, a te
overview of how features and objectives are linked will reduce thrash and
top IT leadership and product development managers
ensure overall program progress is clear.
"We were looking for a platform that would enable align

cy, and communication between the

Program Board
business and development teams," said Tayne. "We were a

raft as our single system of record, keeping everyone a

An Agreement Between Product and Delivery
common goals. The metrics and visualizations spanned

needed to manage, starting from the enterprise, wit

portfolio, program and team levels.“

Using AgileCraft, the GEAR development team delivered

schedule and on budget, a major success for the IT tea

achieved its business goals, increasing RAC's purchasing

ing in significant cost savings. The application met its te
With native integrations to both JIRA and HP Quality C

visible success of this critical software is enabling RAC

practices throughout the company, even to parts of the

using AgileCraft at the team level. What’s next? “Things a

open up with AgileCraft from an innovation perspective

RAC’s Vice-President of IT Business Solutions. “We p

footprint of AgileCraft beyond the IT and executive team

extended store network to contribute ideas right in the A

– and then measure how the impact of their ideas dir

performance of our business.”

15
 Key #7: Bring the Train to the Station
e
- RAC recognized that GEAR would only succeed if the IT i

ey It’s important to establishment

the value
teamthat is being
worked delivered with
in alignment withevery PI.
the business. It wa
Looking at the activities that need to be completed at the end of the PI can
ng coordinate their strategy and activities to meet some
help ensure that no value is being left on the table. The best way to
he deadlines. It was also critical that the development team
accomplish this is by creating a PI cleanup report. This provides a concise view
er
- mostat
of everything that is still open important projects
the end of the PI. and
Thesefeatures
can be that had the most im
unmitigated
le all features,
or unresolved risks, stories, businessorphan
strategy and or
stories, financial performance.
stories that need to be Havin

as split. With each PI cleanup, the teams

solution should this
to support retrospect on why
(and other) these items
projects and provide
were left open, or needed to be split in order to keep velocity on track. Look at
d critical. After exploring the market-leading products, a te
the things things that were planned but not finished. The questions to ask are:
ft. top IT leadership and product development managers
Did we take on too much? Did we overlook a risk? What occurred that was
n- out of our control? "We were looking for a platform that would enable align

cy, and communication between the

-----------
C
- business and development teams," said Tayne. "We were a
Following these keys as closely as possible will help your organization to be
ur raft as our single system of record, keeping everyone a
successful as they expand vertically or horizontally with SAFe®. Managing the
we common
stations, and inspecting each stationgoals.
at theThe
end metrics and
of each PI willvisualizations spanned
allow your train
to needed
to improve predictability and to manage,
stabilize starting
or increase from the enterprise, wit
their velocity.

portfolio, program and team levels.“

on Using AgileCraft, the GEAR development team delivered

on schedule and on budget, a major success for the IT tea

t- achieved its business goals, increasing RAC's purchasing

oo. ing in significant cost savings. The application met its te

ly With native integrations to both JIRA and HP Quality C

le visible success of this critical software is enabling RAC

ot practices throughout the company, even to parts of the

to using AgileCraft at the team level. What’s next? “Things a

k, open up with AgileCraft from an innovation perspective

he RAC’s Vice-President of IT Business Solutions. “We p

ur footprint of AgileCraft beyond the IT and executive team

m extended store network to contribute ideas right in the A

he – and then measure how the impact of their ideas dir

performance of our business.”

16
 BONUS: Program Powerhouse Tips
e
- RAC recognized that GEAR would only succeed if the IT i

ey ment team worked in alignment with the business. It wa

ng coordinate their strategy and activities to meet some

he deadlines. It was also critical that the development team

er
- All teams need to have the same understanding of points.
most important On individual
projects and features that had the most im
teams, it’s a relative estimation technique for developing a team-based sense
le all business strategy and financial performance. Havin
of work. At scale, need to have a consistent understanding of points across
as solution to support this (and other) projects and provide
teams.
d critical. After exploring the market-leading products, a te

ft. top IT leadership and product development managers

n- "We were looking for a platform that would enable align

cy, and communication between the

Schedule your executives wisely and well in advance, and help them
C
- business and development teams," said Tayne. "We were a
understand where they need to be and when. Business ownership
ur raft as our single system of record, keeping everyone a
shepherding is a key activity as an RTE. Teams, over time, understand the
we overall agenda, and business owners need to knowcommon goals.
what they The
should bemetrics and visualizations spanned
to focused on. It is critically important to either haveneeded to manage,
them onsite, or have starting from the enterprise, wit
telepresence whenever onsite presence is not possible.portfolio,
Trade offprogram
locationsand
if team levels.“
necessary.

on Using AgileCraft, the GEAR development team delivered

on When predictions fail and executives are disappointed,
schedule and onown it. Explain
budget, what
a major success for the IT tea

t- you have learned with the failure, and achieved

be prepared
its to understand
business goals,what we
increasing RAC's purchasing
have to learn. Determine the countermeasures you are taking to get you
oo. ing in significant cost savings. The application met its te
better predictions in the future. Ensure retrospectives happen so you identify
ly Withneed
the cause and decide as a group what you native integrations
to do to improve to both JIRA and HP Quality C
delivery.
le visible success of this critical software is enabling RAC

ot practices throughout the company, even to parts of the

to using AgileCraft at the team level. What’s next? “Things a

k, open up with AgileCraft from an innovation perspective

Spend the time to do a two-day PI planning - there’s magic that happens
he RAC’s Vice-President of IT Business Solutions. “We p
when the overnight thought process happens. It is strongly recommended to
ur footprint
not have a one day planning event. A one day PI event will end up of AgileCraft beyond the IT and executive team
abandoning
m key event activities, and will not benefit executives nor anyone store
extended working on
network to contribute ideas right in the A
the release train.
he – and then measure how the impact of their ideas dir

performance of our business.”

1118
e
- RAC recognized that GEAR would only succeed if the IT i
ey ment team worked in alignment with the business. It wa
ng coordinate their strategy and activities to meet some
he deadlines. It was also critical that the development team
er
- most important projects and features that had the most im
le all business strategy and financial performance. Havin
as solution to support this (and other) projects and provide
d critical. After exploring the market-leading products, a te
ft. top IT leadership and product development managers
n- "We were looking for a platform that would enable align

cy, and communication between the

C
- business and development teams," said Tayne. "We were a
ur raft as our single system of record, keeping everyone a
we common goals. The metrics and visualizations spanned
to needed to manage, starting from the enterprise, wit
portfolio, program and team levels.“

on Using AgileCraft, the GEAR development team delivered

on schedule and on budget, a major success for the IT tea
About AgileCraft
t- achieved its business goals, increasing RAC's purchasing
oo. ingfor
AgileCraft delivers the most comprehensive software solution available in scaling
significant
Agilecost savings.
to the The application
enterprise. AgileCraft met its te
ly transforms the way organizations enable and manage Agile productivity Withacross their
native enterprise, to
integrations portfolios,
both JIRAprograms,
and HP Quality C
and teams by aligning business strategy with technical execution. We work with your existing tools (Jira, Rally, TFS,
le visible success of this critical software is enabling RAC
etc.) and bring together Agile and non-Agile teams in one intuitive and open platform.
ot practices throughout the company, even to parts of the
to using AgileCraft
Need top to bottom visibility for your scaled Agile teams? Visit www.agilecraft.com foratmore
the team level. What’s
information, next?
or contact us“Things a
k, to get started today. open up with AgileCraft from an innovation perspective
he RAC’s Vice-President of IT Business Solutions. “We p
ur footprint of AgileCraft beyond the IT and executive team
m extended store network to contribute ideas right in the A
he – and then measure how the impact of their ideas dir
AgileCraft 2018 © All Rights Reserved. performance of our business.”

18