🆕 What’s New in SAFe 6.0

[#1]

Hi everyone,

My company in in the middle of a large SAFe transformation and I currently hold 2 SAFe 5.0 certifications. I recently saw that SAFe 6 launched and I wanted to share some of the highlights of the update that I found interesting. Please be aware that the information below was taken from the Scaled Agile Framework site (see link below).

The unprecedented times of the pandemic forced the SAFe organization into a reality that enterprises are overwhelmed by constant change. This guided the SAFe organization into some improvements to the SAFe model, which became SAFe 6.0. I just want to add that I think the new tagline for SAFe 6.0 “Work Differently. Build the Future” is excellent!

The SAFe 6.0 update has six primary themes. I have included a brief description of each below listing the changes for each. 

1. Strengthening the Foundation for Business Agility
   1. They introduced a Business Agility Value Stream (BAVS) to the top of the big picture. This will better help organizations respond quickly to market changes and opportunities with “innovative, digital-enabled business solutions.”
   2. The House of Lean has been retired.
   3. SAFe Principle #6 was changed to “Make value flow without interruptions”
   4. The SAFe Implementation Roadmap was changed to reflect all changes.
   5. The role of the SAFe Program Consultant was updated to SAFe Practice Consultant.
   6. Continuous Learning Culture was added to the foundation.
2. Empowering Teams and Clarifying Responsibilities
   1. Updated guidance is provided on Agile team roles.
   2. The Scrum Master/Team Coach has broader responsibilities.
   3. A responsibility wheel was created for ARTs to clarify their duties.
   4. Key collaborations were updated.
3. Accelerating Value Flow
   1. Eight properties of flow are introduced that will make value flow faster.
   2. Eight flow accelerators are introduced to make value flow without interruption.
   3. Four new flow articles were added: Team Flow, ART Flow, Solution Train Flow, and Portfolio Flow.
   4. SAFe SCRUM replaces Scrum XP.
   5. Built-in Quality is introduced as an innovative approach to built-in quality across domains.
   6. Value Stream Management is added to the big picture.
   7. Agile Program Office is replaced with Value Stream Office.
   8. A new guidance article for applying Kanban in SAFe is added.
4. Enhancing Business Agility with SAFe across the business
   1. The Business & Technology article is updated to highlight five business and technology patterns: Business-Enabled ART, Agile Business Train, Agile Executive Team, Agile Business Function, and Combined Portfolio.
   2. Launched a new SAFe Beyond IT Home Page.
5. Building a Future with AI, Big Data, and Cloud
   1. SAFe is offering guidance on AUI, Big Data and Cloud for the first time.
6. Delivering Better Outcomes with Measure and Grow OKRs
   1. The metrics icon is renamed to “Measure & Grow.”
   2. OKRs are added to the spanning palette that provide three main use cases for OKRs: Enhancing strategic alignment across a SAFe portfolio, defining business outcomes for epics and Lean business cases, and setting improvement goals for the SAFe transformation.  

There are also some other important changes such as standardized ART terminology, standardized solution terminology, and other terminology changes.

Information in this article was taken from the Scaled Agile Framework site. See more at https://scaledagileframework.com/whats-new-in-safe-6-0/

[Jennifer Abbott]

Thank you for this great summary!

[Robert Wen_Cprime_]

Excellent summary!

[Dave Mathijs]

Thank you for sharing @Summer Hogan !

[Hana Kučerová]

Thank you for sharing!

[Kyryk Pavlovsky]

Thanks for the great summary!

[John Funk]

Excellent, Summer - thank you!!