Teams, Programs, Large Solutions, and Portfolios#

The Scaled Agile Framework aims to make the significant advantages of team-oriented agile approaches scalable for larger projects. Scrum is the most widely used agile approach, which, however, due to a necessarily very limited team size, is only suitable for smaller projects. With SAFe, the advantages of agile methods are also made usable for larger projects. To this end, additional levels are added above the Scrum team level. Four models are differentiated in this context:

  • Essential SAFe

  • Large Solutions SAFe

  • Portfolio SAFe

  • Full SAFe

These models essentially differ in the type and number of layers above the team level. Essential SAFe consists of the hierarchy levels

  • Program

  • Team

Large Solutions SAFe consists of the hierarchy levels

  • Large Solution

  • Program

  • Team

Portfolio SAFe consists of the hierarchy levels

  • Portfolio

  • Program

  • Team

Full SAFe consists of the hierarchy levels

  • Portfolio

  • Large Solution

  • Program

  • Team

The mapping in Allegra is done via corresponding workspace types (Team, Program, Large Solution, Portfolio) and a corresponding workspace structure. Each workspace type is configured uniquely according to the artifact types to be managed within it.

../_images/safe-pt.png

The current workspaces are then created with the respective workspace types. In the example here, a Portfolio SAFe has been set up, with the portfolio at the top hierarchy level, below it two programs each with two or three teams respectively.

../_images/safe-portfolio.png