SAFe Agile vs Scrum : Key Differences to Consider in 2024
Agile is a set of principles and practices that help organizations deliver better software faster.
Both Scrum and the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) operate according to the values and principles of Agile. Even though there are only minor differences between Scrum and SAFe, it is crucial to understand each thoroughly. So let's put the differences and similarities to the test: SAFe agile vs. Scrum.
In this essay, you'll learn about SAFe and Scrum, the Difference between safe agile and scrum, and their pros and cons. In the end, we'll also reveal the one-stop comprehensive software development solution that will answer all your queries.
Let's get started!
Safe Agile vs. Scrum - What is Scrum?
Scrum is a framework for creating products. It involves creating a product backlog, adding a development sprint to the plan, and then having a product retrospective at the end of the development sprint to test the product with the stakeholders.
The Scrum framework is a way to organize your team and process to produce better software faster. It was first developed by Jeff Sutherland in the 1980s and has since been widely adopted by organizations worldwide. Scrum involves a series of short, regular meetings that allow the team to work together, share knowledge, and improve the product.
The Scrum framework provides the framework for creating a plan, executing the project, and inspecting and adapting the process when needed. The Scrum framework focuses on creating products and delivering them faster. It is one of the most common ways to implement agile software development processes.
Safe Agile vs. Scrum - What is SAFe?
SAFe is an approach to building and sustaining agile capabilities that allow organizations to adapt to change, improve the flow and quality of their product delivery, and scale their agile practices as their organization grows.
SAFe provides an agile framework and a suite of practices and tools to help organizations implement agile principles and build the cultural agility required to succeed in the digital age.
By establishing an SAFe framework, organizations gain the ability to adapt to change and improve the flow and quality of their product delivery. They also have the opportunity to scale their agile practices as their organization grows.
Safe Agile vs. Scrum - The Differences
Have a look at the difference between SAFe Agile and Scrum:
- In Scrum - small, centralized, cross-functional teams will make up deals, whereas large, worldwide teams make up SAFe deals.
- Agile Teams adopt Scrum, and enterprises as a whole, not just one team, adopt SAFe. (Scrum expansion)
- Program and Portfolio management are two crucial tiers of SAFe, while middle management has no function.
- The Scrum Team is the fundamental element. In contrast, the Agile Release Train is the essential element of SAFe.
- Scrum leaves out several crucial components. All features and facets of an organization can be managed using SAFe.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Safe Agile
As we can see, SAFe and Scrum have a lot of similarities. Both approaches rely heavily on teams, emphasize cross-functional teams, and emphasize a shared responsibility for delivering the product. However, there are also significant differences between Scrum and SAFe.
1. Pros of SAFe
- Scalability on Different Levels
The framework supports all organizational levels trying to scale agile, starting with Essential SAFe and going up to Full SAFe.
As part of this, it extends the central idea of the agility mindset to executives and CXOs, who must be ready for enterprise-level uncertainties rather than just projects and development teams.
Therefore, it offers insightful enterprise-level scaling that executives will find helpful when dealing with these uncertainties or risks.
- End-User-Focused Ideology
Any product's success depends heavily on having an empathic mindset regarding product design, execution, and delivery. SAFe suggests a research-driven, customer-centric organization that prioritizes creating empathy maps before the design phase to understand how enterprise decisions will impact the end user.
2. Cons of SAFe
Although SAFe has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. They are:
- SAFe offers extra levels of supervision, management, and coordination. Due to these layers, SAFe is incredibly well-liked by larger businesses. Still, ironically, they also make it resemble the waterfall methodology, which many teams are attempting to move away from.
- SAFe calls for administrative roles to manage multiple projects and organize those releases and dependencies. In contrast, methodologies like Scrum give developers more freedom to recognize and address issues caused by various sprint cadences, dependencies, etc.
- SAFe's emphasis on the big picture can frequently result in longer planning cycles and more fixed roles within development cycles, which are at odds with the principles of delivering new software in short sprints to market faster and establishing a continuous loop to guarantee quality along the way.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Scrum
1. Pros of Scrum
Why the framework is so well-liked today is as follows:
- Teams can complete project deliverables more quickly and effectively with the aid of Scrum.
- Scrum guarantees efficient time and money management.
- The division of large projects into easily manageable sprints
- Through scrum meetings, the team has clear visibility.
- Short sprints make it much simpler to make changes in response to feedback.
- During daily scrum meetings, each team member's effort is evident.
2. Cons of Scrum
- Due to the lack of a set completion date, Scrum frequently causes the scope to expand.
- Only a team of seasoned professionals can successfully implement the framework.
- Any team member leaving in the middle of a project could have a disastrous effect on it.
- Implementing quality is challenging until the team engages in a rigorous testing process.
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Conclusion
Hence, Scrum and SAFe are two of the world's most widely used Agile frameworks. They have many similarities and differences as well. In this blog, we've explained the differences and similarities behind SAFe agile vs. scrum.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Scrum or Kanban is Used in SAFe?
Teams in SAFe use Kanban while adhering to the Agile Release Train's development cadence and synchronization requirements (ART). Release on Demand is popular with them. As a result, the ART can be aligned, dependencies can be managed, and fast integrated learning cycles can occur.
Q2. What Three Principles Underpin Scrum?
Transparency, inspection, and adaptation serve the Scrum framework's three empiricism-based pillars.
Q3. What are the Three Agile Frameworks?
Agile frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming (XP) are frequently used for product development. They are all following the Agile Manifesto's guiding principles.
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