What is SAFe

The Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) is a comprehensive set of organizational and workflow patterns designed to implement agile practices at an enterprise level. This framework provides a wealth of knowledge, offering structured guidance on roles and responsibilities, work planning and management, and core values.

SAFe emphasizes alignment, collaboration, and efficient delivery among numerous agile teams. It integrates principles from three key areas: agile software development, lean product development, and systems thinking.

As businesses expand, SAFe offers a systematic method for scaling agile practices. It includes four configurations to suit different scales: Essential SAFe, Large Solution SAFe, Portfolio SAFe, and Full SAFe.

Introduced by Dean Leffingwell and Drew Jemilo in 2011, SAFe was created to help organizations develop superior systems and software that better meet evolving customer needs. At that time, traditional project management methods were prevalent, but the increasing demand for rapid market responsiveness led to the development of new frameworks. Among them, SAFe emerged as a leading solution for enhancing enterprise-wide delivery. Today, SAFe remains one of the most widely adopted scaled agile frameworks, continuously refined by its global community of practitioners.