In the “SAFe for Teams” training participants learn everything about agile software development at SupplyOn

cornelia
Cornelia Staib
August 18, 2021
Last updated: August 30, 2021
Whether SAFe newbie or SAFe Pro - in the “SAFe for Teams” training everyone can expand and deepen their knowledge of agile methods.
Whether SAFe newbie or SAFe Pro – in the “SAFe for Teams” training everyone can expand and deepen their knowledge of agile methods

The systems and development teams at SupplyOn have been working with the “Scaled Agile Framework” for about three years. The approach for agile software development has become an integral part of everyday development routine and is indispensable. To keep everybody up to date on this topic, we regularly hold internal training sessions on Team Agility and SAFe.

How is SAFe applied at SupplyOn and …

… what do “Asterix”, “Yoda” and “F5” have in common? For our developers, the answer is obvious: All three are team names of different system and development teams at SupplyOn. These usually consist of five to eleven members. Each team has its own Product Owner and Scrum Master. Together, they ensure that the remaining team members can develop without interruptions and that the creation of value for the customer always comes first – no matter how small the work unit.

The development teams define their own short-term goals, implement them in two-week intervals (sprints) and finally present functional software that provides added value for the customer. The teams achieve longer-term development goals within one program increment of three months. Achievements are presented after a sprint as well as after a program increment.

During the four training days, the progress of the tasks is recorded on a Kanban board in order to continuously track the work flow (as recommended by SAFe).
During the four training days, the progress of the tasks is recorded on a Kanban board in order to continuously track the work flow (as recommended by SAFe).

The questions …

  • What went well?
  • What did not go well?
  • What should be improved?

… are always answered by each team member before the start of a new development phase, because continuous improvement is an important part of the agile mindset.

Participants of the SAFe training receive training materials and snacks in advance so that they are well prepared when they start exploring the “Scaled Agile Framework”
Participants of the SAFe training receive training materials and snacks in advance so that they are well prepared when they start exploring the “Scaled Agile Framework”

How did the training proceed?

Four days of four hours each and remote: a month ago, 22 employees from SupplyOn, Newtron and Eurolog came together to learn more about the “Scaled Agile Framework”. In order to get to know the different roles, the participants became Scrum Masters, Product Owners and team members themselves. In their own new team, they planned capacities for upcoming sprints, estimated efforts for specific work loads and solved tricky tasks together as a team.

The teams "SAFety First", "Team 2", "AgileOn" and "SAFe Mix" complete various tasks during the four days of training and apply agile working methods on their own
The teams “SAFety First”, “Team 2”, “AgileOn” and “SAFe Mix” complete various tasks during the four days of training and apply agile working methods on their own

SAFe Practitioner

 

After successfully completing the training, the new SAFe experts can take an exam and get certified as SAFe Practitioners.

 

What’s the feedback from our trainers?

How did it go?
As trainers, we had a lot of fun during the SAFe for Teams training. We are pleased to train our colleagues in agile methods and agile mindset – as we enjoy sharing our real-world experience. However, remote trainings remain a challenge for both trainers and participants. Since it’s hard to engage with everyone in a large group, break-out sessions with a rather small amount of people are very important. They help participants to share content and deepen their understanding with exercises. Based on experience from past training courses, we particularly focused on small group sizes in the teams. Therefore, the training, which is tightly scheduled at four mornings, focuses on hands-on learning in small groups.

Why do you offer such a training?
The SAFe for Teams training gives our colleagues insight into the agile mindset and agile methods. It shows how they are applied and lived in product development. Since the training is very hands-on, the methods and tools can be easily integrated in daily work, even in other departments in the company for which agile methods have not yet played a role.

Florian und Martin, Trainer of the SAFe for Teams Trainings

After the training, participants have fully mastered the “Scaled Agile Framework” and its methods. From now on, they will approach their daily tasks with a deeper understanding of Team Agility. Indeed, the SAFe for Teams training was a complete success. Further trainings of this kind are therefore already being planned, … so stay tuned and agile!