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1. Take an Economic View
A successful RTE ensures that decisions are based on economic considerations, balancing cost, risk, and value delivery.
Quote: “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” – Warren Buffett
Research Fact: According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), organizations that prioritize economic decision-making in project management achieve 40% higher ROI.
Example: An airline company was developing a new website iteratively. However, they focused on building separate components like search, results, and passenger details, only to realize that their payment system wasn’t ready at launch. A better approach would have been to prioritize value delivery by ensuring a functional booking system was released first. RTEs help product managers prioritize features using Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) to maximize economic benefits.
As an RTE, you should:
Facilitate discussions with Product Management to prioritize features based on economic impact (WSJF).
Coach teams to balance value delivery with cost and risk trade-offs.
Regularly assess and adjust prioritization to ensure maximum ROI.
Benefit: These actions help organizations maximize economic benefits while optimizing resource allocation.
2. Apply Systems Thinking
RTEs ensure that Agile teams do not operate in silos but consider the broader system, optimizing value streams end-to-end.
Quote: “A system is never the sum of its parts; it’s the product of their interaction.” – Russell Ackoff
Research Fact: MIT research indicates that companies using system thinking improve efficiency by up to 25% in complex projects.
Example: A company struggling with long lead times mapped its value stream and found bottlenecks in dependencies between teams. By restructuring work and bringing all stakeholders together, the RTE helped optimize the workflow, reducing delays.
As an RTE, you should:
Conduct value stream mapping to identify dependencies and bottlenecks.
Align teams on shared goals and remove silos between departments.
Encourage a holistic approach in decision-making rather than localized optimizations.
Benefit: These steps help improve efficiency and ensure the entire system operates cohesively.
3. Assume Variability; Preserve Options
Since requirements and market conditions evolve, RTEs encourage teams to keep multiple options open and make decisions at the last responsible moment.
Quote: “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” – Stephen Hawking
Research Fact: Studies from Harvard Business Review show that organizations that embrace adaptability are 33% more likely to outperform their competitors.
Example: In car manufacturing, a company initially designed its dashboard for a specific screen size. Two years later, when a larger and cheaper screen became available, they had to redesign the entire layout. If they had delayed committing to a fixed screen size, they could have incorporated the latest technology without major redesign costs.
As an RTE, you should:
Promote experimentation and data-driven decision-making.
Encourage teams to delay critical decisions until they have enough information.
Support multiple design options early in development to adapt to changes.
Benefit: These practices reduce costly rework and allow teams to deliver more adaptable solutions.
4. Build Incrementally with Fast Integrated Learning Cycles
RTEs ensure that teams integrate frequently and deliver incrementally to validate progress and adapt quickly.
Quote: “It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” – Scott Belsky
Research Fact: A McKinsey report states that teams integrating feedback loops reduce product development time by 20-30%.
Example: A software team spent months designing an airline’s mobile app without testing real user needs. By the time it was complete, budget constraints prevented its release. Had they followed incremental delivery with early feedback, they could have adjusted priorities and delivered a usable product.
As an RTE, you should:
Ensure teams integrate their work frequently to enable early feedback.
Promote smaller, testable increments to reduce risk.
Facilitate continuous learning through short feedback loops.
Benefit: These actions accelerate delivery and ensure product-market fit.
5. Base Milestones on Objective Evaluation of Working Systems
Milestones should be based on actual working systems rather than mere documentation. This ensures progress is measurable and valuable.
Quote: “Working software is the primary measure of progress.” – Agile Manifesto
Research Fact: Research by the Standish Group shows that projects focusing on working solutions over documentation are 60% more likely to succeed.
Example: A project delivered all 30 planned features within three years, yet by the time it was complete, market demands had shifted, rendering some features obsolete.
As an RTE, you should:
Implement regular system demos to evaluate real progress.
Shift focus from documentation to working solutions.
Use empirical data to assess milestone readiness.
Benefit: Ensures teams deliver real, functional value rather than just completing tasks.
6. Visualize and Limit Work in Progress (WIP), Reduce Batch Sizes, and Manage Queue Lengths
RTEs help teams visualize their work, limit work in progress, and reduce batch sizes to improve flow and deliver value faster.
Quote: “Stop starting, start finishing.” – Agile ProverbResearch Fact: According to a study by the Lean Enterprise Institute, teams that limit WIP and reduce batch sizes experience a 50% improvement in cycle time and throughput.Example: A financial services company had multiple teams working on dozens of features simultaneously, leading to frequent context switching and delays. By visualizing their work on a Kanban board and limiting WIP, the RTE helped the teams focus on completing tasks before starting new ones, reducing cycle time by 30%.
As an RTE, you should:
Introduce Kanban or other visualization tools to make work visible.
Coach teams to limit WIP and focus on completing tasks before starting new ones.
Encourage smaller batch sizes to reduce lead times and improve flow.
Benefit: These practices improve throughput, reduce bottlenecks, and ensure faster delivery of value.
7. Apply Cadence, Synchronize with Cross-Domain Planning
RTEs establish a regular cadence for planning and synchronization to align teams and stakeholders, ensuring predictability and alignment.
Quote: “Cadence and synchronization are the heartbeat of Agile at scale.” – SAFe PrincipleResearch Fact: A report by the Boston Consulting Group found that organizations using cadence and synchronization improve alignment and predictability by 40%.Example: A healthcare organization struggled with misaligned priorities and missed deadlines due to inconsistent planning cycles. By implementing Program Increment (PI) Planning and synchronizing teams, the RTE created a predictable rhythm, improving delivery timelines and stakeholder satisfaction.
As an RTE, you should:
Facilitate regular PI Planning events to align teams and stakeholders.
Establish a consistent cadence for team syncs, reviews, and retrospectives.
Ensure cross-team dependencies are identified and managed during planning.
Benefit: These actions create predictability, improve alignment, and reduce delays caused by miscommunication.
8. Unlock the Intrinsic Motivation of Knowledge Workers
RTEs foster an environment where teams are empowered, trusted, and motivated to do their best work.
Quote: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter DruckerResearch Fact: A Gallup study found that highly engaged teams show 21% greater productivity and 22% higher profitability.Example: A software development team felt micromanaged and disengaged, leading to low morale and high turnover. The RTE introduced self-organizing teams, encouraged autonomy, and celebrated team achievements, resulting in a 25% increase in productivity and improved employee satisfaction.
As an RTE, you should:
Empower teams to self-organize and make decisions.
Recognize and celebrate team achievements to boost morale.
Create a safe environment for experimentation and learning.
Benefit: These practices increase engagement, innovation, and overall team performance.
9. Decentralize Decision-Making
RTEs enable teams to make decisions at the right level, ensuring faster and more effective outcomes.
Quote: “Decentralization is not just about delegation; it’s about empowerment.” – SAFe PrincipleResearch Fact: McKinsey research shows that organizations with decentralized decision-making are 1.5 times more likely to outperform their peers.Example: A retail company faced delays in launching new features due to centralized decision-making. By decentralizing decisions and empowering teams to make local choices, the RTE reduced approval times by 50% and accelerated time-to-market.
As an RTE, you should:
Clarify decision-making authority and empower teams to make local decisions.
Facilitate alignment on strategic decisions while decentralizing tactical ones.
Coach leaders to trust teams and avoid micromanagement.
Benefit: These actions lead to faster decisions, improved agility, and better outcomes.
10. Organize Around Value
RTEs ensure that teams are aligned to deliver value to customers, rather than focusing on functional silos.
Quote: “The customer’s perception is your reality.” – Kate ZabriskieResearch Fact: A Forrester study found that companies organized around value streams achieve 30% faster time-to-market and higher customer satisfaction.Example: A manufacturing company reorganized its teams around value streams (e.g., order-to-delivery) instead of functional departments (e.g., design, production, shipping). The RTE facilitated this shift, resulting in a 20% reduction in lead times and improved customer satisfaction.
As an RTE, you should:
Identify and map value streams to align teams with customer needs.
Break down silos and encourage cross-functional collaboration.
Continuously assess and optimize team structures to maximize value delivery.
Benefit: These steps ensure that teams focus on delivering customer value, improving efficiency and satisfaction.
Conclusion
RTEs play a pivotal role in implementing SAFe Lean-Agile principles, ensuring that Agile Release Trains deliver maximum value with efficiency and agility. By taking practical actions for each principle—from economic decision-making and systems thinking to decentralizing decisions and organizing around value—RTEs can drive better outcomes, optimize workflows, and create an environment where Agile at scale thrives.
Understanding and integrating these principles into daily work ensures that organizations remain adaptive, productive, and innovative. As RTEs continue to champion these principles, they not only enable successful Agile transformations but also foster a culture of continuous improvement and customer-centricity.
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