Advanced SAFe® Practice Consultant Path (ASPC)

Topics:

• Course introduction and learning objectives
• Overview of ASPC role and responsibilities
• Introduction to AI integration in SAFe transformation

Key Learning Areas::

• Understanding elements of successful transformation strategy
• Developing measurable transformation objectives to drive business outcomes
• Creating transformation canvas with business and transformation alignment

Key Activities:

• Establish Business Context - Explore CARS business context exercise
• Identify Desired Business Outcomes - Work with OKRs and strategic themes
• Define Transformation Outcomes - Connect leading and lagging indicators
• Develop Transformation Roadmap - Create prioritized transformation backlog using WSJF

Workshop: Measuring the Business Benefits of SAFe

Deliverables:

• Completed transformation canvas
• Transformation backlog (8-15 items)
• Draft transformation roadmap

Unlocking Portfolio Flow

Organizing Portfolios

• Portfolio flow definition and importance
• Common portfolio structures:
• Single portfolio
• Business unit portfolio
• Platform portfolio
• Regional operating portfolios
• Regulatory and risk portfolios
• Innovation portfolio
• Key considerations for structuring portfolios

Key Activities:

• Portfolio mix and match exercise with CARS scenarios
• Analyze portfolio structure trade-offs

Formulating Portfolio Strategy

• Strategic themes and portfolio vision
• Portfolio strategy inputs:
• Enterprise vision and strategy
• Competitive environment
• Distinctive competence
• Financial goals
• Portfolio context
• Creating and improving strategic themes

Validating Investment Opportunities

• SAFe Lean Startup Cycle
• Epic hypothesis statements
• Leading indicators vs. lagging indicators
• Pivot strategies (customer segment, customer need, value capture, feature)

Talking About Portfolios

• Role-play scenarios on portfolio reorganization and budgeting

Workshop: Organizing SAFe Portfolios for Strategic Agility

Deliverables:

• Improved strategic themes
• Epic hypothesis statements with MVPs
• Portfolio canvas

Understanding Reasons for Customizing SAFe

• Difference between configuring vs. customizing SAFe
• When to customize (timing considerations):
• Customize to get started
• Customize during implementation
• Gain experience before customizing (BEST practice)
• Common reasons for customization:
• Language and culture
• Regulatory requirements
• Industry needs
• Organizational size
• Technology landscape

Using Guardrails to Customize SAFe

• Four customization guardrails:
• Enhance agility (rather than compromise SAFe essence)
• Right solution (rather than easiest thing)
• Amplify outcomes (rather than maintain status quo)
• Optimize systemically (rather than solve local problems)

Key Activities:

• Apply guardrails to CARS scenarios
• Benefits analysis of customization examples (Oracle, São Paulo Treasury)

Applying Step-by-Step Process to Customize SAFe

• Elements of customization:
• People: Roles, Groups
• Work: Work items, Work artifacts, Workflows
• Activities: Events, Practices
• Using the SAFe Customization Blueprint
• Creating customized Big Pictures (when appropriate)

Acting on SAFe Customizations

• Prioritizing customizations
• Communicating changes effectively
• Rolling out customizations as hypotheses (MVP approach)

Workshop: Customizing SAFe to Your Context

Key Activities:

• Create customization blueprint for CARS sustainability scenario
• Validate customizations against guardrails
• Determine benefits and success metrics
• Prioritize and plan rollout

Deliverables:

• Completed Customization Blueprint
• Prioritized customization plan
• Communication strategy

Advanced Workshop Facilitation Skills

• Running transformation workshops effectively
• Stakeholder engagement and empathy interviews
• Using AI tools for transformation planning (LLM integration)
• Tips for workshop success

Workshop Reviews:

• Organizing SAFe Portfolios for Strategic Agility
• Measuring Business Benefits of SAFe
• Customizing SAFe to Your Context

Certification Preparation

• Advanced SPC exam overview
• Access to certification materials on SAFe Studio
• Study planning and accountability partnerships

Career Development for ASPCs

• Training delivery pathway
• Teaching foundational courses
• Teaching advanced courses
• Path to SPCT (SAFe Program Consultant Trainer)
• SAFe Studio resources and community
• Becoming a SAFe trainer

Action Planning

• Personal action plan development
• 30-day implementation goals
• AI Action Planning Buddy exercises

Course Wrap-up

• Lesson reviews and key takeaways
• Access to ongoing resources
• Certification next steps

Key Frameworks & Tools Used Throughout

• Transformation Canvas - Aligning transformation and business objectives
• Portfolio Canvas - Documenting portfolio structure and strategy
• Epic Hypothesis Statement - Validating investment opportunities
• Customization Blueprint - Systematic approach to SAFe customization
• OKRs - Objectives and Key Results for transformation metrics
• WSJF - Weighted Shortest Job First prioritization
• Lean Startup Cycle - Build-Measure-Learn for epics

Workshop Facilitation Practice

Throughout all 4 days, participants practice facilitating:

• Strategic planning discussions
• Portfolio organization debates
• Customization decision-making
• Role-play scenarios with stakeholders

AI Integration

Each lesson incorporates AI tools:

• Using LLMs for transformation planning
• AI-assisted WSJF prioritization
• RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) for business context
• AI thinking buddy for action planning