This lesson explores how the digital era is transforming the business landscape and underscores the importance of agility in thriving within a software-driven environment. Participants will learn strategies to overcome challenges posed by outdated systems, rapidly evolving technology, and changing customer demands. The lesson examines how leveraging innovations like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data can foster creativity and provide a competitive advantage. Additionally, it introduces SAFe as a powerful framework for achieving business agility by aligning teams, optimizing processes, and ensuring strategies consistently deliver customer value.

Topic One: Thriving in the Digital Age

• What You’ll Learn: Examine how organizations can adapt to flourish in the digital age. Uncover the obstacles of legacy systems, technological evolution, and shifting customer expectations. Learn how emerging trends like AI, cloud computing, and big data offer opportunities for innovation and sustained competitiveness.
• This topic highlights the realities and possibilities of the software-driven economy. Participants will explore how businesses can modernize their operations, enhance customer interactions, and develop innovative business models to stay ahead in a fast-paced market. Key considerations include addressing cultural shifts, managing cybersecurity risks, and breaking free from legacy constraints to unlock new growth potential.

Topic Two: SAFe as an Operating System for Business Agility

• What You’ll Learn: Discover how SAFe provides a comprehensive framework to drive business agility. Explore its seven core competencies and understand how Agile, Lean, and systems thinking are integrated into a cohesive operational model.
• SAFe offers a structured approach to scaling Agile practices, enabling organizations to respond quickly to dynamic market conditions and customer needs. This topic focuses on how SAFe facilitates team alignment, streamlines workflows, and balances innovation with operational stability, helping organizations deliver consistent, high-value results.

This lesson equips participants with the tools and knowledge to navigate the complexities of the digital age and adopt strategies that drive business success through agility, innovation, and customer-centricity.

This lesson lays the groundwork for a successful Agile transformation by establishing the cultural and conceptual foundation necessary for organizational change. Participants will explore the Lean-Agile mindset, which combines the principles of Lean thinking with Agile values to drive adaptability, continuous improvement, and a customer-focused approach. They will examine SAFe’s core values—alignment, transparency, respect for people, and relentless improvement—and learn how these values foster a culture of trust and collaboration. The lesson also introduces SAFe’s ten guiding principles, demonstrating how they enable streamlined workflows, reduce delays, and enhance customer satisfaction in diverse organizational contexts.

Topic One: The Lean-Agile Mindset

• What You’ll Learn: Discover how Lean thinking and Agile values work together to create a cultural foundation for driving business agility. Learn how this mindset empowers teams to deliver customer-centric solutions through continuous learning and adaptability.
• This topic delves into the beliefs, practices, and assumptions that define the Lean-Agile mindset. Students will learn how to lead organizational change effectively, foster innovation, and cultivate an environment where teams thrive through collaboration and flexibility.

Topic Two: SAFe Core Values

• What You’ll Learn: Uncover the foundational values of SAFe—alignment, transparency, respect for people, and relentless improvement—and how they guide team behaviors and decision-making.
• This topic explores how these values promote trust, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence within Agile organizations. Through real-world examples and actionable strategies, participants will learn to integrate these core values into their organizational culture, ensuring sustained Agile success.

Topic Three: Applying SAFe Principles

• What You’ll Learn: Gain a deep understanding of SAFe’s ten guiding principles, including taking an economic view, applying systems thinking, and organizing around value. Learn how these principles maximize efficiency and drive impactful results.
• This topic introduces practical applications of SAFe’s principles, equipping students with the knowledge to optimize workflows, address bottlenecks, and enhance customer satisfaction. Participants will explore real-world scenarios to understand how these principles ensure that Agile initiatives deliver measurable value.

This lesson equips participants with the mindset, values, and principles needed to lead Agile transformations effectively. By fostering collaboration, trust, and a focus on continuous improvement, students will be prepared to guide their organizations toward operational excellence and customer-centric success.

Lesson 3 delves into the critical skills and practices that enable teams to excel in a Lean-Agile environment. Participants will gain a deep understanding of how to form and manage cross-functional teams that collaborate effectively to deliver value. This lesson highlights the importance of embedding quality assurance into every phase of the development process, ensuring that products meet high standards consistently. Additionally, it provides insights into structuring Agile Release Trains (ARTs) to streamline the flow of value and align team efforts with overarching organizational goals. By the end of the lesson, participants will have the knowledge and tools needed to cultivate high-performing teams and achieve technical excellence.

Topic One: Forming Cross-Functional Agile Teams

• What You’ll Learn: Discover how to build and structure cross-functional Agile teams that enhance collaboration and deliver value efficiently. Learn about the roles, responsibilities, and essential characteristics of successful teams.
• This topic focuses on creating self-organizing teams with diverse skills, empowering them to collaboratively define, develop, test, and deploy value increments. Participants will explore methods to break down silos, foster open communication, and align teams to value streams. The roles of the Scrum Master/Team Coach and Product Owner will be examined, along with strategies for ensuring full team engagement in Agile practices.

Topic Two: Built-in Quality

• What You’ll Learn: Understand the importance of incorporating quality assurance at every stage of the development process. Explore techniques and practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Built-in quality is a cornerstone of Lean-Agile methodologies, ensuring that quality is an integral part of development rather than an afterthought. Participants will learn how to apply test-driven development (TDD), behavior-driven development (BDD), and automated testing to reduce defects, minimize rework, and meet customer expectations. By embedding quality practices throughout the workflow, teams can deliver reliable, high-value solutions.

Topic Three: Organizing Agile Release Trains Around the Flow of Value

• What You’ll Learn: Learn how to structure Agile Release Trains (ARTs) to enable continuous delivery of value while aligning with business objectives. Understand the roles and interactions necessary for ART success.
• Agile Release Trains are a key component of scaling Agile practices, bringing multiple teams together to deliver large-scale, customer-focused solutions. This topic emphasizes structuring ARTs to optimize value delivery, reduce delays, and align with value streams. Participants will gain insights into managing dependencies, fostering cross-team collaboration, and ensuring that ARTs are aligned with organizational priorities for sustained success.

Lesson 3 provides a detailed exploration of the practices that drive team excellence and technical achievement in Lean-Agile environments. Participants will learn to form collaborative, cross-functional teams, integrate quality assurance into every stage of development, and structure Agile Release Trains for optimal value delivery. With these tools, they will be equipped to foster high-performing teams that contribute to both technical and organizational success.

Lesson 4 provides an in-depth exploration of the key practices that drive effective Agile Product Delivery. This lesson equips participants with actionable tools and strategies to deliver high-value solutions efficiently by prioritizing customer needs, utilizing meticulous planning, and streamlining workflows. Through topics such as customer-centric design thinking, Program Increment (PI) Planning, backlog prioritization, and building robust Continuous Delivery Pipelines, learners will gain insights into applying these concepts within their unique organizational settings. The lesson emphasizes achieving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency through adaptable and practical Agile methodologies.

Topic One: Customer Centricity and Design Thinking

• What You’ll Learn: Learn how to place customers at the heart of the development process by applying customer-centricity principles and design thinking. Master techniques such as empathy mapping, defining customer needs, and iterating solutions to align with user goals and business objectives.
• This topic underscores the importance of understanding customer behaviors, motivations, and challenges. Participants will explore tools like user personas, journey mapping, and rapid prototyping to create innovative, user-friendly solutions. It also addresses the need to balance customer desirability with technical feasibility to ensure resources are effectively utilized.

Topic Two: Prioritizing the ART Backlog

• What You’ll Learn: Understand how to prioritize items in the Agile Release Train (ART) backlog using frameworks such as Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF). Develop decision-making skills to maximize value delivery efficiently.
• This topic focuses on enabling participants to evaluate backlog items based on urgency, value, and effort. By applying prioritization techniques like WSJF, participants will learn how to quantify the cost of delay and focus on high-priority features. Real-world examples demonstrate how strategic prioritization improves team alignment and maximizes impact.

Topic Three: PI Planning

• What You’ll Learn: Gain practical experience in conducting Program Increment (PI) Planning, a vital SAFe event that ensures teams are aligned with shared objectives. Learn to set goals, manage dependencies, and establish a collaborative roadmap for success.
• Participants will explore the various stages of PI Planning, from preparation to execution and follow-ups. The topic covers activities such as dependency identification, iteration planning, and team coordination. The benefits of PI Planning, including enhanced communication and workflow synchronization, are highlighted to prepare learners for leading or actively contributing to this essential event.

Topic Four: Develop on Cadence; Release on Demand

• What You’ll Learn: Learn to synchronize development activities with a steady cadence while retaining the flexibility to release value when it is ready. Discover strategies to handle variability, optimize workflows, and deliver solutions dynamically.
• This topic emphasizes the importance of predictable development cycles to improve collaboration and efficiency. Participants will explore techniques like decoupling development from deployment, using feature toggles, and implementing dark launches. Case studies demonstrate how successful organizations balance steady workflows with dynamic, market-responsive releases.

Topic Five: Building a Continuous Delivery Pipeline with DevOps

• What You’ll Learn: Understand how to design and maintain a Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP) using DevOps practices. Learn how to achieve continuous exploration, integration, deployment, and release to ensure value delivery.
• Participants will delve into the components of a CDP, including automated testing, build automation, and continuous monitoring. The topic also covers fostering collaboration between development and operations teams to enhance efficiency and reliability. Learners will gain practical insights into measuring pipeline performance and ensuring operational stability to deliver consistent, high-quality results.

Lesson 4 equips participants with the knowledge and skills to execute Agile Product Delivery with precision. By focusing on customer-centric practices, backlog prioritization, and synchronized planning, students will be able to guide teams toward delivering impactful solutions. The inclusion of Continuous Delivery Pipelines and on-demand releases ensures that teams can adapt to changing market needs while maintaining operational excellence. Through hands-on tools and strategic insights, this lesson prepares participants to achieve exceptional outcomes in Agile delivery environments.

Lesson 5 dives into the core concepts of Lean Portfolio Management (LPM), a vital capability for achieving business agility within organizations. Participants will explore strategies to design and implement SAFe portfolios that align closely with enterprise goals and strategic objectives. The lesson focuses on defining clear and actionable portfolio visions, leveraging strategic themes to guide decision-making, managing investments with lean budgeting principles, and optimizing workflow efficiency using Kanban systems. By mastering these techniques, participants will learn to harmonize strategic priorities with operational execution, ensuring continuous value delivery and sustainable growth.

Topic One: Defining a SAFe Portfolio

• What You’ll Learn: Gain a clear understanding of what constitutes a SAFe portfolio and how it differs from traditional project-based approaches. Learn to define portfolios based on value streams, ensuring development efforts are aligned with organizational goals.
• A SAFe portfolio consists of value streams designed to deliver long-term, sustainable solutions that advance the organization’s mission. This topic focuses on structuring portfolios around Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and connecting them to strategic themes. Participants will explore how shifting from a project-centric to a value-driven approach leads to higher-impact outcomes and organizational success.

Topic Two: Connecting the Portfolio to the Enterprise Strategy

• What You’ll Learn: Discover methods for aligning portfolio objectives with broader enterprise strategies through the development of strategic themes, missions, and visions.
• This topic highlights the importance of collaboration between business leaders and portfolio stakeholders to establish strategic themes that guide portfolio direction. Participants will learn how these themes influence budgeting decisions, shape the portfolio vision, and drive alignment with long-term enterprise goals. Practical tools and techniques for achieving strategic alignment will be explored.

Topic Three: Maintaining the Portfolio Vision

• What You’ll Learn: Explore approaches to creating and sustaining a clear portfolio vision that reflects the organization’s current state and future aspirations.
• Participants will use tools like the portfolio canvas to identify and map critical components, such as customer relationships, value propositions, and revenue streams. This topic emphasizes the importance of continuously adapting the portfolio vision to align with enterprise strategies and evolving market demands. Techniques for maintaining a dynamic and actionable vision are also covered.

Topic Four: Realizing the Portfolio Vision through Epics

• What You’ll Learn: Learn how to use epics as strategic vehicles for executing the portfolio vision. Explore techniques for structuring, prioritizing, and implementing epics effectively.
• Participants will follow the lifecycle of an epic, from ideation through implementation, using the portfolio Kanban system. This topic introduces tools such as Lean business cases, Minimal Viable Products (MVPs), and prioritization methods like Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF). By focusing on high-value epics, participants will discover how to achieve measurable progress toward strategic goals.

Topic Five: Establishing Lean Budgets and Guardrails

• What You’ll Learn: Understand the principles of lean budgeting and how guardrails provide structure and accountability for financial management.
• Participants will explore lean budgeting practices that balance immediate needs with long-term investments. Topics include managing the architectural runway, funding value streams, and aligning financial decisions with business priorities. Techniques like participatory budgeting and engaging business owners in the budgeting process will be emphasized to promote transparency and collaboration.

Topic Six: Establishing Portfolio Flow

• What You’ll Learn: Learn how to visualize, manage, and optimize the flow of work across the portfolio using portfolio Kanban systems.
• This topic focuses on enhancing efficiency and transparency by leveraging Kanban systems to manage work-in-process (WIP), prioritize epics, and identify bottlenecks. Participants will learn techniques to optimize portfolio flow and ensure that resources are allocated to the highest-value initiatives, ultimately enabling consistent and impactful value delivery.

Lesson 5 equips participants with the skills and tools needed to manage portfolios effectively in a Lean-Agile environment. By learning to define portfolios based on value streams, align them with enterprise strategies, and sustain a clear portfolio vision, participants will be prepared to lead their organizations toward strategic alignment and operational excellence. Topics like lean budgeting, guardrails, and Kanban systems ensure financial accountability and improved work efficiency. Mastering these concepts enables participants to foster continuous value delivery and contribute meaningfully to their organization’s success.

Lesson 6 empowers leaders to take charge of Lean-Agile transformations with clarity and determination. Participants will explore the essential qualities and behaviors that enable leaders to lead by example, fostering a culture of trust, resilience, and continuous growth within their teams. This lesson also introduces proven frameworks, including Kotter’s 8-step process, to help leaders navigate and sustain organizational change effectively. By highlighting the critical role of leaders as drivers of cultural and operational transformation, the lesson equips participants with practical strategies and tools to steer their organizations toward achieving business agility.

Topic One: Leading by Example

• What You’ll Learn: Discover the importance of modeling the behaviors you want to see in your teams. Learn to develop skills like authenticity, courage, emotional intelligence, and decentralized decision-making to inspire trust and drive change.
• This topic emphasizes the role of leadership in setting the tone for transformation. Participants will explore how demonstrating continuous learning, acting with authenticity, and leading with emotional competence can foster innovation and trust within teams. Leaders will also learn to empower their teams by embracing decentralized decision-making, enabling them to respond swiftly to challenges. Practical tools and examples are provided to help leaders build a supportive and motivated environment that drives shared success.

Topic Two: Leading the Change

• What You’ll Learn: Master strategies for implementing organizational change through structured methodologies like Kotter’s 8-step process. Learn to build urgency, form coalitions, and sustain momentum throughout transitions.
• This topic provides a comprehensive exploration of Kotter’s 8-step framework for managing large-scale change. Participants will learn to:
  1. Create a Sense of Urgency: Inspire teams by highlighting the importance and immediacy of change.
  2. Build a Guiding Coalition: Form a dedicated group of leaders to champion the change effort.
  3. Form a Strategic Vision: Develop a compelling vision to align efforts and provide direction.
  4. Empower Teams to Act: Remove obstacles and create an environment that encourages ownership and innovation.
  5. Generate Short-Term Wins: Plan for and celebrate early successes to build momentum.
  6. Sustain Acceleration: Use ongoing achievements to fuel further improvement efforts.
  7. Institute Change: Embed new practices into organizational culture to ensure lasting success.

Participants will explore real-world examples and case studies to understand how to adapt these steps to various organizational settings. By the end of the lesson, they will have a clear framework for leading transformation initiatives and ensuring their long-term success.

Lesson 6 equips leaders with the skills and mindset to drive impactful change in Lean-Agile organizations. By emphasizing the importance of leading by example, participants will learn to cultivate trust, innovation, and empowerment within their teams. The lesson’s focus on structured methodologies, such as Kotter’s 8-step process, ensures leaders can confidently guide their organizations through complex transitions while maintaining alignment with business agility goals. With actionable tools, real-world insights, and proven strategies, participants will be prepared to act as catalysts for both cultural and operational excellence, positioning their organizations for sustained growth and success.

In the final lesson, students will see SAFe in action through real-world case studies showcasing its implementation across various industries. They will learn how organizations have achieved improved time-to-market, product quality, and team collaboration by adopting SAFe practices. The lesson concludes with a focus on fostering a culture of continuous improvement, teaching students how to identify opportunities for innovation and sustain momentum through retrospectives, metrics-based reviews, and iterative enhancements.

Topic One: SAFe in Action

• What You’ll Learn: See real-world examples of SAFe implementation and learn how organizations have achieved success with improved time-to-market and team collaboration.
• Explore case studies that demonstrate the practical application of SAFe principles across diverse industries.

Topic Two: Continuous Improvement

• What You’ll Learn: Learn techniques for fostering a culture of ongoing improvement, ensuring that processes, teams, and solutions continue to evolve.
  
• Discover methods like retrospectives and metrics-based reviews to identify opportunities for innovation and sustain long-term success.