A
Agile Release Train (ART)
A long-lived team of Agile teams, which, along with other stakeholders, incrementally develops, delivers, and operates one or more solutions in a value stream.
Architectural Runway:
The infrastructure needed to support upcoming features without excessive redesign and delay.
Agile Teams:
Cross-functional groups that have the responsibility to define, build, test, and possibly deploy some element of solution value—all in a short iteration timebox.
Acceptance Criteria
Conditions that a software product must meet to be accepted by a user, customer, or other stakeholder.
Agile Product Delivery
The ability to release valuable solutions to customers and stakeholders frequently.
Agile Coach
A person who assists teams and organizations in adopting Agile practices and methods.
Agile Lifecycle
The process of delivering Agile projects from inception through completion.
Agile Modeling
A practice-based methodology for effective modeling and documentation of software-based systems.
Agile Estimation
A technique used to estimate the size, effort, and cost of tasks or user stories in an Agile project.
B
Business Owners
A small group of stakeholders who have the primary business and technical responsibility for governance, compliance, and return on investment (ROI) for a solution developed by an ART.
Backlog Refinement
The process of adding detail, estimates, and order to items in the Product Backlog.
Built-In Quality
Practices ensuring that each solution element, at every increment, meets appropriate quality standards throughout development.
Business Agility
The ability of an organization to rapidly respond to change by adapting its initial stable configuration.
Epics
Large initiatives that need to be broken down into smaller pieces to be implemented.
Business Value
The value derived by the business from a product, project, or initiative.
C
Continuous Delivery Pipeline
The workflows, activities, and automation needed to guide new functionality from ideation to an on-demand release of value to the end user.
Customer Centricity
Putting the customer at the center of every decision and process.
Capacity Allocation
The process of assigning a portion of the team’s capacity to different types of work.
Capability
A higher-level solution behavior that typically spans multiple Agile Release Trains.
Continuous Exploration
A process that fosters innovation and applies a Lean startup cycle to ensure the ongoing evolution of the portfolio backlog.
Continuous Integration
A software development practice where code changes are automatically tested and merged to the main branch frequently.
Core Values
The fundamental beliefs or guiding principles of an organization.
D
DevOps
A culture and set of practices that bring development and operations teams together to deliver high-quality software at a higher velocity.
Design Thinking
A user-centered approach to innovation that integrates the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.
Development Value Stream
The sequence of activities needed to design, build, and test the system.
Digital Transformation
The integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers.
E
Epic Owner
The person responsible for coordinating portfolio Epics through the Portfolio Kanban system.
Economic Framework
A set of decision guidelines that align everyone with the financial objectives of the solution and portfolio.
Enterprise Architect
Provides the strategic technical direction and enterprise context in alignment with business strategy.
Enterprise Solution Delivery
Describes how to apply SAFe principles and practices to large, integrated solutions.
Enablers
Technical initiatives that support the efficient development and delivery of future business capabilities.
Empirical Process Control
Making decisions based on what is known.
Essential SAFe
The most basic configuration of the SAFe framework, providing the minimal elements necessary to be Agile.
Epic Hypothesis Statement
A structured format for capturing, organizing, and communicating Epics as they move through the Portfolio Kanban system.
F
Features
Services provided by the system that fulfill a stakeholder need.
Five Whys
A problem-solving technique that involves asking “Why?” five times to drill down into the root cause of a problem.
Full SAFe
The most comprehensive configuration of the SAFe framework, addressing the needs of large enterprises.
Feedback Loop
A system where outputs are circled back as inputs, enabling continuous improvement.
Functional Requirements
Specific behaviors or functions of a system.
Facilitator
A person who helps teams achieve their goals by providing guidance and support.
Framework
A structure for implementing Agile practices in an organization.
G
Guardrails
Policies that guide and constrain decision-making in an organization.
Governance
The framework of rules and practices by which an organization ensures accountability, fairness, and transparency.
Gemba Walks
A practice where leaders observe the work being done to identify opportunities for improvement.
Growth Mindset
The belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work.
Guiding Coalition
A group of influential stakeholders who support and drive change within an organization.
H
Hypothesis
An assumption that can be tested to validate its truth.
Horizon Planning
Planning over different timeframes to address both immediate and long-term needs.
High-Performance Team
Teams that consistently perform at a high level and achieve exceptional results.
I
Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration
An iteration dedicated to activities such as innovation, planning, and retrospection.
Inspect and Adapt (I&A)
A regular event where teams reflect on their progress and identify ways to improve.
Investment Horizons
The timeframes over which investments are expected to yield returns.
Information Radiator
A visual representation of project data displayed prominently, such as burndown charts, to keep the team and stakeholders informed.
Incremental Delivery
Delivering work in small, manageable pieces to provide value more quickly.
J
Journey Maps
Visual representations of the steps a user takes to achieve a goal.
K
Kanban System
A visual method for managing work, emphasizing continuous flow and limiting work in progress (WIP) to optimize delivery.
Kaizen
A Japanese term meaning "change for better" or continuous improvement, used to describe the practice of making incremental improvements.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively an organization is achieving key business objectives.
Knowledge Workers
Individuals whose primary job involves handling or using information.
L
Large Solution
A complex system of interconnected features or capabilities delivered incrementally by multiple teams. May necessitate coordination across value streams.
Lead Time
The average time it takes to complete a work item, from initiation to delivery.
Lean-Agile Leadership
A leadership style that promotes continuous improvement, empowers teams, and fosters a culture of learning and experimentation.
Lean Budgeting
A financial governance process that supports Lean-Agile principles, providing decentralized decision-making and flexibility.
Lean Portfolio Management (LPM)
Aligns strategy and execution by applying Lean principles to portfolio-level management.
Lean-Agile Mindset
A set of beliefs, assumptions, and actions focused on delivering value quickly and efficiently.
Little’s Law
A principle that states the average number of items in a queuing system equals the average arrival rate multiplied by the average time an item spends in the system.
M
Milestone
A significant event or point in a project timeline used to measure progress.
Minimum Marketable Feature (MMF)
The smallest set of functionality that provides value to the customer and can be delivered to market.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
A version of a new product that includes just enough features to be usable by early customers who can then provide feedback for future product development.A product with a core set of features that validates core customer assumptions and provides early learning opportunities.
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
An approach to systems engineering that uses models to support system requirements, design, analysis, verification, and validation.
N
Non-functional Requirements (NFRs)
Specifications that describe the system's operational capabilities and constraints, such as performance, security, and usability. Requirements that specify criteria that can be used to judge the operation of a system, rather than specific behaviors.
NPS (Net Promoter Score)
A customer loyalty metric that measures customers' willingness to recommend a company's products or services to others.
Network of Dependencies
The relationships and interactions between different work items or teams that need to be managed to ensure smooth workflow.
O
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
A goal-setting framework that aligns strategic objectives with measurable key results to track progress.A framework for defining and tracking objectives and their outcomes.
Operational Value Stream
The sequence of activities needed to deliver a product or service to a customer.
Outcome Metrics
Measures used to determine the results or outcomes of specific actions or processes.
P
PI (Program Increment)
A timebox in which an Agile Release Train (ART) delivers incremental value in the form of working, tested software and systems.
PI Planning
A cadence-based event that serves as the heartbeat of the Agile Release Train (ART), aligning all teams on the ART to a shared mission and vision.
Portfolio Backlog
A prioritized list of epics and other work items that the portfolio intends to deliver to achieve business goals.
Portfolio Kanban
A system used to visualize, manage, and analyze the flow of portfolio epics, from ideation through implementation and completion.
Portfolio
A collection of epics or features that align to strategic themes and objectives.
Program
A collection of value streams delivering solutions within a PI, aligned around a common objective.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA)
The process of ensuring that the product meets the required quality standards through testing and other quality control activities.
Quality Control (QC)
The operational techniques and activities used to fulfill requirements for quality, including inspection and testing.
Quality Gate
A checkpoint in the development process where specific quality criteria must be met before proceeding to the next phase.
Quantitative Metrics
Numeric measurements used to assess the performance and progress of Agile teams and processes, such as velocity, cycle time, and defect rates.
Queue
A list or sequence of work items waiting to be processed, often managed using a Kanban board in Agile methodologies.
R
Release Train Engineer (RTE)
A servant leader and coach for the Agile Release Train (ART), facilitating ART processes and execution.
Roadmap
A high-level, strategic plan that outlines the vision, direction, and priorities for the product over a specified period. A schedule of events and milestones that communicate planned releases and other activities over a timeline.
Release Management
The process of managing, planning, scheduling, and controlling a software build through different stages and environments.
S
Scrum of Scrums
A meeting where representatives from different Scrum teams meet to discuss inter-team coordination and dependencies.
SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
A knowledge base of proven, integrated principles, practices, and competencies for achieving business agility using Lean, Agile, and DevOps.
Solution Train
A SAFe construct that helps coordinate the work of multiple ARTs and suppliers to deliver large and complex solutions.
Stakeholder
An individual or group with an interest in the outcome of a project or program.
System Demo
A showcase of the work completed during a PI to stakeholders, fostering transparency and collaboration.
T
Team Backlog
The list of work items, including stories, defects, and enablers, that are identified as part of the team’s workflow.
Team Kanban
A method used by Agile teams to visualize their work, identify bottlenecks, and enhance flow.
Test-Driven Development (TDD)
A software development process that relies on the repetition of a very short development cycle where requirements are turned into specific test cases.
Timebox
A fixed period during which a task or activity is undertaken, ensuring work does not extend indefinitely.
Team PI Objectives
The specific goals set by Agile teams for a Program Increment, aligned with the objectives of the Agile Release Train.
U
User Story
A description of a feature from an end-user perspective, typically written on a note card.
User Experience (UX)
The overall experience of a person using a product such as a website or computer application.
User Interface (UI)
The means by which a user interacts with a computer, website, or application.
User Persona
A fictional character created to represent a user type that might use a site, brand, or product in a similar way.
V
Value
The worth of a product or service to its users.
Value Stream
The series of steps that an organization uses to deliver a product or service to a customer.
Value Stream Mapping
A visual representation of the steps involved in delivering a product or service, used to identify waste and improve efficiency.
Voice of the Customer (VoC)
The process of capturing customers’ expectations, preferences, and aversions.
W
Wireframe
A skeletal outline of a web page or app, used as a visual guide for user interface design.
WIP Limits
Constraints set to limit the amount of work in progress at any one time to improve flow and reduce bottlenecks.
Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)
A prioritization model used to sequence jobs (features, capabilities, and epics) based on the economics of product development flow.
Wireframe
A skeletal outline of a web page or app, used as a visual guide for user interface design.
Working Agreement
A set of guidelines and expectations that a team agrees upon to facilitate effective collaboration.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A hierarchical decomposition of the work to be done to achieve the project objectives, often used in project planning and management.
X
XP (Extreme Programming)
An Agile software development framework that aims to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements.
Y
YAGNI (You Ain't Gonna Need It)
A principle of extreme programming (XP) that states a programmer should not add functionality until deemed necessary.
