What does architectural runway mean in SAFe?
Architectural runway refers to the foundations and architecture of work to flow faster through the value stream, from the teams of agile teams directly to the customer.
Without an architectural runway, we may start work only to discover that we have enablers that are necessary to complete the work. We simply won’t know until we reach that point, and so we need to develop an architectural runway to ensure continuous delivery of value to customers.
SAFe or Scaled Agile Framework is an agile framework that identifies the difference between features and enablers. It calls these elements out so that the teams of agile teams, known as agile release trains, are clear about what is valued by customers and what accelerates that delivery.
A feature is something that is important to a customer. Something that allows them to perform a specific job or solve a specific problem.
An enabler, in the delivery system, is something that allows us to build and deliver that feature to the customer in an accelerated format, more effectively and efficiently.
A process of discovery.
Sometimes, we may identify the need for something – such as an enterprise bus – and build out the architecture to achieve that goal. As we progress down the line, we discover that what we thought we wanted isn’t actually what we want, and so we need to pivot to create what is needed.
A good way to think about this is to imagine the railway tracks that precede a train into the wilderness. Without the railway tracks, the train isn’t able to go anywhere. And so, we need to create the path that enables the train to move from point A to point Z.
Traditionally, we would just build the railway tracks from point A to Z, and then the train would proceed to travel along the route as it has been built.
In SAFe, it works differently.
We don’t know for certain that point Z is where we are going to go, or whether we are better served going to point H, and so we lay the tracks from point A to point B, and then move the train along those tracks.
As we learn more, and more variables are revealed to us, we may discover that the train needs to move in a different direction to what we had planned, and now we can simply lay tracks from point B to the new point C.
In theory, we do just enough and just in time.
So, we don’t build an architectural runway to serve the next 12 months. We build just enough to serve the short term momentum, and use the data and evidence from what we have learned in the short term to inform what we should do for the next leg of the journey.
It’s empiricism in motion.
A trajectory that is made visible, is frequently inspected so that we can learn from what we have done, and allows us to adapt to ensure that we are always producing the most valuable work.
About Value Glide
Value Glide are a SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) consultancy, coaching practice, and training specialist who work with organizations to align business objectives with customer needs and wants.
As deeply experienced agile coaches and practitioners, our team are invested in continuous learning through each client engagement and use the data and evidence we gather from each implementation to inform our training, coaching, and consulting services.
In a nutshell, empirical process control or empiricism.
If you are thinking of adopting agile within your organization and have identified SAFe as a great agile framework to adopt, implement and improve your business agility, visit our SAFe Quickstart ART Launch program page or view our SAFe Consulting Services page.
If you have identified a need for an agile coach and SAFe coach to help your organization adopt and implement SAFe, visit our SAFe Coaching Services page.
If you want to know more about SAFe and how to lead SAFe, visit our SAFE Training page for a host of options, from Leading SAFe to a SAFe Release Train Engineer course.
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