Glossary

SAFe® provides a very comprehensive glossary that can be found here: https://www.scaledagileframework.com/glossary/.

However, there are a number of SAFe® terms we want to call out here:

1. Scrum Master/Team Coach (SM/TC)– The individual on each Agile Team who is responsible for helping the team implement and maintain Agile practices, optimize and improve the team’s performance, and partner with the RTE to guide the performance improvements of the ART as a whole.
2. Product Owner (PO) – A member of the Agile Team who is responsible for ensuring that the products and services delivered by the team have maxim Business Value and that the Team Backlog reflects the most current needs of customers and Stakeholders.
3. Release Train Engineer (RTE) – The Coach for the ART.
4. Product Management (PM) – These individuals are typically the first level that interfaces with the customer. They own, define, and prioritize the ART backlog.
5. System Architect – The individual(s) responsible for defining and communicating the technical and architecture needed by the ART.
6. System Team - This is a specialized Agile Team that assists in building and supporting the Agile development environment, including developing and maintaining the Continuous Delivery Pipeline. They may also support the integration of assets, end-to-end solution testing, DevOps mindset and practices, deployment, and release on demand.
7. Shared Services - These represents the specialty roles, people, and services required for the success of an ART or Solution Train, but that are not dedicated full-time.
8. Agile Release Train (ART) – A long-lived and cross-functional team of Agile Teams, which, along with other Stakeholders, develops and delivers Solutions incrementally using a series of fixed-length iterations within a PI timebox.
9. PI Planning – Here, Planning Interval is referred to as PI. PI Planning is an all-hands-on-deck, 2-day event, designed to align all the teams to a shared Mission and Vision and to collectively identify potential impediments to Feature delivery.
10. Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) – A competency that aligns strategy and execution by applying Lean and Systems Thinking approaches to strategy and investment funding, Agile portfolio operations, and governance.
11. Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs) – These are system qualities that guide the design of the solution and often serve as constraints across the relevant Backlogs.
12. Definition of Done (DoD) - This is a shared understanding within an Agile Team that outlines the criteria that must be met for a product increment, User Story, or task to be considered complete and ready for release or deployment. It serves as a quality standard and ensures that the team delivers valuable and high-quality work consistently.
13. Definition of Ready (DoR) - This is an agreement within an Agile Team that outlines the criteria a User Story or task must meet before it can be taken into an Iteration and worked on. It ensures that the team has a shared understanding and sufficient information to start the implementation of a User Story effectively.

In addition, there are a few Japanese terms that we also need to explain:

1. Kaizen means “improvement” or “change for the better.” It is based on the idea that small, incremental improvements, made consistently over time, can lead to significant results. The philosophy of Kaizen emphasizes the importance of involvement by all employees in the improvement process, from the shop floor to the executive suite, and it encourages a culture of continuous learning and development. These approaches use a combination of tools and techniques, such as Value Stream Mapping and Kaizen Workshops, to identify and eliminate waste, improve quality, increase efficiency, and enhance overall customer satisfaction. The goal of Kaizen is to create a sustainable, long-term culture of Continuous Improvement that results in higher quality, lower costs, and increased customer satisfaction. By implementing Kaizen, organizations can continuously improve their processes, products, and services, and ultimately achieve their strategic objectives.
2. Gemba is a Japanese term that refers to the actual place where value is created or where work is performed. In business and manufacturing, the term is often used to refer to the factory floor, where products are made and assembled. The term is also used more broadly to refer to any location where work is done and value is created, including offices, service centers, and retail stores. In the context of Continuous Improvement, Gemba is considered to be the first place to look when trying to identify areas for improvement. This is because being on the Gemba allows you to observe the actual work processes and see any bottlenecks, inefficiencies, or areas for improvement first-hand. By going to the Gemba and observing the work as it is performed, you can gain a deeper understanding of the process and identify opportunities for improvement that might not be immediately apparent from looking at data or reports.
3. Muda is a Japanese term that means "waste" or any activity or process that does not add value to a product or service. The concept of muda is often used in the context of lean manufacturing or the Toyota Production System, where eliminating waste is a key principle to increase efficiency and reduce costs. There are several types of muda, including overproduction, waiting, unnecessary transportation, excess inventory, unnecessary motion, defects, and unused employee creativity. By identifying and eliminating muda, organizations can improve their processes, increase productivity, and ultimately provide better value to their customers.
4. Shu Ha Ri is a martial arts concept and strategy philosophy. It is often used to describe the stages of learning and mastery in a particular art, craft, or skill. The three stages of Shu Ha Ri are as follows:

a. Shu: This is the stage of learning, where the practitioner follows the rules and techniques of the art without deviation. The focus is on memorizing and imitating what has been taught.

b. Ha: During this stage, the practitioner begins to understand the underlying principles of the art and begins to experiment and make modifications to the techniques that have been learned. The focus is on breaking free from strict adherence to the rules.

c. Ri: The final stage is that of mastery, where the practitioner has internalized the principles of the art and is able to improvise and create new techniques based on their own understanding. The focus is on expressing the essence of the art in a unique and personal way.

Here is the full, new SAFe® 6.0 Big Picture:

Figure G.1 - SAFe® Big Picture