What is Solution Management in SAFe®?
Solution Management is one of the core concepts of SAFe®. It is the process of managing and delivering solutions that meet business needs. Solution management includes figuring out what needs to be done, designing and planning the solution, implementing it, and verifying that it meets requirements. In SAFe®, solution management is an integral part of the Release Train Engineer's role.
The goal of Solution Management in the SAFe® framework is to ensure that solutions are aligned with business strategies and customer needs. This involves creating a portfolio roadmap, defining and managing program increments, and integrating solution functionality into system demos. The solution Developers also serve as the bridge between various stakeholders, including product management and engineering teams.
In addition to overall strategy, the solution Developers is responsible for identifying dependencies and risks, as well as coordinating communication across backlogs. Ultimately, Solution Management within SAFe® helps support a successful launch and continuous delivery of solutions that meet customer demands and drive business growth.
Define Customers and Stakeholders
Solution Management is a core principle in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®). It is the responsibility of Solution Managers to ensure that all stakeholders' needs are being met through the delivery process. This includes not only the end customer but also any related internal stakeholders, such as other teams or departments within the organization.
Solution Managers work closely with various teams to define and prioritize value, align roadmaps, and ultimately deliver solutions that meet business and customer objectives. As such, they play a crucial role in guiding the overall direction and success of a project or program. So whether it is organizing Scrum teams, conducting stakeholder analysis interviews, or facilitating retrospectives, having a dedicated Solution Manager can ensure that everyone's needs are considered throughout the development process.
Furthermore, this can lead to improved collaboration, productivity, and satisfaction for all involved parties. In sum, Solution Management is a crucial aspect of SAFe® and can make all the difference in delivering successful projects and meeting stakeholder expectations.
Assure Desirability and Viability Over the Product Life Cycle
Solution management focuses on ensuring the desirability and viability of a product over its entire lifecycle, from initial conception to retirement.
This includes collaborating with stakeholders to identify market problems and opportunities, conducting experiments and demonstrations to validate solutions and continuously monitoring metrics to ensure continued success in the market.
Solution management also involves building a solution roadmap and releasing it in iterative increments, allowing for flexible adaptation to changing goals and market conditions. Ultimately, solution management helps projects stay aligned with customer needs while remaining financially sustainable.
Manage Functional Requirements
Solution management is an essential aspect of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®). It involves coordinating the efforts of various teams, value streams, and stakeholders to ensure overall alignment with the organization's business strategy. This includes managing functional requirements, which outline specific tasks and capabilities a solution must have to meet its desired outcome.
Solution managers also prioritize and track the implementation of these requirements, working closely with development teams to ensure successful delivery. By effectively managing functional requirements, solution managers help drive a solution toward its ultimate goals and impact on the larger organization.
Maintain the Solution Roadmap
When implementing the SAFe® framework, Solution Management plays an important role that helps to ensure alignment and success. This role is responsible for maintaining the solution roadmap, which sets the direction and priorities for developing products and solutions within an organization. To do this effectively, Solution Managers must thoroughly understand the current solution offerings and customer needs.
They work closely with various teams, such as product management and sales, to gather this information and prioritize new features or updates to existing solutions. Additionally, Solution Managers are responsible for monitoring progress toward these goals and adjusting the roadmap as necessary based on market conditions or internal changes. Ultimately, this ensures a cohesive strategy for solution development that aligns with the organization's overall objectives.
Define and Prioritize Epics and Capabilities
Solution Management is a critical component of SAFe®, the Scaled Agile Framework. In this role, individuals work closely with stakeholders to identify and prioritize the epics and capabilities needed to meet a more significant business objective or goal. This involves analyzing current systems, gathering feedback from customers and team members, and prioritizing issues to prioritize and plan for future development.
The solution manager then works with teams during sprint planning to ensure that good work is done at the right time. By having a dedicated individual or group focused on solution management, organizations can ensure that they are correctly meeting business needs and constantly improving their products or services. It also helps to increase alignment and collaboration across different teams and departments. Ultimately, effective solution management leads to better outcomes for both the organization and its customers.
Manage Suppliers
Solution Management involves identifying and managing the solutions that will best meet customer needs, as well as ensuring alignment between different teams within the organization.
This includes managing suppliers and their contributions to the solution. In practice, Solution Management requires regular communication with external suppliers to ensure they understand the product's objectives and how their contributions fit into the larger picture.
It also involves coordinating any resources or support they may need to fulfill their role effectively. Effective Solution Management ultimately helps create a streamlined and cohesive development process, resulting in better outcomes for both customers and the organization.
Conclusion
Solution management provides an overarching view of all solutions within an organization, ensuring they align with business strategy and are delivered as value streams.
Solution managers use their knowledge of Lean and Scrum Master delivery practices to optimize the flow of value from idea to realization. They work closely with system and product owners to ensure that solutions are correctly prioritized, managed, and delivered. So if you want to be a part of an organization that is constantly innovating and improving, consider a career in solution management.
Reference
- https://www.scaledagileframework.com/solution-management/#:~:text=In%20SAFe%2C%20Solution%20Managers%20use,allocations%2C%20performance%2C%20etc.)
