Product Management with SAFe E-Book

Tobias Feldmann

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 94

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

SAFe has completely changed the face of product management. In this book, learn how to successfully integrate SAFe ideas into your product management methods. The book is aimed at both experienced product managers and people who want to build strategic product management based on SAFe. A must-read for anyone wanting to navigate the current difficulties of the digital age.

Leseprobe

Product Management with SAFe

The Full Guide

Tobias Feldmann

Impressum

© 2023, Tobias Feldmann

Druck und Verlag: epubli GmbH, Berlin, www.epubli.de

Printed in Germany

Bibliografische Information der Deutschen NationalbibliothekDie Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar.

Disclaimer

Advice not given: The information contained in this book is presented solely for educational purposes and in no way should be construed as professional advice or recommendations of any kind. It is important for readers to remember that the information contained in this article is not exhaustive and that they should consult an expert when they have questions.

Disclaimer: The author and publisher of this book make no representations, warranties, or guarantees of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information contained within it.

Trademarks: Unless otherwise stated, any and all trademarks, trade names, and service marks that are mentioned in this book belong to their respective owners. The term "SAFe" and other trade names may be mentioned in this article for the sole purpose of providing information; such mention in no way indicates affiliation with or endorsement by the respective owners of such marks.

Independence: Neither "SAFe" nor any other organization was involved in the writing of this book, nor did they provide support or have any kind of influence over the process. It is important to note that the views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of any organization or company.

Accuracy of the information: despite the fact that the preparation of this book has been carried out with the utmost care, there is no guarantee that the information that has been provided is either complete, accurate, or up to date.

You are indicating that you understand and agree to all of the terms, conditions, and disclaimers that are contained within this book simply by accessing and using it.

Foreword by Tobias Feldmann

Companies are put under constant pressure to adjust and innovate in order to remain competitive in today's frenetic and unpredictable business environment. The practice of product management, which is at the core of many of these transformations, has also undergone profound shifts in nature over the past few years. The way that we think about the process of product development and delivery has also changed thanks to the proliferation of frameworks such as SAFe.

When I first started out in product management, the environment was quite different from what it is today. The conventional procedures that the majority of us continued to use were, at the time, an appropriate fit for the various organizational structures that were prevalent. However, as time went on and both technology and the market underwent shifts, it became abundantly clear that a new strategy was required. This is where the SAFe framework comes into play.

This book's objective is to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of SAFe within the context of product management. It is not only a theoretical guide, but it also provides useful insights, tips, and advice that you can apply in your day-to-day work.

On the other hand, before I go, I would like to share something with you: Every organization, culture, and team is different. What is described in this article is not intended to be a solution that works for every situation, but rather to motivate you and provide assistance as you integrate SAFe best practices into the context in which you work.

I have a lot of hope that you will find this book to be just as insightful and helpful as the experiences and insights that I have gained over the course of my career. I wish for you, on this journey of product management with SAFe, to reach new heights and discover groundbreaking innovations.

With best regards,

Tobias Feldmann

Introduction

In the most recent decades, product management has undergone a rapid evolution. It used to be strictly a technical and function-oriented role, but now it's more of a strategic and customer-focused discipline that monitors the state of the market and helps companies formulate their long-term goals. Before we can comprehend where product management is going, we need to investigate where it first came from.

Beginnings in antiquity and the advent of the industrial revolution

Product management can be traced all the way back to the time of the industrial revolution, where its beginnings can be found. During that time period, the primary focus of businesses was on increasing productivity in order to facilitate mass production. The products were manufactured in accordance with predetermined specifications, and there was very little variety in the selections available. The so-called "product managers" of the time had a number of responsibilities, the most important of which was to ensure that production ran efficiently and that manufacturing costs were kept as low as possible. The customer and the requirements that he had were not the primary focus.

The emergence of a primary emphasis on the consumer

Companies came to the realization in the 20th century that they could no longer solely concentrate on efficiency as the economy continued to change and competition became more severe. It became increasingly important to differentiate oneself from competitors through improvements in product quality and design. This event marked the beginning of contemporary product management. Now, product managers started putting more of an emphasis on the customer and the requirements they had. They started conducting research on the market and gathering feedback from customers in order to develop products that were tailored to the requirements of the market.

The part played by the current technological boom

Product management underwent yet another revolution in the 1990s and early 21st century as a result of the technology boom, which was driven primarily by the dotcom bubble and the rise of software companies. At this point, attention was being directed not only toward the actual product, but also toward digital products and services. The role of the product manager has evolved to become the most important one in the process of designing websites, software applications, and digital platforms. It was at this point that a synergy between one's technical expertise and one's in-depth familiarity with the end user emerged. During this time period, the phrase "user experience" (abbreviated as "UX") was first used, and product management practices started shifting to prioritize the needs of end users.

The previous century had already had a significant impact on product management, but the 21st century was the one that provided this discipline with a new path to take and a fresh interpretation of its meaning. The progression of digitalization, the expansion of globalization, and shifts in consumer behavior each played a role in defining the next stage in the development of product management.

The transition to agile practices as well as product development

A significant paradigm shift occurred in product development at the beginning of the 2000s. Continuous improvement and rapid iteration became the primary focuses of the company in place of extensive product development cycles and releases that lasted for an entire calendar year. Agile methodologies such as Scrum and Kanban gained more and more popularity as they offered teams the flexibility to respond rapidly to shifts in the market and to the comments and suggestions of customers. Because of this, product managers began to collaborate closely with the teams responsible for the product's development rather than concentrating solely on the launch of the product.

Moving on from the product to the experience

Because of the proliferation of mobile technology and social media, it is now increasingly important to cater not only to the practical needs of users, but also to their emotional and social requirements. It was no longer sufficient to merely have a functional product; in addition, it needed to provide an experience that was captivating. The goal of the collaboration between product managers, designers, and psychologists was to provide users with experiences that delighted and engaged them.

The age of product management that is driven entirely by data

Recently, big data and advanced analytics have made a significant contribution to the field of product management. Product managers now have the ability to base their decisions on big data and user analytics, which ultimately results in decisions that are better and more informed. The challenge here is to make sense of all of this data and derive some kind of useful insight from it.

Thinking on a global scale while acting locally

As a consequence of globalization, many goods and services can now be found on markets located in other countries. Product managers are now expected to take into account cultural differences, conditions in the market, and consumer preferences in their respective regions. It's possible that a product that's popular in one nation will need some tweaking before it can break through in another market.

Product management has reached this stage of its development where it has come to the realization that in our increasingly connected world, the user is at the center. The journey demonstrates how product management has progressed from a purely functional role to a multidisciplinary art that combines technology, design, business, and psychology in order to create products that are suitable for the requirements of the 21st century.

In the intricate world of product development, where requirements are always shifting and businesses must contend with uncertain market conditions, organizations require a reliable methodology in order to carry out their operations in an efficient and effective manner. This is where the Scaled Agile Framework, also known as SAFe, comes into play. What exactly is SAFe, and why has it emerged as one of the most successful agile frameworks for large businesses? Let's get started with the initial realization.

The historical background

Agile methods, which were initially intended for use on smaller teams, quickly gained popularity in the information technology and product development industries. Although it was simple to apply agile principles to smaller teams, many organizations that attempted to do so on a larger scale ran into significant difficulties. SAFe, a framework that was developed specifically for the purpose of scaling agile at the enterprise level, offered a solution in this situation.

The fundamental ideas behind SAFe

SAFe is based on the fundamental principles of agile working, but it adds to those principles components that are necessary for organizations that are complex. It acknowledges the fact that not all of an organization's teams or departments are the same in their makeup. Some people may adhere to the Scrum principles very strictly, while others might favor an approach that is more kanban-oriented. SAFe provides flexibility by enabling teams to select their own methods of working while also providing an overarching framework to guarantee that everyone is moving in the same general direction.

The significance of proper alignment

When it comes to scaling agility in large organizations, one of the most significant challenges that can arise is a lack of alignment between the various teams. It is possible for teams to pull in different directions when there is a lack of clear alignment, which can result in inefficient processes, overlapping work, and delays in the delivery of products. SAFe places an emphasis on aligning and integrating teams working at different levels, such as the team, the program, and the portfolio, and it ensures that all members of the organization have a shared comprehension of the vision, the strategy, and the execution.

A systems perspective on dealing with complexity

Integration between the various entities involved is essential in the contemporary world of business, where products and services are frequently the result of the combined efforts of a large number of teams. This systems approach helps companies manage the complexity of their structures and processes, and SAFe frames the organization as a "system of systems" in its conceptualization of the organization. SAFe encourages adopting a holistic perspective in which all of the components, rather than being viewed separately, collaborate to produce the desired result.

Identified functions and obligations