Agile methods are not always prescriptive, making their implementation difficult and unnerving for many managers, processes owners and individuals with existing investments in non-Agile processes. SAFe 5.0 provides a way forward to adopt Agile across the origination, but it does require a deep understanding of the underlying principles to create a change roadmap that is executable. 

Here are some underlying principles to consider always in whatever form your Agile Roadmap takes:

• Collaborative empowered teams over processes

• Working on solutions over comprehensive documentation

• Customer-first collaboration over complex legal frameworks

• Constant strategic and tactical change alignment over strict plans

Agile adoption will be more successful by fostering shared principles. Whatever the change in management direction or team activities you embed, the following principles provide guidance and valuable benchmarks:

• Customer satisfaction through early and continuous product and service delivery

• Accommodate changing requirements throughout the design and development process

• Frequent delivery of working products and services, but don’t underinvest in enablers

• Collaboration between all stakeholders throughout the project at every stage

• Build projects around motivated individuals and give them the support and trust needed

• Encourage face-to-face communication for effective information transfer and decisions

• Working products and services are the primary measures of success

• Nurture teams and stakeholders to work at a consistent and sustainable pace

• Detailed attention to technical and design excellence will lead to increased quality and agility

• Simplicity and art of not-doing wasteful activities are essential

• Self-organizing teams encourage great architectures, requirements, and designs

• Regularly reflecting and re-tune ways of working leads to more effective behaviors