Scrum vs SAFe: Everything You Need to Know

Scrum and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) are similar concepts and can confuse many people. In modern-day software development, Agile frameworks are getting quite common. In simple terms, Agile means incremental and thorough improvement through self-organizing and organizational teamwork. Anyone searching online for a good internet connection like Spectrum internet ultra price could keep up with the frequent releases from Agile frameworks. And Scrum and SAFe are two of the most common ways to do it.

Even though they function under the same mechanism and framework, there are some key differences. Many people can confuse the two especially if they are new in the profession or aren’t tech-savvy at all. Before you develop an in-depth understanding, it is important to realize what they individually are.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a common Agile framework used to identify and address different adaptive problems during software development. It can be hard to address all these separately and Scrum can help with productivity and creativity. Many people use this framework to solve complex problems creatively and develop a top-notch products of the highest quality. It adds a lot of value to the developmental and troubleshooting process.

What is SAFe?

Scaled Agile Framework might be a step ahead of Scrum as it focuses even on the artifacts and rules that Scrum might miss. It can be ideal for larger enterprises because it can handle large teams without any issues. Moreover, SAFe can provide an accurate roadmap to scale and develop an Agile framework within an organization or team. Teams can use SAFe collectively whether they are working on the same or different products.

Scrum vs SAFe: Key Differences

Scrum mostly works on the principles, events, and rules of Agile and focuses on a small number of people in a team. However, SAFe is ideal for large enterprises dealing with multiple Agile projects simultaneously. Here are some of the other differences.

SAFe Scrum
Can deal with multi-faceted big teams Can deal only with small teams that are cross-functional
Most important tiers are Program, Portfolio, and Team Middle management doesn’t have any role
An extension of Scrum that the entire company adopts (not just a team) Only Agile Teams adopt Scrum
Agile Release Train (ART) is the basic construct Basic construct is the Scrum team
Ability to manage most of the processes and features of an enterprise Misses out on some important aspects of an enterprise that SAFe can cover.

So, the main difference between the two essentially is how experts end up handling their work. For instance, if a company wants to scale Agile with specific teams, then Scrum might be the best choice for them. However, Scrum might sound easy to handle but it has its own complexities and can be pretty hard to execute. SAFe, on the other hand, is an enterprise-level management framework and can be used to maintain adaptable changes running throughout the organization.

How Does Scrum Work?

Scrum ideally breaks down the project between cross-functional teams and into smaller segments. Each scrum team then has a certain job to do. This can make handling projects a lot easier and helps in smoothening out delivery times as well. Scrum gives each team a well-timed deadline so that the rhythm of delivery isn’t affected. The entire iterative process focuses on a few ceremonies, cross-functional teams, and a few important roles. They are:

  • Scrum Team
  • Scrum Master
  • Product Owner

The Scrum team is responsible to organize the delivery of sprints while the Scrum Master takes care of the entire job and its management with each sprint. The Product Owner takes control of the communication with the company and organizes the whole plan.

What is Scrum of Scrums (SOS)?

The biggest drawback while using Scrum to scale Agile frameworks is the inability to work with a bigger enterprise. So, the natural next step when working with multiple cross-functional teams is Scrum of Scrums (SOS). It is a multi-team stand-up that is more than just a status check meeting. It can keep the entire organization informed and keeps technical members of each team in the loop.

How Does SAFe Work?

It is ideal to use SAFe if your ultimate goal is to incorporate the entire enterprise. SAFe can help you ideate and organize things that you can’t do with SOS. SAFe has a much more structured approach and the three most important components are Program, Team, and Portfolio. As a result, you can apply a more tiered approach toward the delivery rhythm. You can have much bigger teams working on the same project, but Scrum recommends otherwise. The most important part of SAFe are:

  • System Thinking
  • Lean Product Development
  • Agile Software Development

In simpler words, SAFe is the framework that can help use Agile software development and scale Scrum at a much larger enterprise level. So, it can ideally fill all the gaps that Scrum has left behind.

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