Module 6: SAFe Artifacts and Flow

6.1 From Ideas to Value: Managing Work in SAFe

Welcome to Module 6. In a single Agile team, managing work is relatively straightforward: you have a backlog of user stories. But how do you manage work when you have 10, 20, or even 50 teams all contributing to the same large-scale solution? How do you connect a high-level strategic business goal to the specific tasks a developer works on today?

This is where SAFe’s artifacts and flow management systems become essential. SAFe provides a structured way to break down large initiatives into smaller, manageable pieces of value and to visualize and optimize the flow of that work from concept to cash. This module will teach you the language of SAFe work items and show you the systems used to keep that work moving smoothly and predictably.

6.2 The Hierarchy of Work: Epics, Capabilities, Features, and Stories

To manage complexity, SAFe uses a hierarchical system of artifacts. Each level represents a different level of detail and serves a different purpose, ensuring that strategy is effectively translated into execution.

• Epics: An Epic is a large-scale development initiative that is significant enough to require analysis, a Lean Business Case, and financial approval before implementation. Epics are the largest work items in SAFe and often take multiple Program Increments (PIs) to deliver. They are held in the Portfolio Backlog and are broken down into Features (or Capabilities).
• Example: “Launch a new customer loyalty program for our retail application.”
• Capabilities: A Capability is a higher-level solution behavior that typically spans multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs). This artifact is primarily used in the Large Solution SAFe configuration to describe the functionality of a very large system. Capabilities are held in the Solution Backlog and are broken down into Features. For those working in Essential SAFe, you will likely not use this artifact, and your Epics will break down directly into Features.
• Example: “Provide personalized rewards and offers across all digital and in-store channels.”
• Features: A Feature is a service provided by the solution that fulfills a stakeholder need. Features are the primary work item for an Agile Release Train (ART). They are sized to be delivered by a single ART within a single PI. Features are held in the ART Backlog and are broken down into Stories.
• Example: “Track customer purchase history to enable tailored rewards.”
• Stories: A User Story is the smallest unit of work in SAFe, written from the perspective of an end user. Stories are sized to be completed by a single Agile Team within a single two-week iteration. They are held in the Team Backlog.
• Example: “As a loyalty program member, I want to see my points balance on my account dashboard so that I can track my progress toward a reward.”

It’s important to also understand Enablers. Enablers exist at all levels of the framework (Enabler Epics, Enabler Capabilities, Enabler Features, Enabler Stories) and represent the technical work needed to build the “architectural runway” that supports future business functionality.

6.3 Infographic: Decomposing an Epic

The following infographic illustrates how a large strategic initiative (an Epic) is broken down into deliverable Features, which are then further broken down into Stories that can be executed by Agile teams.

6.4 Making Work Visible: The SAFe Kanban Systems

One of the core principles of Lean and Agile is to make work visible. SAFe achieves this through the use of Kanban systems at every level of the framework. A Kanban system visualizes the flow of work, helps manage that flow by limiting Work-in-Progress (WIP), and identifies bottlenecks so they can be removed.

SAFe includes four interconnected Kanban systems: 

• Portfolio Kanban: This system manages the flow of Epics from ideation to completion. It is managed by Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) and provides visibility into the largest strategic initiatives. Its typical states include Funnel, Reviewing, Analyzing, Portfolio Backlog, Implementing, and Done.
• Solution Kanban: Used in the Large Solution and Full SAFe configurations, this system manages the flow of Capabilities through the Solution Train. It helps coordinate the work of multiple ARTs and suppliers.
• Program (ART) Kanban: This system manages the flow of Features for a single Agile Release Train. It helps Product Management and the RTE visualize work, establish WIP limits for the ART, and ensure a smooth delivery of value throughout the PI.
• Team Kanban: This is the Kanban system used by individual Agile Teams to manage the flow of their Stories within an iteration. It helps the team visualize their workflow, limit their WIP to improve focus, and optimize their process.

6.5 Prioritization Based on Economics: Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)

With so many potential features and initiatives, how do you decide what to work on next? SAFe applies SAFe Principle #1, “Take an economic view,” through a prioritization model called Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF). The goal of WSJF is to maximize economic benefit by identifying the work that delivers the most value in the shortest amount of time. 

The formula is simple:

WSJF = Cost of Delay / Job Duration (or Size)

To use this formula, we need to understand its components:

• Cost of Delay (CoD): This represents “how valuable is this work?” or “what is the economic impact of not doing this now?” It is calculated by adding three factors together:

1. User-Business Value: What is the relative value to the customer or the business? (e.g., Higher revenue? Competitive advantage?)
2. Time Criticality: How urgent is this? Is there a fixed deadline? Does the value decay quickly over time?
3. Risk Reduction | Opportunity Enablement: Does this work reduce a significant business or technical risk? Will it enable new business opportunities?

• Job Duration (or Size): This is a proxy for the effort required to complete the job. A key point is that this is a relative estimate, not an absolute time commitment.

To calculate WSJF, key stakeholders collaboratively score each feature on the four components using a relative scale (often a modified Fibonacci sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20). The jobs with the highest WSJF scores are prioritized first.

Example of WSJF in Action:

Feature	User-Business Value	Time Criticality	Risk Reduction / Opportunity Enablement	Cost of Delay (CoD)	Job Size	WSJF Score (CoD / Size)	Rank
Feature A	8	1	1	10	2	5.0	2
Feature B	5	8	13	26	3	8.7	1
Feature C	13	1	3	17	8	2.1	3

In this example, even though Feature C has the highest business value, Feature B would be prioritized first because it delivers a high amount of value (high Cost of Delay) for a relatively small amount of effort (low Job Size).