Reporting for SAFe®: KPIs, metrics and why they’re crucial

In the era of information technology, more and more companies are turning to agile working methods to drive their digitalisation forward and remain competitive. In doing so, they aim to optimise processes, maximise transparency throughout their value chain, and achieve consistent and increased quality, all whilst cutting development time. 

When SAFe® does not deliver the desired results

However, using agile methods is not a guarantee for reaching goals within the expected time frame. Often times, the root cause for this is not a mismatch of framework and working environment: The most common reason why teams fail to use agile frameworks in the best possible way is missing or poor reporting. 

After all – just as in any other area of work – milestones, results and particularly progress can only be measured by using previously defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

In this blog post, we are going to focus on the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) and introduce you to practical tips on how to get more out of the framework, and therefore out of processes by applying the right metrics and KPIs.

Scaled Agile Framework and its benefits

With Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®), companies can scale their workflows and processes across multiple teams using agile process models such as Scrum or Kanban. This allows them to act in a transparent, agile manner even with expanding corporate structures, while responding to challenges more quickly and flexibly. If you’re keen on diving even deeper into this topic, you can read about additional advantages and real-life success stories in this blog article.

On a technical level, frameworks such as SAFe® are most commonly implemented with the Atlassian tools Jira and Confluence. The benefits of these solutions are the different add-ons, such as eazyBI, Structure, and Table Chart for Confluence, which are all available in the Atlassian Marketplace. Alternatively, reporting can be carried out using other Atlassian extensions or the Microsoft tool PowerBI.

Agile reporting within SAFe® Scaled Agile Framework

How can agility be measured? And when is SAFe® reporting the right choice? Here are some user groups we have defined:

• Companies that want to start large projects or develop complex products

• Managers in charge of a product involving multiple teams 
• Corporate clients who are using SAFe® environment but have not found the right tool set for their needs yet

• Professionals coordinating the activities of several teams on one product/project and their interdependencies

As soon as products and projects start expanding, both in terms of complexity and the size of the teams, companies should set up reporting to be able to measure results in a sensible way.

Effective metrics and KPIs for Scaled Agile Framework®reporting

serve to measure the performance of both an entire business and individual teams, assess customer satisfaction and return on investment (ROI).

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure the business value of a company with its projects and products, for example with the help of the feature progress, predictability measurement or a cumulative flow diagram (CFD). The key figures serve to measure whether the team is ‘on track’, i.e. to identify whether they will reach the goals linked to a certain level within a set period of time.

Agile metrics include the following values: 

• Quantitative key figures to measure the degree of certain characteristics of agile projects or resulting systems 
• Numerical assessments to measure the scope, cost, complexity, or quality of the produced software using an agile method
• Measurement of a specific feature of an agile project in terms of its scope, time, cost, progress, or technical performance
• Progress measurement of teamwork, iterative development, or adaptability to change

Depending on the SAFe® level, the following KPIs may result, among others:

7 reasons why you should use SAFe® reporting

Reporting that is well thought-through not only improves the quality of the SAFe® framework; It ultimately has a big influence on the productivity of collaborating teams as well as the quality of product development. It also impacts how efficiently goals can be achieved.

Here are seven reasons why SAFe® reporting pays off:

• Improved synchronisation of goal setting, collaboration and delivery

• Greater focus on quality, implementation and alignment
• Deeper insights into the current status of an increment and the project as a whole, including cost assessment
• Specific, numerical assessments to measure the size, cost, complexity, and quality of the software produced using agile methodology

• No need for additional reporting tools, as both SAFe® and Scrum are already established in many teams, and results and goals can be evaluated in this environment
• Increased transparency thanks to more detailed reports, e.g. on specific development statuses or the reliability of teams
• Better-informed, faster decision-making by (product) managers

We support companies in achieving even better results and reaching their goals more effectively. Do you have a specific question about reporting in a SAFe® environment? Would you like a more comprehensive introduction to the world of agile methods? Do not hesitate to reach out to us for more information.