Hello All,

In the most recent SAFe 5 update, we introduced operational value streams as first-class citizens of the SAFe Big Picture. Of course, they were always there, but as we evolve our approach to Business Agility, we also need to better identify our customers. This is especially important when the development value streams build systems that primarily support others within the company. In these cases, our customers are internal, and the systems we build for them directly affect business outcomes.

As we refine that distinction, we also need to enhance our understanding of how the development work impacts outcomes. That’s why we have KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) at the end of the development value streams in SAFe (see Figure).

But there is an important and interesting nuance that’s worth noting: development KPIs need to reflect both the development process (flow, quality, predictability, throughput, etc.), as well as the other business indicators that are shared with the operational value streams.

We’ve just updated the KPI article to make that more implicit, and most importantly to help ensure that all that good development work we do positively affects the outcomes of the business that employs us.

Stay SAFe!

— Dean