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A Glimpse Of The Major Leading SAFe® Versions

Updated on 31 October, 2018

8.33K+ views
12 min read

Agile has gained popularity in recent years and with good reason. Teams love this approach that allows them to get a value to the customer faster while learning and adjusting to change as needed. But teams often don’t work in isolation. Many teams work in the context of larger organizations. Often Agile doesn’t fit their needs. Some teams need an Agile approach that scales to larger projects that involve multiple teams. It’s possible to do this. That’s where the Scaled Agile Framework, or SAFe®, can help. Get to know more about safe core values.

Why SAFe® is the best scalable framework?

The Scaled Agile Framework is a structured Agile approach for large enterprises. It’s prescriptive and provides a path for interdependent teams to gain the benefits of using an Agile approach.

Scaled Agile provides guidance not only at the team level but also at the Program and Portfolio levels.

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 It also has built-in coordinated planning across related teams who are working in Release Trains.

These planning increments allow teams to plan together to work with customers and release value frequently in a way that’s sustainable for teams.

And it supports continuous improvement.
It’s a great way for large companies to maintain structure and roll out Agile at a large scale.

Leading SAFe Version 6.0 

Leading SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) Version 6.0 is an advanced framework that helps businesses adopt and scale Agile practices across large enterprises. This information describes various components and concepts related to scaling Agile practices in large organizations using the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) version 6.0. 

Agile at Scale 

In version 6.0 of Leading SAFe, the focus is on making Agile practices work for big organizations. It helps companies set up Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and manage value streams to consistently and reliably produce value. 

Lean-Agile Leadership 

The framework highlights the role of Lean-Agile leadership in driving corporate change. It encourages a way of thinking about leadership that fosters innovation, collaboration, and constant growth. Leaders are encouraged to live by the values and principles of Lean Agile, which gives teams the freedom to make choices on their own. 

Agile Product Delivery 

Describes how to align teams and stakeholders around delivering value through Agile product development and delivery. 

Agile Portfolio Management 

Leading SAFe Version 6.0 introduces the idea of Lean Portfolio Management (LPM), which provides a strategic and operational framework for aligning and prioritizing projects across the company. LPM helps organizations decide where to spend based on value, risk, and how well it fits their overall strategy. 

Scalable Agile Framework 

The framework offers an approach to implementing Agile that can be scaled up or down, so organizations can change the practices to fit their needs. It gives different levels of guidance, from practices at the team level to courses at the program level and portfolio level. This makes sure that the execution is consistent and works well together. 

What Is the Safe 5.0 Version? 

The Scaled Agile Framework version 5.0 is a set of workflow and organizational structures designed for using agile techniques at an enterprise scale. The model is a body of knowledge that gives structured advice on roles and duties, how to plan and manage the work, and what values to uphold. 

SAFe latest version helps many agile teams align, work together, and accomplish their goals. It is based on three main areas of knowledge: agile software development, lean product development, and systems thinking. 

Leading SAFe Version 5.0 

The Scaled Agile Framework is the business Agile method that is used most often around the world. Leading SAFe has become the standard for Lean-Agile businesses because it gives a valid, reliable, and consistent way to evaluate SAFe skills, knowledge, and attitude. SAFe Agilist (SA) certified professionals are known around the world for having the skills to help companies change into Lean-Agile enterprises.

The course Leading SAFe® 5.0 is made for people who want to learn skills and abilities that will keep them ahead of the competition and help them lead a business Agile transformation using the Scaled Agile Framework. Leading SAFe® Version 5.0 adds several important improvements and new features, such as: 

Lean Portfolio Management 

This feature helps organizations get their portfolio plan and their Agile development teams to work together. It helps make strategic investment choices, encourages innovation, and ensures the whole portfolio delivers value. 

Culture of Continuous Learning 

Version 5.0 stresses the importance of constantly building a culture of learning and improving. It encourages organizations to give their workers more power, inspire new ideas, and adopt a growth mindset to make lasting changes. 

Agile Product Delivery 

Leading SAFe® advises using Agile techniques to improve product development. It works on improving flow, delivering more value, and getting products to market more quickly. 

Organizational Agility 

This part of Leading SAFe® is about making the company more flexible and quicker to change. It focuses on decentralized decision-making, autonomy, and teamwork across functions to make everyone more agile.

What Has Changed from Previous Leading SAFe Versions? 

SAFe Agile latest version, 5.0, introduced significant changes and improvements compared to its previous leading 4.6 versions. Here are some key differences from previous leading SAFe versions: 

  • The Lean Portfolio Management competency was added to SAFe® 5.0. Its focus was on aligning strategy and funding for investments. SAFe 4.6 did not have this unique competency. 
  • SAFe 5.0 introduced the idea of Value Streams, which focus on delivering value from beginning to end. Value Streams were not given this much attention in SAFe 4.6. 
  • AFe® 5.0 stressed how important business agility is and advised on how to respond to changes in the market, change direction quickly, and come up with new ideas all the time.
  • The Agile Release Train (ART) was made even better in SAFe® 5.0, and Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, and DevOps practices were used to stress continuous delivery. The constant release wasn't as important in SAFe® 4.6 as it was before. 
  • SAFe Agile latest version, 5.0, aimed to improve business agility and lean thinking across the whole company, while SAFe® 4.6 focused on scaling Agile practices and Lean principles without putting as much stress on enterprise-wide agility.

What is SAFe® 4.5?

Scaled Agile, otherwise known as SAFe®, was initially released in 2011 by Dean Leffingwell as a knowledge base for enterprises to adopt Agile. Over the years, it has grown and evolved. SAFe® 4.5 was released on June 22, 2017, to accommodate improvements to the framework.

Following are some of the key improvements in SAFe® 4.5:

  • Essential SAFe® and Configurability
  • Innovation with Lean Startup and Lean UX
  • Scalable DevOps and Continuous Delivery
  • Implementation roadmap

Benefits of SAFe® 4.5 to companies

Organizations who adopt SAFe® 4.5 will be able to gain the following benefits:

1) Test ideas more quickly. SAFe® 4.5 has a built-in iterative development and testing. This lets teams get faster feedback to learn and adjust more quickly.

2) Deliver much faster. The changes to SAFe® 4.5 allow teams to move complex work through the pipeline and deliver value to the customer faster.

3) Simplify governance and improve portfolio performance. Guidance and support have been added at the Portfolio level to guide organizations in addressing Portfolio-level concerns in a scaled agile context.

SAFe® 4.5 - Key areas of Improvement

A. Essential SAFe® and Configurability
Four configurations of SAFe® that provide a more configurable and scalable approach:

  • Essential SAFe®: The most basic level that teams can use. It contains just the essentials that a team needs to get the benefits of SAFe®.
  • Portfolio SAFe®: For enterprises that implement multiple solutions that have portfolio responsibilities such as governance, strategy, and portfolio funding.
  • Large Solution: Complex solutions that involve multiple Agile Release Trains. These initiatives don’t require Portfolio concerns, but only include the Large Solution and Essential SAFe® elements.
  • SAFe® Full SAFe®: The most comprehensive level that can be applied to huge enterprise initiatives requiring hundreds of people to complete.

Because SAFe® is a framework, that provides the flexibility to choose the level of SAFe® that best fits your organization’s needs.
B. Innovation with Lean Startup and Lean UX

Rather than creating an entire project plan up-front, SAFe® teams focus on features. They create a hypothesis about what a new feature will deliver and then use an iterative approach to develop and test their hypothesis along the way.

As teams move forward through development, they perform this development and test approach repeatedly and adjust as needed, based on feedback.

Teams also work closely with end users to identify the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to focus on first. They identify what will be most valuable to the customer most immediately.

Then they rely on feedback and learning as they develop the solution incrementally. They adjust as needed to incorporate what they’ve learned into the features. This collaboration and fast feedback and adjustment cycle result in a more successful product.
C. Scalable DevOps & Continuous Delivery

The addition of a greater focus on DevOps allows teams to innovate faster. Like Agile, DevOps is a mindset. And like Agile, it allows teams to learn, adjust, and deliver value to users incrementally.

The continuous delivery pipeline allows teams to move value through the pipeline faster through continuous exploration, continuous integration, continuous deployment, and released on demand.

DevOps breaks down silos and supports Agile teams to work together more seamlessly. This results in more efficient delivery of value to the end users faster.

It’s a perfect complement to Scaled Agile.
D. Implementation Roadmap

SAFe® now offers a suggested roadmap to SAFe® adoption. While change can be challenging, the implementation roadmap provides guidance that can help with that organizational change.

Critical Role of the SAFe® Program Consultant

SAFe® Program Consultants, or SPCs, are critical change agents in the transition to Scaled Agile.
Because of the depth of knowledge required to gain SPC certification, they’re perfectly positioned to help the organization move through the challenges of change.
They can train and coach all levels of SAFe® participants, from team members to executive leaders. They can also train the Scrum Master, Product Owners, and Agile Release Train Engineers, which are critical roles in SAFe®.
The SPC can also train teams and help them launch their Agile Release Trains (ARTs).
And they can support teams on the path to continued improvement as they continue to learn and grow.
The SPC can also help identify value streams in the organization that may be ready to launch Agile Release Trains.
They can also help develop rollout plans for SAFe® in the enterprise.

Along with this, they can provide important communications that help the enterprise understand the drivers and value behind the SAFe® transition.

Become a project management expert with our PRINCE2 Foundation courses. Develop the skills to lead successful projects and reach your objectives.

How SAFe® 4.5 is backward compatible with SAFe® 4.0?

Even if your organization has already adopted SAFe® 4.0, SAFe® 4.5 has been developed in a way that can be easily adopted without disruption. Your organization can adopt the changes at the pace that works best.

Few Updates in the new courseware
The courseware for SAFe® 4.5 has incorporated changes to support the changes in SAFe® 4.5.
They include Implementing SAFe®, Leading SAFe®, and SAFe® for Teams.
Some of the changes you’ll see are as follows:

  • Two new lessons for Leading SAFe®
  • Student workbook
  • Trainer Guide
  • New look and feel
  • Updated LPM content
  • Smoother lesson flow
  • NEW Course Delivery Enablement (CDE)

Changes were made to improve alignment between SAFe® and Scrum:

  • Iteration Review: Increments previously known as Sprints now have reviews added. This allows more opportunities for teams to incorporate improvements. Additionally, a Team Demo has been added in each iteration review. This provides more opportunity for transparency, sharing, and feedback.
  • Development Team: The Development team was specifically identified at the team level in SAFe® 4.5. The development team is made up of three to nine people who can move an element of work from development through the test. This development team contains software developers, testers, and engineers, and does not include the Product Owner and Scrum Master. Each of those roles is shown separately at the team level in SAFe® 4.5.
  • Scrum events: The list of scrum events are shown next to the ScrumXP icon and include Plan, Execute, Review, and Retro (for a retrospective.)

Combined SAFe® Foundation Elements

SAFe® 4.0 had the foundational elements of Core Values, Lean-Agile Mindset, SAFe® Principles, and Implementing SAFe® at a basic level.

SAFe® 4.5 adds to the foundation elements by also including Lean-Agile Leaders, the Implementation Roadmap, and the support of the SPC in the successful implementation of SAFe®.

Additional changes include: 

  • Communities of Practice: This was moved to the spanning palette to show support at all levels: team, program, large solution, and portfolio.
  • Lean-Agile Leaders: This role is now included in the foundational level. Supportive leadership is critical to a successful SAFe® adoption.
  • SAFe® Program Consultant: This role was added to the Foundational Layer. The SPC can play a key leadership role in a successful transition to Scaled Agile.
  • Implementation Roadmap: The implementation roadmap replaces the basic implementation information in SAFe® 4.0. It provides more in-depth information on the elements to a successful enterprise transition to SAFe®.

Benefits of upgrading to SAFe® 4.5
With the addition of Lean Startup approaches, along with a deeper focus on DevOps and Continuous Delivery, teams will be situated to deliver quality and value to users more quickly.

With improvements at the Portfolio level, teams get more guidance on Portfolio governance and other portfolio levels concerns, such as budgeting and compliance.
Reasons to Upgrade to SAFe® 4.5 

  • Enterprises who’ve been using SAFe® 4.0 will find greater flexibility with the added levels in SAFe® 4.5. Smaller groups in the enterprise can use the team level, while groups working on more complex initiatives can create Agile Release Trains with many teams.
  • Your teams can innovate faster by using the Lean Startup Approach. Work with end users to identify the Minimum Viable Product (MVP), then iterate as you get fast feedback and adjust. This also makes your customer more of a partner in development, resulting in better collaboration and a better end product.

Get features and value to your user community faster with DevOps and the Continuous Delivery pipeline. Your teams can continuously hypothesize, build, measure, and learn to continuously release value. This also allows large organizations to innovate more quickly.

Most Recent Changes in SAFe® series - SAFe® 4.6

Because Scaled Agile continues to improve, new changes have been incorporated with SAFe® 4.6. with the addition of five core competencies that enable enterprises to respond to technology and market changes.

  • Lean Portfolio Management: The information needed for how to use a Lean-Agile approach to portfolio strategy, funding, and governance.
  • Business Solutions and Lean Systems: Optimizing activities to Implement large, complex initiatives using a Scaled Agile approach while still addressing the necessary activities such as designing, testing, deployment, and even retiring old solutions.
  • DevOps and Release on Demand: The skills needed to release value as needed through a continuous delivery pipeline.
  • Team and Technical Agility: The skills needed to establish successful teams who consistently deliver value and quality to meet customer needs.
  • Lean-Agile Leadership: How leadership enables a successful agile transformation by supporting empowered teams in implementing agile practices. Leaders carry out the Agile principles and practices and ensure teams have the support they need to succeed
  1. SAFe® Agilist (SA) Certification exam: The SAFe® Agilist certification is for the change leaders in an organization to learn about the SAFe® practices to support change at all levels: team, program, and portfolio levels. These change agents can play a positive role in an enterprise transition to SAFe®.
    In order to become certified as a SAFe® Agilist (SA), you must first take the Leading SAFe® class and pass the SAFe® certification exam. To learn more about this, see this article on How To Pass Leading SAFe® 4.5 Exam.
  2. SAFe® Certification Exam: KnowledgeHut provides Leading SAFe® training in multiple locations. Check the site for locations and dates.
  3. SAFe® Agile Certification Cost: Check KnowledgeHut’s scheduled training offerings to see the course cost. Each course includes the opportunity to sit for the exam included in the cost.
  4. Scaled Agile Framework Certification Cost: There are multiple levels of Scaled Agile Framework certification, including Scrum Master, Release Train Engineer, and Product Owner. Courses range in cost, but each includes the chance to sit for the corresponding SAFe® certification.
  5. SAFe® Classes: SAFe® classes are offered by various organizations. To see if KnowledgeHut is offering SAFe® Training near you, check the SAFe® training schedule on our website.

Training You Can Take 

KnowledgeHut provides multiple Scaled Agile courses to give both leaders and team members in your organization the information they need to for a successful transition to Scaled Agile. Check the site for the list of classes to find those that are right for your organization as you make the journey.
All course fees cover examination costs for certification.

  1. SAFe® 4.5 Scrum Master with SSM Certification Training

    Learn the core competencies of implementing Agile across the enterprise, along with how to lead high-performing teams to deliver successful solutions. You’ll also learn how to implement DevOps practices. Completion of this course will prepare you for obtaining your SAFe® 4 Scrum Master certificate.

  2. SAFe® 4 Advanced Scrum Master (SASM)

    This two-day course teaches you to how to apply Scrum at the enterprise level and prepares you to lead high-performing teams in a Scaled Agile environment. At course completion, you’ll be prepared to manage interactions not only on your team but also across teams and with stakeholders. You’ll also be prepared to take the SAFe® Advanced Scrum Master exam.

  3. Leading SAFe®4.5 Training Course (SA)

    This two-day Leading SAFe® class prepares you to become a Certified SAFe® 4 Agilist, ready to lead the agile transformation in your enterprise. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to take the SAFe® Agilist (SA) certification exam.
     

  4. SAFe® 4.5 for Teams (SP)

    This two-day course teaches Scrum fundamentals, principles, tools, and processes. You’ll learn about software engineering practices needed to scale agile and deliver quality solutions in a Scaled Agile environment. Teams new to Scaled Agile will find value in going through this course. Attending the class prepares you for the certification exam to become a certified SAFe® 4 Practitioner (SP).

  5.  DevOps Foundation Certification training

    This course teaches you the DevOps framework, along with the practices to prepare you to apply the principles in your work environment. Completion of this course will also prepare you to take the DevOps Foundation exam for certification.

Conclusion

Since its inception in 2011, SAFe has undergone progressive refinement and has released six major versions. These versions have addressed the challenges of scaling agile practices, such as longer planning horizons, abstract levels of responsibility, synchronizing deliverables, and allowing time for innovation and planning. The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) has evolved through several versions, each bringing new features and improvements to support the scaling of lean and agile practices in large organizations. SAFe® provides a big-picture view of workflow, but it has also faced criticism for being hierarchical and inflexible, while challenges in scaling agile include longer planning horizons and abstract levels of responsibility.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is leading SAFe the same as SAFe agilest?

​Leading SAFe is a training course that teaches people how to lead a SAFe application. SAFe Agilist is the certification you get when you finish Leading SAFe and pass the exam. To get the SAFe Agilist license, you must be able to lead SAFe. 

2. What are the three layers of safe?

​In SAFe, these three layers—Portfolio, Program, and Team—make up a hierarchical structure that shows how to spread Agile practices throughout a company. The layers allow the business to align, coordinate, and deliver value at different levels, from strategic planning to execution and implementation. 

3. What are the 5 C's in agile?

​In Agile methodologies, the 5 C's are activities or ceremonies often used in Agile development processes. These tasks help Agile teams work together, talk to each other, and build things quickly and well.  



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Organizations should first understand and build their best agile practices and culture around the fact that agility is ultimately a mindset shift from traditional ways of working. Business or organization agility involves creating that structure or framework, which helps and allows operations to flourish positively in the wake of adversities, change, or challenges. Organizations need to bring in that shift-left approach to ensure that agility is a harbinger of a multitude of benefits over merely making it an adjective and not yielding its real power. This is why the business needs agility in every space of its operations to be flexible, fast, and responsive to the new-age challenges. 20 Best Practices for Agile Teams Let's look at some general practices for efficient, agile project management before moving on to Agile best practices for implementing each. You can even get an Agile management certification to learn professional skills. Some of the best Agile practices used for creating an effective team include:  Some more Agile practices for an effective team include -  Build projects around motivated individuals Convey information face-to-face Form self-organizing teams Tasks Prioritization Reflect on how teams can become more effective Creating the sprint backlog during a planning meeting  Encouraging self-organizing teams  Maintain charts to monitor progress  Sprint retrospectives to learn from the previous sprint  Sprint reviews to present work  Release planning meeting to create a release plan  Cross training  Creating an ideal Agile workspace where the team enjoys working Setting a sustainable pace  Estimating the projected velocity Always having the customer available  Creating spike solutions to reduce risks  Work together with the client  Build projects around motivated people  Transmit information in person  1. Build projects around motivated individuals This is undoubtedly one of the most underrated best practices of agile methodology which involves maintaining the trust and belief to keep team members exhilarated to adapt, collaborate, communicate, and achieve greater heights as they progress ahead. Organizations need to foster a culture of growth and minimize distractions to keep team members engaged in the right direction along with ensuring no disruptions to either the team, the process, or the deliverables. Team members need to collaborate as well as get their think time or my time for thoughtful and focused development.  2. Convey information face-to-face To build trust and engage positively without any perceptions, there flourishes another important best practice of agile methodology which lays impetus on face-to-face and collaborative communication over traditional methods. Whether it involves having co-located teams in a common building or team members spread across geographies, having face-to-face communication channels opens up avenues to deeper insights, as well as helps build sustainable and persistently evolving agile teams. 3. Form self-organizing teams Agile scrum best practices involve creating deliverables or working around team members who focus, share responsibility, adapt, and can self-organize with minimal to no supervision. Agile propagates delegation of authority and responsibility to teams to ensure they are aware and make decisions to support overall goals beyond individual aspirations. These teams can quickly acclimate to the critical needs, and feedback or avoid pitfalls by thoughtful practices and addressing the "how" work gets done. 4. Tasks Prioritization It is one of the well-known daily scrum best practices that the product management function or the business can help teams mature on the path of agility by ensuring their bit of prioritization and detailing is done thoroughly. To support agile teams in their endeavor to thrive as a cross-functional, self-organizing, result-oriented, innovating, and problem-solving unit, the organization must lay down a framework that defines the "what" of work and keeps it detailed to form a healthy product and sprint backlog which meets the definition of ready by all means for the agile team to take up. Having a healthy product backlog is not only one of the important agile scrum best practices but also an important OKR on which an agile team is continuously assessed. 5. Reflect on how teams can become more effective Agile teams need to constantly reflect on their ways of working to ensure the right set of agile best practices for effective team functioning are being followed and also to weed out any frictions/processes that may be slowing down productivity. While teams focus on continuous delivery, they also need to reflect on celebrating wins and improvements that can bring in innovative approaches over mundane practices. There are various formats of a retrospective that agile teams can use to master this agile best practice, they all essentially address the 3 important questions:  What went well (What can teams continue doing)  What can be improved (What can teams stop doing)  Key Action Items (Takeaways/learnings to adopt changes)  6. Creating the sprint backlog during a planning meeting  The product owner presents high-priority features at these sessions, and the team answers questions and develops specific tasks for the sprint backlog.  7. Encouraging self-organizing teams  The ability to make decisions and adjust to shifting demands is a benefit of self-organizing teams. Team members offer their services instead of waiting for the team leader to assign work. This guarantees a stronger sense of dedication and ownership.  8. Maintain charts to monitor progress  Burndown charts can be kept up to date to monitor development. A burndown chart plots the amount of work remaining against the amount of time. When estimating when all of the work will be finished is quite helpful.  9. Sprint retrospectives to learn from the previous sprint  This meeting is held to review the most recent sprint and decide what could be altered to make the following sprint more fruitful.  10. Sprint reviews to present work  The team displays the product backlog items they finished during the sprint during this meeting. A PowerPoint presentation or a demonstration of fresh features could be used.  11. Release planning meeting to create a release plan  The primary goal of the release planning meeting is for the development team to estimate the number of ideal programming weeks needed to complete each user story. The customer then determines which tale has the highest priority for completion and is the most important.  12. Cross training  The project's progress may be slowed down if only one member of your team is capable of working in a particular area and that individual decides to quit or simply has too much to accomplish. Cross-training makes your team more adaptable and helps to avoid this problem.  13. Creating an ideal Agile workspace where the team enjoys working  The following elements should be present in the ideal agile workspace:  large, readable charts (a visual reminder of the current state of the project)  the opportunity to observe each team member (everyone should be visible in the team workspace)  massive whiteboards (at least one where developers may share problems and seek solutions)  a calm and intimate setting (for relaxing, working alone or private calls)  ​14. ​Setting a sustainable pace  A manageable pace assists the team in planning releases and iterations and prevents overtime.  15. Estimating the projected velocity  Project velocity's major goal is to assist teams in estimating how much work they can complete in a specific amount of time based on how quickly earlier iterations of the same task were finished.  16. Always having the customer available  The consumer must be accessible at all times. It is preferable to designate a customer or clients to the development team.  17. Creating spike solutions to reduce risks  A very basic software to investigate potential solutions is called a spike solution. It aids in finding solutions to challenging technical or design issues.  18. Work together with the client  When needs and wishes are met, expectations are met, and requirements are satisfied, the consumer is happy. Software engineers have devised several methods, short of mindreading, to ascertain what the customer wants and provide it. At one end of the funnel, teams often record user needs before delivering the product at the other end with little to no client engagement in between. An agile team keeps in close contact with the client to clarify expectations, work on fixes, and present possibilities that hadn't been thought of before.  19. Build projects around motivated people To push through a demanding development cycle and complete the work correctly, one needs motivation. Agile teams are committed to their job, laser-focused on the collective objective, and collegial. Agile teams create a fast-paced, predictable rhythm to their work when there is mutual trust and respect among the team members. It's challenging to create an environment where this can occur.  20. Transmit information in person Agile team members like in-person interactions, whether discussing a challenging issue with a coworker or reporting on the day's accomplishments during a daily meeting. Progress is slowed down or blocked by information lost in a busy email box or voice mail queue. The daily meeting is the only time the complete staff gets together to discuss any problems that can result in delays.  Agile Best Practices: Scrum Project Management Agile scrum is established as the most widely adopted and successful framework of the agile bandwagon bringing in best practices of agile into a lightweight framework for teams to fly-off with agility as they commence. Here are some top best practices adopted by scrum teams to reduce chaos: Effective Daily Standup - The daily stand-up of any scrum team is not merely a simple scrum ceremony but, it nourishes the scrum process of the team driving effective planning, transparency, inspection, and adaptation to the team, customer, and process sentiments. Apart from being an important part of the testing practices in agile, effective daily stand-ups steer the feedback loop from strategic planning to daily planning. Planning at all levels - A virtuous planning exercise involves team involvement at all levels of planning right from understanding the product vision to reviewing the roadmap, participation in release and iteration planning, and contribution to the daily stand-up by all team members. This encourages team members to be accountable for their activities while also allowing the core principles of the team to define the "how to" of getting things done. Besides these, key practices of agile of realtime projects include: Having at least 2-3 sprints of a healthy and prioritized product backlog for the team which meets the Definition of Ready metric  Maintaining progress on visual indicators for the team to be aware and constantly course-correct.  Establishing clear communication guidelines, team agreements, and templates that allow the team to focus on innovative work over operational tasks  Regular maturity assessments and checks to understand the progress of agile processes.  Agile Best Practices: Kanban Project Management Kanban project management is a framework within the agile methodologies umbrella that is focused on visualizing the workflow i.e. to discern how work items 'flow' from business to the teams, after which to embrace the agile best practices checklist to limit work in progress, reduce turnaround time and enable continuous execution. Much like scrum, kanban is a framework or a set of tools focused on laying down the principles of agility and maturing them over time. Here are some best practices of agile that Kanban teams can apply to maximize their throughput: Visualize and Manage Workflow - It is important for teams working in the Kanban framework to understand project intricacies, stakeholders, operational needs, and business exigencies to visualize work, workflow, and impending risks/challenges and position items, team members, and deliveries accordingly. Limit Work-in-Progress (WiP) - Team members working in agile teams need to inculcate the mindset shift to be self-organizing and sustaining but with this also comes an important attribute of finishing items that have been started. A visible behavior over time that agile teams can showcase is to start everything but not be able to finish anything which maximizes the amount of WiP items without their actual delivery. This is where the best agile practices and OKR metrics such as lead time and cycle time help teams keep a tab of how much work enters the system and values output over work in progress.  Process transparency and collaborative evolution - All processes, policies, and procedures of the team must be explicitly made visible to all team members who share the onus of upholding them and evolving experimentally. Team members need to respect the WiP limits, and process guidelines to ensure they plan, do, check, and act on observations to ensure tranquil delivery and symmetrical alignment of the team, work, and achievements. Agile Best Practices Associated with Extreme Programming (XP)  Extreme programming (XP) is a popular and structured agile project management framework that envisions simplicity and smaller iterations of development. Here are some crucial practices of agile recommended for this framework: Pair programming - Pair programming is almost synonymous with extreme programming as it is one of the core practices on which the framework is established. Pair programming involves two or more engineers working side-by-side to design and code together to achieve optimistic programming methods and built-in quality. Devops - Devops which helps organizations establish continuous integration processes has its origins in XP, as it spearheads delivery by shortening cycles and focusing on faster and coordinated deliveries between development and operations. Coding standards - To achieve the definition of done after validating individual story level acceptance criteria, and reduce hiccups in the CICD cycles, development team members need to establish stringent coding and quality standards that stand out as the guiding best practice of the framework.  Agile Best Practices for Global Teams  Every organization squabbles to scale their agile practices from the team level to the organization level by ratification of practices of agile such as: Embracement of agile for all business and enablement functions of the organization Taking up enterprise-level scaled agile practices/principles to ensure synchronous planning and delivery mechanisms. Effectively engaging team members by having breakout sessions, and team-building activities apart from the agile ceremonies to keep the team bonded. Supporting teams through initiatives such as automation, DevOps integrations, big-room planning, etc to usher constant progress. I am sure you by now have a vivid overview of how each framework of the agile project management canopy has its own best practices in helping teams ace a perfected governance framework and processes. A lot of organizations that use hybrid frameworks may tailor processes and take benefit of overlapping practices which culminate to bring in the best of both into their processes, policies, and procedures. Lean Development Model Implementing lean manufacturing principles into project management procedures is the core of lean project management. These guidelines generally concentrate on getting rid of the trash or anything else that doesn't offer value to the work. Identifying values, cutting waste, and continual improvement are a few strategies for implementing lean project management success.  Extreme Programming (XP) Using the extreme programming framework of agile project management, developers may produce software of greater quality while also working more productively and figuring out the best approach to work together on code. Important XP-related Agile best practices include -  Planning game: Every team member should come together and participate in the planning game.  Test-driven Development: Before writing the final code, continuous tests are executed to validate each line of code's functionality.  Simple Design: Software with a simple design is easier to build and requires less work to fix issues.  Small Releases: This idea emphasizes small releases throughout product development, operating on an iteration-like premise.  Become a project management expert with our PMP preparation course. Start your journey to success now! Take a deep dive into the trending  Agile Category Courses  CSM Certification CSPO Certification Leading SAFe Certification PSM Certification SAFe Scrum Master Certification SAFe SPC Certification SAFe RTE Certification SAFe POPM Certification ICP-ACC Certification Key Benefits of Using Agile Agile encapsulates the achievement of strategic objectives and corresponding team-level goals in shorter cycles and iterations of activities which include changes and evaluation of how the outcome is going to shape out. This cycle helps teams deliver to customer needs and more importantly shorter time to market which is one of the critical metrics of organization assessment in today's volatile environment. Apart from this embarking on the journey towards agile offers several benefits such as: Flexibility - Agile teams face better flexibility in terms of ways of working, change management, and domain/technology adoptions due to their abilities to switch contexts, cross-functional skills, self-organizing abilities, and collaborative functioning. Built-in Quality - In an agile way of working, quality becomes everyone's responsibility as well as a key OKR for the team to progress smoothly from one iteration to the other without causing too many process hiccups. Also, defects found either by the QA or UAT team members or by the business tend to get fixed in a short time considering iterative development. Customer Satisfaction - Agile involves close customer involvement in building products based on continuous and immediate feedback loops. This results in positive customer engagement, higher net promoter score, and appeased customers driving sales, revenues, and reputation. Final Thoughts Many sectors that focus on developing products or services through a continuous cycle of incremental adjustments are widely utilizing the agile methodology. Many firms have found success in implementing Agile. However, this success depends on how effectively the best practices in Agile are being executed. As you can see, there is a wide variety of options to pick from when it comes to these Agile best practices. Understanding your team's and business's needs and then meeting those needs effectively are the keys to implementing a "best" practice.    The best way to scale Agile is for businesses to use it regardless of how big or complicated the project is. Small teams, short iterations, quick customer feedback, value-based business priorities, and including users in requirement refinement are all examples of effective approaches.   Agile methodologies are durable because of the underlying ideals and tenets that shape how people collaborate. Agile teams that prioritize cooperation, everyday engagement, individual motivation, face-to-face communication, self-organization, and continuous improvement will be more likely to succeed when they come together in businesses of all sizes.  The KnowledgeHut’s Agile Management certification is one of the best certifications you can get online.
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by Lindy Quick

14 May'17
Agile Coach vs Scrum Master: The Difference Stated

11.3K+

Agile Coach vs Scrum Master: The Difference Stated

Agile methodology is a simple, flexible, and iterative product development model with the distinct advantages of accommodating new requirement changes and incorporating the feedback of the previous iterations over the traditional waterfall development model. In comparing Agile Coach vs Scrum Master, it's important to recognize that both play pivotal roles in project management within Agile environments Agile methodology is the new mantra for new-age product development or project management. Agile welcomes change and can incorporate the dynamics of the ever-changing world in the product development lifecycle. Scrum is an agile framework that is widely used by teams and organizations across the software development world.Go for certified Scrum Master training and get experiential learning with case studies. Now, let us deep dive to understand the differences between scrum master and agile coach.Scrum Master vs Agile Coach: Table of DifferencesThe distinction between a scrum master and an agile coach is frequently raised when organizations wish to transition from their old waterfall software development culture to the Agile approach. A Scrum master with enhanced training and a higher level of competence and experience are what an agile coach is. The primary distinction between a Scrum master and an agile coach is that a Scrum master coaches a team, whereas an agile coach coaches an entire enterprise. As we all know, transition is the most challenging component of any development process. During this critical stage, firms must look into the Agile coach vs Scrum master:Parameters Scrum Master Agile Coach 1. Focus Areas Scrum master focuses on a single team and assists the team with daily workflow.   Focuses on all organizational teams and developing an overall system for teams and leadership. 2. Roles and Responsibilities A Scrum master ensures that everything flows smoothly in the scrum and solves the problems that a team finds hard to solve. An agile coach works with all teams and stakeholders and defines the workflow framework. 3. Specialization Area A Scrum master must adequately understand the Scrum framework. An Agile coach is familiar with various Agile approaches, such as Scrum, Kanban, Scaling Methods, and others. 4. Duration Long-term Short-term 5. Training Responsibilities The Scrum master teaches agile principles and ideals to his team. Coaches the leadership team on agile principles and processes, such as scrum masters, product owners, and executives. 6. Salary $104,205 per year.$134,438 per year.Agile Coach vs Scrum Master ComparisonLet us discuss the agile coach and scrum master differences parameters in detail: Agile Coach vs Scrum Master: Focus Area An agile coach typically focuses on organizational vision or is responsible for equipping a team with external expertise and experience. Agile coaches are concerned with the entire organization. There are three main focus areas of the Agile coach: Team: An agile coach focuses on team alignment around a shared goal and establishes a healthy team environment to make decisions collectively. Product: An agile coach assists teams and organizations in discovering the advantages of customer-centricity, design thinking, and discovery. Leadership: An agile coach enhances leadership skills by establishing commitments, creating an accountable culture, and facilitating behavioral change. A scrum master, on the other hand, concentrates on a single team, influencing and interacting with each team member to help them grow and prosper in the results. There are two main focus areas of the Scrum master: 1. Coaching: Three views can be used to characterize the Scrum Master as a coach: the individual, the team, and the organization. Individual Coaching: Explain the desired mindset and behavior to individuals, assist them in seeing new views and possibilities, and persuade individual team members to implement scrum effectively.  Team Coaching: Create a learning culture, encourage continual development, and help the team solve problems and resolve conflicts. A scrum master changes the attitudes, mindsets, and behaviors impeding the team's ability to conduct scrum well. 2. Organization: A scrum master assists the organization in achieving extraordinary achievements by providing high-quality, valued products; and coaches the entire organization in product management with an emphasis on adding business value constantly: support and foster collaboration and cooperation with Scrum teams. Agile Coach vs Scrum Master: Roles and ResponsibilitiesAn agile coach's role is to help teams become more effective, transparent, and cohesive and provide consumers with better outcomes, solutions, and products/services.  Responsibilities of an Agile Coach Train teams to use agile working methods. Create governance regulations that support agile-based activities. Determine the appropriate metrics to guarantee a consistent measurement. Allowing for changes in working methods Use systems thinking to solve challenges. Evaluation and recommendations Frameworks for Agile Senior management training in agile methods Advocating for enterprise-wide structural and procedural reforms Create enterprise policies to back up agile approaches. Change opposition must be neutralized. Mentoring for Business Models A Scrum master serves as both a facilitator and a coach, assisting the Scrum team and the more significant business in understanding and applying Scrum theory and practice. NetmindResponsibilities of Scrum Master Conducting and coordinating Scrum Events as needed or asked. Assists the team in understanding the need for short and unambiguous Product Backlog items. To help developers create high-value products. Coach developers on self-organization and cross-functionality. To remove barriers to the Developers' progress Scrum Events will be facilitated as needed or requested. To coach developers in organizations where scrum is not fully understood or implemented. AtlassianTop Cities where Knowledgehut Conduct CSM Certification Training Course OnlineCSM Certification in BangaloreCSM Certification in SydneyCSM Certification in ChennaiCSM Certification in New YorkCSM Certification in LondonCSM Certification in ChicagoCSM Certification in SingaporeCSM Certification in Pune CSM Certification in WashingtonCSM Certification in TorontoCSM Certification in DubaiCSM Certification in Los AngelesCSM Certification in HyderabadCSM Certification in MelbourneCSM Certification in AtlantaAgile Coach vs Scrum Master: Knowledge AreaAn agile coach has a broad scope and is not limited to scrum, which is why they have more excellent knowledge, expertise, and influence. A scrum master is also an agile coach specializing solely in scrum. A scrum master needs to understand the scrum framework. In contrast, an agile coach must be familiar with many agile approaches, such as Scrum, Kanban, and scaling. Agile Coach vs Scrum Master: DurationThe Scrum master works with the Scrum team during each sprint and remains with it throughout its life. When compared to the duration of a scrum master. An agile coach remains with the organization until the goal is met and then leaves. Agile Coach vs Scrum Master: Training Responsibilities The Scrum Master coaches or trains scrum teams and mentor organizational workers to learn how they work and who they can help. The scrum master must ensure that the team can handle all obstacles independently. Undoubtedly, the scrum master position is always present to assist in resolving the issue by accepting full accountability and ownership. Agile coaches train the team and provide theoretical and practical instruction to the client and their personnel on important themes, like agility, the application of Kanban, etc. Agile Coach vs Scrum Master: SalaryAn agile coach earns an average of $134,438 per year, whereas a scrum master earns an average of $104,205 per year. Both salaries can vary depending on the job's location, the organization's size, and the professional's level of expertise. Become a project management expert with our PMP certification online classes. Boost your career and confidently lead successful projects.How are Agile Coach and Scrum Master Similar?Apart from the difference between an Agile coach and Scrum master, Scrum masters and agile coaches share numerous similar duties, given below: They are both scrum and business agility experts. They both coach and mentor teams and companies to improve performance and create value. They both ask probing, thought-provoking questions and aim to teach others how to do things better for themselves. Both are agile advocates who set an excellent example for everyone in the workplace. Both contribute to high-performing teams. As the team gains proficiency in the fundamentals, both focus on removing increasingly challenging organizational constraints.  They are both servant leaders. What Should you Choose Between Agile Master vs Scrum Master?The roles of Scrum master and Agile coach may appear similar, yet they are pretty different and valuable to the firm, making scrum master vs. agile coach a hotly debated topic. It is not possible to substitute one for another. The difference between Scrum master and Agile coach lies in their scope of responsibilities and influence on the team and organization, especially in the context of project management. Organizations must recognize that these jobs cannot be filled by someone who lacks the necessary competence and that these are two distinct responsibilities that cannot be replaced by each other. An Agile coach and Scrum master have distinct tasks, and foci, and it is advantageous for these two to collaborate for organizational progress. Suppose you want to succeed in your business and have sustainable organizational agility. In that case, you must contact the best agile software development firm to deliver the desired outcomes.Engage with the top trending Agile Category CoursesCSM CertificationCSPO CertificationLeading SAFe CertificationPSM CertificationSAFe Scrum Master CertificationSAFe SPC CertificationSAFe RTE CertificationSAFe POPM CertificationICP-ACC CertificationTransformation of a Scrum Master into an Agile CoachThe transition of an individual from the role of the scrum master to the role of an agile coach is a gradual process. The experience of working as a scrum master is invaluable. It is a pre-requisite for someone to become an Agile coach, apart from other requirements like maturing and mastering the role of scrum master, undergoing necessary training or certifications in SAFe Agile such as SPCT [SAFe Program Consultant Trainer], on successful completion of which the professionals will be allowed to train SPCs [SAFe Program Consultants]. Apart from these, exhibiting leadership and training faculty qualities such as excellent communication, interpersonal skills, patience, and other soft skills are of paramount importance at the individual level for aspiring candidates who would like to transition from the role of Scrum Master of a team to the role of Agile coach who would play the role of trainer, mentor and role model of agile values across all teams of the organization. On a timeline front, a decade of professional experience and at least 5 years of experience as the scrum master is desired by organizations to allow the smooth transition of an individual from the role of the scrum master to being an agile coach.ConclusionIn conclusion, Scrum master is a role specific to a scrum team tasked with eliminating obstructions and bottlenecks to help the scrum team perform as a collective high functioning unit in accordance with agile process, principles, and agile values. Whereas an Agile coach performs an independent role of a subject matter expert (SME) for all agile frameworks, principles, and values and is tasked with training product owners, scrum masters and leadership teams in agile principles and values. An agile coach is expected to lead by example and be a role model for agile values of transparency and openness in the organization. Understanding Agile Coach vs Scrum Master helps organizations and businesses determine which guidance and leadership style suits their teams for improving agile processes and expanding. If you are on your road to becoming Scrum Master, check out KnowledgeHut best Agile certification. 
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by Lindy Quick

19 Aug'19
Is CSPO Worth it? Career Benefits of CSPO Certification

9.52K+

Is CSPO Worth it? Career Benefits of CSPO Certification

In the current cut-thrust business environment, many people are looking for ways to boost their careers. The Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification has recently increased in popularity. Is CSPO worth it? Absolutely, as it is a highly sought-after certification for product owners and those who are responsible for leading the development of quality software products.Becoming certified provides invaluable knowledge and experience to professionals seeking a niche in an ever-evolving industry. Here we will explore how a CSPO certification can significantly add to your career. Also, going for CSPO certification training will help you excelling in addressing challenges through Scrum as an effective product owner. Scrum AllianceIs Obtaining a CSPO certification a Valuable Investment?  Any certification adds to improving the skill set of the individual and gives them a competitive edge, expands their knowledge and skills, professional credibility, and higher earning potential. Similarly, is CSPO worth it, certification benefits: Is valid across multiple domains and industries beyond IT Provides credibility to the individual abilities to manage the backlog, team, and overall product goals Helps ace larger roles in a scaled agile with proven knowledge of product backlog management and prioritization Pushes the individuals to work closely with agile practitioners and scrum masters in optimizing the agile setup and constantly looking for improvements Helps you get recognized as the professional manager of the product backlog. Prioritize and change items on the product backlog. Makes you learn from the scratch. Gets you jobs in reputed companies. Provides approaches to handling customers. Helps you understand the team. Aids you in networking with professionals Enhances the knowledge base, career opportunities and earning potential of the individuals The CSPO® certification does not have any prerequisite as it looks to build the knowledge of agile/scrum from the scratch. This helps individuals open a new career path while also learning and specializing in the agile space. This is beyond any doubt, one of the most important and untold benefits and a steppingstone for individuals who are interested in starting their careers as product owners. With this CSPO certification, you can lead the team much more confidently. You will also be able to learn new things about this, which will motivate and boost the entire team to operate smoothly. KnowledgeHut A-CSPO training will help you focus on maximizing business value and product backlog optimization.Benefits of CSPO CertificationBelow are the top advantages and CSPO certification benefits: 1. Wider Spectrum of Career OpportunitiesThe CSPO certification validates that the candidate is a qualified Scrum Product Owner with extensive knowledge of Product Owner roles and duties. The CSPO certification stands out in resumes and catches the eye of respected firm recruiters. It boosts the candidates' chances of being hired by reputable companies.With this CSPO certification, you can lead a team much more confidently. You will also be able to learn new things about this, which will motivate and boost the entire team to operate smoothly. Knowing everything, there is to know about CSPO will help you in any way if you want to work in the industry.2. Demonstrating and Applying Core ScrumThe certification includes a thorough study of Scrum methodology and proper Scrum training. It leads to developing a fundamental understanding of Scrum and how to cope with daily challenges. A CSPO, whose primary responsibility is business optimization, has a solid understanding of Agile methodology and can demonstrate how they set up tasks and use them to the firm's benefit.It implies that you will gain from understanding all the scrum concepts from the ground up. If you skipped or did not wish to become CSM certified, don't worry because CSPO will discuss the agile manifesto and its impact on the scrum framework. You will also learn about the Scrum cycles and roles. This training will give you a thorough grasp of the scope of a PO.3. InterfaceProduct Owners with CSPO certification can be liaisons between clients and developers. They will be able to communicate client needs to developers to prioritize work in the product backlog. They solicit consumer feedback regularly to guarantee that the developers create a product that satisfies the customers' expectations. It allows for innovation and the development of products with business value.4. Product BacklogThe candidate will develop the Product Backlog as a Certified Scrum Product Owner. A Product Backlog is similar to a to-do list for a developer. For a Developer to perform effectively, the Product Backlog must be well-defined so that each feature is clearly understood. As the Product Owner does not frequently communicate with the Scrum Master, a clear Product Backlog must be a top priority for any effective Sprint Planning and product development.Chisel LabsCSPO training course provides applicants with a real-world example of defining product backlogs and helps them learn how it is done. As a result, candidates learn the fundamentals of the product owner's tasks and responsibilities and are prepared to become professional Product Owners. 5. Prioritizing BacklogsIdentifying the product backlog items is essential to product development and critical to the product's success. Product owner's role is to prioritize the Product Backlog items required for the next Sprint. The CSPO certification course consists of several systematic ways that teach the candidate how to prioritize Product Backlog items. Prioritizing your product backlog items would boost business and product values. Still, it would also increase the product owner's respect and reputation as they are praised for their prioritization decisions. CSPO training provides scenario-based content to applicants to help them understand how to manage the product backlog. They are taught how to convert themes and epics into user stories. They also learn how to connect with the client and the developer to explain the Product Backlog priority.6. Ease with Agile Practitioners  Nowadays, all businesses utilize Agile techniques for software development and testing. Agile has made things considerably easier and much faster than they were previously. Agile practitioners, in general, have a different perspective than others. You will appreciate the usefulness of CSPO certification in this process since you can communicate with the practitioners.CSPO certification candidates are trained from the ground up in the Agile approach, making them masters after completing the certification training. It, in turn, makes it easier for them to operate and adopt an Agile product owner certification.7. One for the Team CSPO-certified members are educated to work with groups to complete tasks more efficiently and quickly. The CSPOs frequently force the firm to collaborate to generate goods that meet the client's needs. CSPO is in charge of the business side, but their grasp of the team is also critical to the successful and timely delivery of work.They cannot impose backlogs on developers, and understanding the team and their capabilities is essential. The CSPO assists the team in points in the right direction. CSPO certification will help every Product Owner drive their team and meet the needs of their customers.8. Planning to OptimizeA CSPO-certified professional is responsible for the overall planning and scheduling of the team's work. They are trained to optimize the product through effective time management tasking, allowing each team member to offer the greatest outcomes and keeping them on their toes at all times to maximize production.9. Enhancing Earning PotentialAfter becoming certified, CSPOs have a greater ability to optimize a company's growth. They are valued employees who ensure that the developers' overall operations run smoothly and without major hiccups, increasing their earning potential. They are typically compensated more and can boost their earning potential with more experience. For example, a certified scrum product owner's salary in India with 1 to 4 years of experience will be 9% higher than those without certification. Similarly, throughout the experience, you can see the benefit of getting qualified. Certified Scrum Product Owner SalariesThe salary of a certified Scrum Product Owner varies from country to country. Collated below are the average salaries for three important countries:The average Scrum Product Owner salary in India is 18 Lakhs per year.The average salary of the Scrum Product Owner in the US is $ 100,831 per year.Note: This data is based on the salary report by Glassdoor and Payscale.Top Companies Hiring Certified Scrum Product OwnersFurther understanding our initial question - is CSPO® worth it, certification benefits, let us see some top companies that hire certified professionals in this space:Company Name Average Pay p.a.* Google $2L - $4L AirBnB $2L - $4L Meta $2L - $3L LinkedIn $2L - $3L Google Cloud $2L - $3L  Twitch $2L - $3L  YouTube $2L - $3L  TikTok $2L - $3L  Apple $2L - $3L  Asana $2L - $3L  Source = Glassdoor for all the above pay packages Top Cities where Knowledgehut Conduct CSPO Certification Training Course OnlineCSPO Certification in BangaloreCSPO Certification in SydneyCSPO Certification in ChennaiCSPO Certification in New YorkCSPO Certification in LondonCSPO Certification in ChicagoCSPO Certification in SingaporeCSPO Certification in Pune CSPO Certification in BerlinCSPO Certification in TorontoCSPO Certification in DubaiCSPO Certification in Los AngelesCSPO Certification in HyderabadCSPO Certification in VancouverCSPO Certification in DelhiDesigned to help you achieve mastery with ease, our course provides a comprehensive project management course overview, making it the key to enhancing your skills and succeeding in your career. Enroll now and start your journey to success!Conclusion The CSPO® certification lays the foundation for a bright and prosperous future in agile product management by starting from scratch and giving certified professionals the competitive advantage and universal acceptance of this powerful credential. While the question, is CSPO certification worth it, certification benefits is largely answered with relevant data in the above few sections, this certification opens up the avenue for the professional to become the face of the product and take up one designation of the product owner, but multiple roles and responsibilities of the sponsor, customer, product manager, and agile practitioner. Beyond this, it also teaches the individual the art of maximizing the value delivered by the team which is most crucial in any agile setup.  
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by Lindy Quick

04 Jan'19