SAFe Agile Delivery for Digital Transformation Training Course
| Course code | SD-DT-017 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5 days |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Category | Digital Transformation |
| Delivery | Classroom or live online |
| Language | English |
| Certificate | Certificate of completion |
Course overview
Digital transformation programmes often stall when strategic ambitions are translated into disconnected technology projects, overloaded delivery teams and reporting that measures activity rather than customer or business outcomes. Professionals responsible for digital products, data platforms, cloud modernisation and enterprise applications need a repeatable way to align investment, architecture, delivery teams and operational change. This course addresses that gap using the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) to organise large-scale digital delivery around value streams, measurable objectives and regular planning cadences.
Participants learn how to apply SAFe principles to transformation portfolios rather than treating Agile as a team-level delivery practice. The course covers Lean Portfolio Management, Agile Release Trains (ARTs), value stream identification, PI Planning, backlog hierarchy, OKRs, capacity allocation, architectural runway, DevSecOps and Inspect & Adapt. Participants practise connecting strategic themes and portfolio epics to features, stories, program increments and measurable business outcomes. They also learn how to manage dependencies, governance controls, funding decisions and stakeholder communications without reverting to stage-gate delivery.
Teaching combines instructor-led explanation with a running digital transformation case involving legacy-system replacement, cloud migration, customer-facing product development and data-platform change. Teams create a SAFe transformation delivery blueprint, including a value-stream map, ART operating model, portfolio Kanban, PI objectives, dependency board, metrics set and 90-day implementation plan. Participants receive a certificate of completion and leave with reusable templates and decision frameworks for applying SAFe in their own organisation.
The course is designed for experienced delivery, product, technology, transformation and portfolio professionals who must coordinate work across multiple teams, suppliers and business functions. It is equally relevant to managers approving transformation investment who need clearer governance, forecasting and evidence of value delivery.
Course objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Map operational and development value streams to identify where SAFe Agile Release Trains should be formed
- Design an Agile Release Train operating model with defined roles, team topology, cadences and governance interfaces
- Translate digital transformation strategy into strategic themes, portfolio epics, capabilities, features and user stories
- Facilitate a Program Increment planning process using capacity plans, PI objectives, dependency boards and risk management
- Apply Lean Portfolio Management practices to prioritise investments through portfolio Kanban and economic decision-making
- Create OKRs and flow metrics that connect transformation delivery activity to measurable business outcomes
- Plan architectural runway and DevSecOps capabilities for cloud, data and legacy-modernisation initiatives
- Produce a 90-day SAFe implementation roadmap for a digital transformation value stream
Benefits of attending
For you
- Gain a practical framework for leading multi-team transformation work beyond team-level Scrum ceremonies
- Build credibility in portfolio and executive discussions by linking PI objectives, OKRs and investment decisions
- Develop facilitation methods for PI Planning, dependency resolution and Inspect & Adapt workshops
- Learn to position technical enablers, architectural runway and DevSecOps work as visible transformation investments
- Leave with a portfolio-to-delivery blueprint that can support a SAFe transformation leadership role
For your organisation
- Creates a common cadence for business, product, technology and operations teams working on shared transformation outcomes
- Improves investment decisions by connecting portfolio epics and capacity allocation to measurable strategic themes
- Reduces cross-team delivery delays through structured dependency mapping, PI objectives and escalation routes
- Strengthens governance without adding stage-gate overhead by using portfolio Kanban, outcome metrics and Inspect & Adapt
- Makes cloud, data, security and architecture work visible within transformation plans rather than treating it as unplanned technical effort
Target competencies
Who should attend
- Digital Transformation Managers — who must coordinate technology, process and operating-model change across business units
- Release Train Engineers — who need to establish PI Planning, ART ceremonies and cross-team dependency management
- Product Managers — who must translate strategic digital priorities into capabilities, features and measurable outcomes
- Programme Managers — who need an alternative to traditional workstream governance for multi-team digital delivery
- Enterprise Architects — who must align architectural runway, platform decisions and technical enablers with delivery plans
- Portfolio and PMO Leaders — who need evidence-based prioritisation, investment governance and transformation reporting
Requirements and prerequisites
Participants should have practical experience working on technology, digital product, data, cloud or business-change initiatives and understand the basic Agile concepts of backlogs, iterations, Scrum roles and cross-functional teams. Familiarity with portfolio reporting, project governance or product roadmaps is useful because exercises involve prioritisation and investment decisions. Participants should be comfortable reading simple delivery metrics and discussing dependencies across teams. Prior SAFe certification, Release Train Engineer experience, coding ability and formal enterprise architecture qualifications are not required. A laptop with access to a browser and spreadsheet software is recommended for workshop activities.
Training methodology
The five days use short instructor-led modules followed by applied workshops built around a realistic enterprise digital transformation case. Participants work in delivery groups to identify value streams, configure an ART, prioritise a portfolio, prepare PI Planning inputs and resolve dependencies across product, data, cloud and operational teams. Facilitated critiques test assumptions against SAFe principles, Lean economics and governance needs. Each participant then adapts the case outputs to an active or planned initiative, producing an end-of-course 90-day implementation plan for discussion with their manager.
Course outline
Day 1: SAFe foundations for digital transformation
- SAFe Lean-Agile mindset and the ten SAFe principles
- Digital transformation as a portfolio of value-stream outcomes
- Operational value streams and development value streams
- Customer centricity and design thinking in enterprise change
- Agile teams, teams of Agile teams and Agile Release Trains
- The SAFe implementation roadmap and transformation sequencing
- Measuring outcomes through OKRs, flow metrics and customer measures
Workshop: Participants map a selected digital transformation scenario into operational and development value streams and identify candidate Agile Release Trains.
Day 2: Lean Portfolio Management and investment flow
- Strategic themes, enterprise strategy and portfolio alignment
- Portfolio epics, Lean business cases and hypothesis statements
- Portfolio Kanban states and epic approval workflow
- Weighted Shortest Job First prioritisation and cost of delay
- Participatory budgeting and capacity allocation guardrails
- Portfolio vision, roadmap and portfolio backlog construction
- Governance, compliance and financial reporting in Lean portfolios
Workshop: Teams build a portfolio Kanban and prioritised transformation epic backlog using WSJF, capacity constraints and strategic themes.
Day 3: ART design and Program Increment planning
- Agile Release Train roles including RTE, Product Management and System Architect
- ART team topology for product, platform, data and shared services teams
- Program Increment cadence, innovation and planning iterations
- Feature decomposition into stories and acceptance criteria
- PI Planning agenda, business context and team breakouts
- PI objectives, business value assignment and confidence voting
- Dependency boards, ROAM risks and program board visualisation
Workshop: Participants run a simulated PI Planning workshop and produce team PI objectives, a program board, dependency commitments and ROAMed risks.
Day 4: Technical delivery, DevSecOps and governance
- Architectural runway and enabler epics for modernisation
- Intentional architecture and decentralised technical decision-making
- DevSecOps pipeline stages from continuous exploration to release on demand
- Built-in quality, automated testing and security controls
- Data platform dependencies, governance and product ownership
- Flow metrics including flow time, load, efficiency and distribution
- Inspect and Adapt events, problem-solving workshops and improvement backlogs
Workshop: Teams design an architectural runway and DevSecOps improvement backlog for a legacy-to-cloud transformation release train.
Day 5: Applying SAFe to the transformation roadmap
- Assessing organisational readiness for SAFe adoption
- Stakeholder mapping for executives, business owners and delivery leaders
- Change management actions for new roles, cadences and decision rights
- Transformation metrics dashboard design and review cadence
- Supplier and partner integration within an Agile Release Train
- Common SAFe anti-patterns in enterprise transformation programmes
- Ninety-day implementation roadmap and leadership communication plan
Workshop: Participants complete and present a 90-day SAFe digital transformation implementation plan with milestones, owners, measures, risks and executive decisions required.
Tools & standards covered
SAFe 6.0, Jira Align, Jira Software, Azure DevOps
A typical training day
| 08:30 – 10:30 | First session |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | Refreshment break |
| 10:45 – 12:30 | Second session |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch and networking |
| 13:30 – 15:00 | Third session |
| 15:00 – 15:15 | Refreshment break |
| 15:15 – 16:30 | Workshop and daily review |
Live online deliveries follow the same structure in the East Africa Time zone, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.
What the fee includes
- Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
- Full course workbook and materials
- Exercise files, templates and case studies
- Certificate of completion
- Refreshments and lunch (classroom deliveries)
- Post-course application plan
- Facilitator follow-up on request
- Group rates from five participants
How you can take this course
Classroom
Scheduled sessions in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kigali, Dar es Salaam, Dubai and Cape Town.
Live online
The same facilitator and materials, delivered live for distributed teams and individuals.
In-house
Delivered privately for your team, at your offices or a venue of your choice, tailored to your context. Request a proposal.
Certification
Participants who complete the full five days receive the Skillset Development Certificate of Completion, stating the course title, course code, dates and delivery format — suitable for professional-development records and employer reimbursement.
Frequently asked questions
Upcoming sessions
New dates are being scheduled. Ask us about the next session or an in-house delivery for your team.
Ask about datesGroup of 5+?
Request in-house delivery or group rates →Related courses in Digital Transformation
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