If the value stream has evidence that this cost will be exceeded during epic implementation, further work on the epic should be stopped. Once approved, the MVP cost is considered a hard limit, and the value stream will not spend more than this cost in building and evaluating the MVP. It should include an amount sufficient to prove or disprove the MVP hypothesis. The MVP cost estimate is created by the epic owner in collaboration with other key stakeholders. The forecasted implementation cost factors into ROI analysis, help determine if the business case is sound, and helps the LPM team prepare for potential adjustments to value stream budgets.The MVP cost ensures the portfolio is budgeting enough money to prove/disprove the Epic hypothesis and helps ensure that LPM is making investments in innovation in accordance with lean budget guardrails.This requires a meaningful estimate of the cost of the MVP and the forecasted cost of the full implementation should the epic hypothesis be proven true. Estimating Epic CostsĪs Epics progress through the Portfolio Kanban, the LPM team will eventually need to understand the potential investment required to realize the hypothesized value. Epic Owners help prioritize these items in their respective backlogs and have some ongoing responsibilities for stewardship and follow-up. The Epic Owner is responsible for working with Product and Solution Management and System Architect/Engineering to split the epic into Features or Capabilities during backlog refinement. Once approved, portfolio epics stay in the portfolio backlog until implementation capacity and budget becomes available from one or more ARTs. The LPM reviews the Lean business case to make a go/no-go decision for the epic. The result of the epic analysis is a Lean business case (Figure 3). As opposed to story boards, prototypes, mockups, wire frames and other exploratory techniques, the MVP is an actual product that can be used by real customers to generate validated learning. In the context of SAFe, an MVP is an early and minimal version of a new product or business Solution that is used to prove or disprove the epic hypothesis. Defining the Epic MVPĪnalysis of an epic includes the definition of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for the epic. Epic Owners take responsibility for the critical collaborations required for this task, while Enterprise Architects typically shepherd the enabler epics that support the technical considerations for business epics. Before being committed to implementation, epics require analysis. Portfolio epics are made visible, developed, and managed through the Portfolio Kanban system where they proceed through various states of maturity until they’re approved or rejected. Figure 2 provides an epic hypothesis statement template that can be used to capture, organize, and communicate critical information about an epic. Since epics are some of the most significant enterprise investments, stakeholders need to agree on their intent and definition. Moreover, Agile Release Trains (ARTs) develop and deliver epics following the Lean Startup cycle (Figure 6). Instead, the funding to implement epics is allocated directly to the value streams within a portfolio. SAFe generally discourages using the project funding model (refer to the Lean Portfolio Management article). It’s important to note that epics are not merely a synonym for projects they operate quite differently, as Figure 1 highlights. Business epics directly deliver business value, while enabler epics are used to advance the Architectural Runway to support upcoming business or technical needs. There are two types of epics, each of which may occur at different levels of the Framework. Program and Large solution epics, which follow a similar pattern, are described briefly at the end of this article. This article primarily describes the definition, approval, and implementation of portfolio epics. SAFe recommends applying the Lean Startup build-measure-learn cycle for epics to accelerate the learning and development process, and to reduce risk. Portfolio epics are typically cross-cutting, typically spanning multiple value streams and Program Increments (PIs). Due to their considerable scope and impact, epics require the definition of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and approval by Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) before implementation. What if we found ourselves building something that nobody wanted? In that case what did it matter if we did it on time and on budget?Īn Epic is a container for a significant Solution development initiative that captures the more substantial investments that occur within a portfolio.
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