SAFe. Exploring client needs. PM and PO role

In our previous article, we talked about Epics and the related processes. But companies have clients who need their needs to be implemented as fast as possible. Who manages all these requests? Who translates them into things which teams can then implement? Who validates the results of the implementation? This is an easy answer because in Scrum there is a specific role called the Product Owner who deals with all that. Are these activities and this role present in SAFe as well? The answer is yes, but with a big twist.

The Product Owner in SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)

First of all someone needs to manage the clients. To always be in contact with them. To constantly explore their needs, answer their requests, prioritize them and define a roadmap of deliveries. Not only that, but this guy has to be an expert in the specific domain of the product or service under development. He needs to monitor the market and business context changes. He also needs to be able to look into the future and anticipate from an economic standpoint what makes sense to be implemented or not.
Secondly the teams need a constant presence from someone who is a functional expert and can help them translate the needs coming from the customers into stories which they can understand and implement. Help them prioritize the work, answer any questions they might have during day to day activities. They need a guy to handle changes in requirements, in scope and priorities from a pragmatic point of view while still considering their technical needs. They need their progress to be communicated to the business people in a way which can be understood and responded to.

Looking at the previous two short sections, do you think a single person can handle both areas? SAFe people say no! That is why they have defined two separate roles: the first one is client and business facing and is called the Product Manager. The second one is team and technology facing and is called the Product Owner. Does this separation bring a bit of complexity and maybe conflictual points of view? Maybe, and that is why these two guys need to work most of the time as a single entity.

When talking about “work break-down” these two roles, working in collaboration with the Epic Owners, will slice the Epics into Features and then into Stories, provide estimates (involving the teams as necessary), work with them during the implementation phase and then re-aggregate the Stories into Features and the Features back into Epic MVPs and Epic implementation.

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Originally published at https://www.luxoft-training.com.