A Guide On Leading SAFe Certification In Raleigh

Agile methods are readily applicable for small teams. However, most organizations today are working across complex systems, collaborative teams, and demographics. For this, Agile must be worked across the entire organization allowing you to enjoy the benefits of better quality products, quicker response to customer queries, and faster delivery. However, if there aren’t proper processes, agile transformations at such a large scale can fail easily. If this happens, agile implementation won’t yield the expected results. This is where SAFe comes into play.

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a methodology used for large-scale Agile teams to carry out the Agile transformation in a seamless manner. The first step towards making such a change is applying the principles and practices of Agile across all the levels in an enterprise. With the SAFe framework, you can synchronize the delivery, collaboration, and alignment of several agile teams and lead the way to successful Agile transformation in your company. SAFe agilist course promises to ensure full business agility by providing significant advances in strategizing, leadership, and execution competencies. It can help the company deliver innovative business solutions and get ahead of its competitors. 

Prerequisites for Leading SAFe certification

Anyone, regardless of the experience they have in Raleigh, can attend this course. However, if you are planning to give the SAFe® 5 Agilist (SA) certification exam, it is recommended that you have the following:

• Over 5+ years of working experience in business analysis, project or product management, software development, or testing
• Prior Scrum experience

Anyone working in the following positions in Raleigh can take the SAFe training:

• Development, and QA
• Enterprise, System, & Solution Architects
• Executives and Leaders
• Infrastructure Management personnel
• Managers, Directors, CIOs, & VPs
• Portfolio Managers, PMO, and Process Leads
• Product & Product Line Managers
• Program & Project Managers

Steps for becoming a SAFe Agilist

• Register on the website of a training partner of the Scaled Agile, Inc.
• Complete the two-day long Leading SAFe® 5.1 course that is taught by an SPC (SAFe Program Consultant).
• Once you have completed the course, you will receive the information directly from the Scaled Agile. In the mail, there will be a link. Click on it and you will be redirected to the 1.5-hour-long SAFe 5 Agilist Exam. This is an online test comprising 45 MCQs.
• You have to question at least 35 questions out of 45 correctly and score 77% for passing the SAFe Agilist test.
• Once you pass the exam, your profile will be updated by Scaled Agile. Your certification will be disclosed as well.
• Along with the certification, you will receive Scaled Agile’s 1-year membership.
• Please note that you will have to renew your certification every year.

Things to learn during the course

During the course, you will be learning the following:

• The fundamentals – This covers the basics of SAFe along with Agile, Lean, and Product Development Flow.
• Scaling – This will cover how to apply the values of SAFe to your Agile-Lean mindset for scaling Agile and Lean development in your company.
• Lean/Agile principles – In this, you will be recognizing and applying the principles and mindset of Lean-Agile and become an Agile manager.
• Value – This covers integrating, deploying, and releasing value in order to support events and planning in Program execution.
• Seven core competencies – You have to get an understanding of all the seven core competencies of SAFe and how you can coordinate for large solutions’ development.
• Lean Portfolio – By implementing Lean-Agile principles to the principles and roles of SAFe, you will be empowered with a Lean portfolio.
• Leadership – This course will enhance your leadership skills so that you can create purpose-bound and high-performing Agile teams.
• Lean portfolio management – This covers how to establish alignment and execution using Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) and Strategic themes.
• Lead Transformation – With the SAFe implementation roadmap, you will be able to lead the Lean-Agile transformation in your company.

The SAFe 5 Agilist exam

During the exam, your capability to lead an enterprise undergoing the Lean-Agile transformation will be tested. You should know how to leverage the Scaled Agile Framework along with its underlying principles derived from Agile development and Lean thinking, DevOps, and product development flow. This is a 90-minutes long, web-based, closed-book exam that you must pass successfully to gain your certification. To become a SAFe 5 Agilist, you must secure at least 75% marks in this test conducted on the SAFe community platform. Here are the key competency areas that will be tested during your SAFe Agilist exam:

• The exam will test how you will be applying SAFe to scale Agile and Lean development in your company.
• You will be tested on how you can apply the mindset and associated principles of Lean-Agile.
• Your efficiency in planning and executing Program Increments successfully will be tested as well.
• You will have to demonstrate how proficient you are in executing and releasing value using Agile Release Trains.
• You will have to use Lean-Agile budgeting for developing an Agile portfolio.

The increasing demand for Leading SAFe certification

For Lean-Agile enterprises, the Leading SAFe certification has become the standard. When it comes to career opportunities and value in Raleigh, it can widen your scope in the industry. Recent data from the Forrester Survey on Global Agile Software Application Development shows that SAFe is among the most widely adopted Agile approaches at the enterprise level with about 33% of the companies using it.

Over 70% of Fortune 100 companies in the US are employing SAFe actively. This shows the increased demand for Leading SAFe. If you earn this certification from Scaled Agile, an accreditation body that is globally recognized, you will be ahead of your peers and be at the top of Agile transformation in your company.