SAFe® - Lean Map: A Systematic Mapping Study between SAFe® and Lean Production
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Keywords:
Scaled Agile Framework, Large Scale Agile, Total Quality, Toyota Way, LeanAbstract
Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®), one of the recent agile frameworks, aims to spread agile
methods across organizations as many other large-scale frameworks. Featured with strongly documented
standards, flows, and release trains at different levels which synchronize different teams and groups of
teams, the framework has been among the most preferred methodologies for the last few years in terms of
usage volume. Through case studies and experiences of practitioners in the academic literature, the
framework has evolved over the years and has reached version 6.0. Many upgrades have been committed
to including strategic patterns, budgeting, portfolio management, value streams, several configurations for
framework setup, and a lean quality mindset. The fact that the leading concept in recent versions is "lean"
requires questioning the relationship between the Toyota Way (TW) and Total Quality Management
(TQM). In this study, a systematic review of the relationship between SAFe and lean production (LP) was
conducted in the first stage by taking base of a ready characteristic set of LP, then terminological
mappings were tried to be found by conducting separate reviews for each lean production sub-element.
The resulting set can be used as input in subsequent studies and can lead the way to the detailed stage.
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