Understanding PI Planning
So what is PI Planning?
PI Planning is a cadence-based event where all teams in an Agile Release Train (ART) come together to plan the upcoming Planning Interval (PI), typically spanning 8-12 weeks. Consisting of anywhere between 50 to 125 people and working in anywhere from 5 to 15 agile teams. The goal is to align teams on the vision, define objectives, and establish a roadmap for delivering value.
This process involves several critical steps:
- Setting Objectives: Teams review business objectives and priorities, ensuring everyone understands the goals of the increment.
- Drafting Plans: Teams break down objectives into user stories, tasks, and features, creating a roadmap for the increment.
- Identifying Dependencies: Teams identify and address dependencies and potential risks to ensure a smooth execution.
- Finalizing Plans: Teams review and adjust their plans based on feedback and align on the final set of objectives.
Given the importance of PI Planning, we’ve often discussed the topic over the years, including in our article, “Strategies To Improve Your PI Planning In SAFe®”. Additionally, we have had a number of our existing customers share their experiences of successfully implementing SAFe, and in particular PI Planning, with the help of Agile Hive. A great example can be found in this presentation by our friends at Siemens Smart Infrastructure IT and we encourage you to give it a look.
Big Room Planning vs. PI Planning
Some may have heard the phrase, “Big Room Planning” when discussing PI Planning and suffice it to say, they are one in the same in that Big Room Planning is PI Planning with the nuance that it is being held completely in-person.
With the transition to either a hybrid or fully remote work environment since the Spring of 2020, nowadays many PI Planning sessions take place with some attendees on site and others via any one of a number of remote meeting and collaboration platforms such as Google Meet, Zoom, or Teams.
In addition to the transportation, food, lodging, and other costs associated with temporarily locating and an entire ART to one location, given the current mindset that has gotten comfortable and almost expects a remote or hybrid work environment, conducting a Big Room Planning session in the present day is quite difficult.
As a result, the tools organizations use to conduct successful PI Planning sessions in this hybrid work environment have to be up to the task. By that we mean every member must have concurrent access to the information that is updated in real-time, chat and video conferencing technologies must be resilient, easy to use, and allow attendees to feel they are part of the conversations being had as close as possible to the experience of being there in-person.
Agile Hive is a key component in this toolset as any and all changes made by team members wherever they are, be it capacity vs. load, dependencies within and between teams, backlog refinement is kept and updated within this “single source of truth” for everyone regardless of their location. In combination with tools that provide video conferencing, chat, and white boarding capabilities, there’s no reason conducting a hybrid PI Planning event can’t be just as successful as a Big Room Planning event.
PI Planning In SAFe®
There are some key inputs needed to yield a number of critical outputs when coordinating a PI Planning event.
For instance, there are three areas of readiness that must be in place prior to a PI Planning event; organizational, content, and logistics. Regarding organizational preparedness, this includes; identifying which teams need to plan together, priorities for the event have been agreed upon by the Business Owners, the scope of the PI Planning has been identified, and most especially, agreed upon. Finally, dedicated positions are in place for Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, etc.
Regarding content, each team must prepare briefings at the architectural, product management, and executive levels. At the architectural level, this content would most likely include new enablers, NFRs (non-functional requirements) and the like. For those in product management, this could include content top ranked features from the backlog. Executive level content would then provide the broader, overarching business context.
As one might expect, logistics would involve securing the physical meeting spaces and all the relevant needs (food and accommodations, etc.), audio/visual communications (presentation platform, sound and video equipment), and the documentation and tooling needed to coordinate the PI Planning event.
You can find some additional information from our good friends at Scaled Agile Framework, with their article, PI Planning. And for our friends and readers where German is their native tongue, information on getting started in Jira with Atlassian’s Gute Ergebnisse Mit Jira starten. Finally from our colleagues at Seibert Group on the topic of SAFe transformations, SAFe transformieren – Synergien zwischen Jira Align und Agile Hive clever nutzen.
A Full Agenda
Two full days are needed to properly complete all the steps of a PI Planning event according to the Scaled Agile Framework. It can be tricky to find the dates and times that everyone involved in the ART will attend, considering many organizations are spread across multiple time zones and may be attending remotely.
Starting with the business context, product or solution vision, and the development practices and architecture vision on the morning of the first day, the stage is being set for the work that lies ahead the next day and a half. Consider this as the framework, but know it allows for some flexibility in timing. That is, given factors like the size of your distributed teams and complexity of the visions, some sessions may need more time while others need less.
Agile Hive: A Tool for Effective PI Planning
Agile Hive supports SAFe implementations by providing features that streamline PI Planning, and in a nutshell, here’s how.
“Single Source of Truth” – Your Centralized Information Repository
Agile Hive centralizes all relevant information, including objectives, features, user stories, and dependencies. This centralized approach ensures that all team members have access to the same information, reducing the chances of misalignment and communication gaps.
Visual Planning Boards
One of Agile Hive’s standout features is its visual planning boards. These boards provide a graphical representation of the PI Planning process, allowing teams to visualize objectives, track progress, and manage dependencies. Visual tools like the included Reports, Team Breakout and ART Planning Boards help teams quickly grasp complex information and make informed decisions.
Automated Dependency Management
Managing dependencies can be a significant challenge during PI Planning. Agile Hive automates dependency tracking and management, making it easier for teams to identify and address dependencies proactively. This automation reduces manual effort and minimizes the risk of oversight.
Integrated Backlog Management
Agile Hive integrates backlog management with PI Planning, allowing teams to seamlessly transition from planning to execution. Features, user stories, and tasks can be easily linked to PI objectives, ensuring that the backlog aligns with the increment’s goals.
Real-Time Collaboration
Effective collaboration is key to successful PI Planning. Agile Hive facilitates real-time collaboration among team members, stakeholders, and product owners. Its collaborative features include shared planning boards, comment sections, and update notifications, ensuring everyone stays on the same page.
Post PI Planning
Once the planning is complete, the execution of the PI begins. With the goal of ensuring alignment between all ARTs’ stakeholders, a post PI Planning event should be conducted. Objectives, milestones, and respective timelines should be shared. This is the opportunity to identify and discuss potential issues, dependencies, and risks involved. Similar to the planning event, a confidence vote should be held helping to ensure objectives are crafted where a vote averaging three or more is achieved.
Its deep integration with both Confluence and Jira makes Agile Hive the most powerful solution to implement PI Planning – pre, during, and post.
Best Practices for PI Planning with Agile Hive
We wanted to start out this section by highlighting one of our incredible YouTube “Study Sessions” videos with SAFe Practice Consultant-T Cindy VanEpps. It’s entitled “Perform PI Planning”, and provides a wonderful overview of Agile Hive’s many tooling capabilities to plan and deliver a stellar PI Planning event.
To maximize the benefits of Agile Hive during PI Planning, consider the following 5 best practices.
1. Prepare Thoroughly
Preparation is crucial for a successful PI Planning session. Ensure that all participants are familiar with Agile Hive’s features and have access to necessary information. Prior to the event, review the previous increment’s results, update objectives, and align on priorities.
2. Leverage Visual Tools
Utilize Agile Hive’s visual planning boards to create a clear and engaging representation of the PI Plan. Encourage teams to use these boards to map out objectives, track progress, and identify dependencies. Visual tools can greatly enhance understanding and communication.
3. Focus on Alignment
Alignment is key to ensuring that all teams work towards common goals. Use Agile Hive to ensure that objectives are well-defined and understood by all participants. Regularly review and adjust plans to address any misalignments or changes in priorities.
4. Address Dependencies Early
Identify and address dependencies as early as possible. Agile Hive’s automated dependency management features can help teams pinpoint potential issues and collaborate on solutions. Proactively managing dependencies reduces the risk of delays and disruptions during the increment.
5. Foster Collaboration
Encourage active collaboration among teams using Agile Hive’s collaborative features. Facilitate open discussions, share updates, and seek feedback to ensure that everyone is engaged and informed. Collaboration enhances decision-making and fosters a shared commitment to success.
Available for both Jira Data Center and Cloud, Agile Hive offers drag-and-drop functionality throughout, the ability to visually map both Breakout and Planning Boards, the visualization of dependencies across teams, estimation of story points, as well as adding and arranging features into swimlanes. The Breakout Board within Agile Hive includes Sprint Capacity, extremely useful for PI Planning.
We can adjust individual team capacities from one iteration to the next to account for changes in staff availability. The Planning Board provides an overview of external dependencies to teams that are outside of the ART but working towards a planned feature.
When Can We Chat – Book A Demo With Us!
PI Planning is a critical event in the Scaled Agile Framework, and Agile Hive offers robust support for managing this process effectively. By centralizing information, providing visual tools, automating dependency management, and enabling real-time collaboration, Agile Hive streamlines PI Planning and enhances overall efficiency.
By following best practices and leveraging Agile Hive’s features, organizations can ensure that their PI Planning sessions are well-organized, collaborative, and aligned with strategic objectives. Embracing Agile Hive not only simplifies the planning process but also sets the stage for a successful Planning Increment, driving value and achieving business goals.
Its deep integration with both Confluence and Jira makes Agile Hive the most powerful solution to implement SAFe®. Everything from preparing the Business Context, Product Vision, PI Planning Agenda in Confluence, to the Digital Breakout, Planning Boards, Program Risks in Jira, and that’s just scratching the surface, can be found in Agile Hive.
As an official Scaled Agile Platform Partner, we’d love to speak with you on tooling in SAFe®. Feel free to reach out to schedule a demo with us. We look forward to hearing from you!
