Large organizations often have several teams working on multiple projects at once. In addition, there are products, deadlines, and various stakeholders that all need to be coordinated. Overseeing all these moving parts cohesively can be challenging at times. Agile frameworks like Scrum and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) can help simplify this process. Scrum enables small teams to plan and complete work in short iterations.
SAFe goes a step further by enabling multiple Agile teams to work together. But now the question is: which of these frameworks is best for a large organization? The answer depends on how the company operates, the complexity of projects, and the degree of coordination required.
What Is Scrum?
Scrum is an Agile framework that helps break larger work into more manageable pieces. A Scrum Team often consists of a Product Owner, Scrum Master, and developers. They all work together using a Product Backlog to track work that needs to be done.
The team produces work in short iterations called Sprints. Team members plan each Sprint with Sprint Planning before the work begins. A Daily Scrum is used to keep the team informed on progress. At the end of the Sprint, the work is reviewed during the Sprint Review, and a Sprint Retrospective is held to identify improvements for next time.
Scrum is a lightweight, simple, flexible, and very empowering process. It has very clear ownership by the team. Scrum scales first and foremost at the team level. Coordination of multiple Scrum teams may require additional practices to manage dependencies and ensure alignment.
What Is SAFe?
SAFe is an acronym for Scaled Agile Framework. SAFe is a methodology that enables large organizations to apply and implement Agile methods at scale. The primary purpose of SAFe is to bring Agile, Lean, and product development practices together into a cohesive whole.
It addresses different levels of work, ranging from individual teams to portfolio-level business planning. Teams can focus on delivery, while program teams can simultaneously own cross-team objectives and dependencies. Leaders can also translate day-to-day work into aligned, prioritized execution through portfolio planning.
SAFe is therefore useful when multiple teams need to work on the same product or component, program, or business objective. It brings more focus to planning, coordination, governance, and team alignment. It is not just a framework for how one team works, as Scrum focuses on. Instead, it is a broader approach for a large organization to manage Agile work.
SAFe vs Scrum: Key Differences
Scrum and SAFe each leverage Agile ideas, but they were developed with different goals in mind. Scrum is mainly a team-level framework for organizing and delivering work. SAFe takes into account how teams can collaborate and stay aligned to the larger business goals.
| Factor | Scrum | SAFe |
| Main focus | Helps individual Agile teams manage their work | Connects multiple teams and business levels |
| Structure | Simple and lightweight | More structured and detailed |
| Team size | Generally prefers to work with small, focused teams | Designed to facilitate many teams working collaboratively |
| Planning | Mainly centered around Sprints | Covers teams, program, and portfolio planning |
| Roles | Fewer defined roles | Includes roles across different levels |
| Coordination | Mostly happens within the team | Focuses more on cross-team coordination |
| Governance | Keep governance fairly light | Provides more formal planning and governance |
| Best suited for | Small teams or focused projects | Large and complex organizations |
| Implementation | Usually quicker to introduce | Needs more planning, training, and organizational change |
The primary distinction lies in the level of focus of each framework. Scrum is a lean framework with simple mechanics that allow the team the most autonomy to work on their backlog. SAFe is an additional framework that helps organizations align teams, projects, and business goals at scale. Scrum may be sufficient for a single team, whereas SAFe is used to coordinate multiple teams.
Why Does Scrum Still Make Sense for Large Organizations?
A large company does not automatically require SAFe. Scrum can also be effective when other teams provide low levels of support, allowing individuals to manage their own work. Or when projects require fewer cross-team dependencies and business units can make decisions rapidly. Also, when the company already has existing Agile principles that work well, additional complexity may not be welcome. Scrum can also be employed when teams need more autonomy, without the overhead of additional layers of process.
In fact, Scrum is still commonly used at the team level in many large organizations that do have a wider framework applied at the business level. Company size alone should not determine which framework to use.
When Does SAFe Make More Sense?
SAFe may be the better fit when a large organization has multiple Agile teams working on related products or business objectives. It can be useful when teams need to depend on each other, share technology platforms, or follow the same priorities. It can be useful when there are multiple business units working toward a single goal, or when planning needs to be done at multiple levels.
SAFe can bring focus to practices such as prioritization, dependency management, planning, and decision-making. It can also help organizations link business strategy to day-to-day execution.
But SAFe also introduces roles, meetings, and processes. This can feel cumbersome to a company that does not need that much coordination. It’s not just there for the sake of adding process; it’s there to solve real problems.
SAFe or Scrum: Which One Should Large Organizations Choose?
There is no “one size fits all” solution for every large organization. Scrum can work well when teams are small, autonomous, and have minimal dependencies. It minimizes process overhead and empowers teams with more control over how they work.
SAFe is often applied when multiple teams are working on the same products or business objectives. It offers a common framework for planning, prioritizing work, and managing dependencies.
Organizations need not select one framework. They can use Scrum at the team level and a more general scaling approach to connect teams. The best framework is the one that fits the organization’s real problems. Selecting a framework simply because it is popular may create more work instead of solving real problems.
How Professionals Can Build SAFe and Scrum Skills?
If you work on both scaled and stand-alone projects, you might find it valuable to understand both Scrum and scaled Agile approaches. Scrum can provide you with an overview of how Agile teams plan, manage, and deliver work. Learning SAFe will provide you with a broad perspective of how multiple teams align their work.
Spoclearn offers Agile and SAFe-related training options to help professionals develop these skills. These courses include the main concepts, roles, practices, and how to apply them on the job. Understanding both approaches can also help a professional see why an organization would choose one framework over another. This can also make it easier to adjust to different teams and delivery models.
Final Thoughts
Scrum and SAFe are both relevant to Agile project delivery. The choice between the two depends on an organization’s needs. Scrum works better when small teams need more autonomy over their work. Scrum allows them to stay lean and be agile in their work. SAFe makes sense when you have numerous teams, departments, or programs that all need to work towards common goals.
It provides more structure around planning, coordination, and business alignment. A large company does not necessarily need SAFe. At the same time, Scrum may not be enough for a complex environment. The ideal framework is the one that is right for the organization’s work, its teams, and its challenges.
FAQs
1. Is SAFe better than Scrum for large organizations?
No, not always. Scrum can be a good fit for a large company when teams are quite independent. SAFe becomes more valuable when many teams must coordinate their work, share dependencies and common priorities, and link delivery to broader business objectives. The most appropriate approach will depend on the organization’s structure and needs.
2. Can an organization use Scrum and SAFe together?
Yes. The individual teams use SAFe, which leverages Agile practices at the team level, and Scrum within a larger scaled environment. Teams can maintain familiar Scrum practices for their development work, while a broader-scale process is used for planning, coordination, and strategic alignment.
3. Should a company move to SAFe just because it is growing?
No. Growth, by itself, is not a reason to use SAFe. A company may consider problems such as more dependencies, communication gaps, delivery delays, and challenges in aligning teams. When the solution involves a more prescriptive approach to scaling, SAFe is an option to consider.