Em Campbell-Pretty's Blog
January 29, 2025
Iteration Reviews vs System Demos and what on earth is an ART Show?!
Teams applying Scrum in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) typically hold an Iteration Review at the end of every iteration. SAFe also advocates for an Agile Release Train (ART) level end-of-iteration review called the System Demo.
Some team members tell us that they don’t see the point in doing both events as this is duplication. In some cases, this is due to a lack of understanding about the differences between the events. In other scenarios, the feedback is valid. Let’s unpack this.
Underst...
October 30, 2024
Is it SAFe to Kanban?
In the beginning, the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) advocated using Scrum at the team level. As the framework grew in popularity, practitioners started to ask if teams must use Scrum or if team-level kanban was an acceptable alternative. I recall discussions about Scrumban as an approach, and I remember it being dismissed, but I don't recall why. Anyway, the result was that the framework was updated so teams could use either Scrum or Kanban in SAFe.
On the surface, this seemed like a simple so...
September 24, 2024
Where do UX Designers fit in SAFe?
When a person attends their first Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) class, the first thing they tend to do is look for their current role in the SAFe Big Picture. When it comes to UX Designers, they are quick to notice the Design Thinking and the Lean UX icons and double click, looking for answers.
The Design Thinking article, with its double diamonds, represents familiar territory from a design process perspective but doesn’t talk about where UX designers fit in the dual operating system. The Le...
Where do UX Designers fit in SAFe?
When a person attends their first Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) class, the first thing they tend to do is look for their current role in the SAFe Big Picture. When it comes to UX Designers, they are quick to notice the Design Thinking and the Lean UX icons and double click, looking for answers.
The Design Thinking article, with its double diamonds, represents familiar territory from a design process perspective but doesn’t talk about where UX designers fit in the dual operating system. The Lean...
August 31, 2024
How to Choose a SAFe Certification
One of the most common questions we are asked - both prior to and during courses is: How do I know which SAFe training to take? Those who are new to SAFe want to know which one to start with. Those who already have one SAFe Certification want to know which one to take next. Given there are currently 12 SAFe certifications (and 3 Micro-Credentials) provided by Scaled Agile, Inc. this is a valid question!
The 12 SAFe® 6.0 CertificationsAll 11 of the 12 SAFe certifications are plotted on the SAFe...
How to Choose a SAFe Certification

The 12 SAFe® 6.0 Certifications
11 of the 12 SAFe certifications are plott...
How monday dev Supports SAFe
Recording of the monday dev demo at the SAFe Australia Online Meetup - SAFe Tooling Special Interest Group (SIG).
Summary of the SAFe Tooling SIG Featuring monday.comIn the fourth edition of the Australia SAFe Online Meetup’s Tooling Special Interest Group, Rohini Sharma, Head of Go-to-Market for monday products in APAC, delivered a presentation on monday’s capabilities for Agile teams. The session primarily focused on how monday dev can support Planning Interval (PI) Planning within the SAFe f...
August 20, 2024
Shared Services and External Services: Partnering to Support ART Flow
The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) describes Shared Services as the “specialty roles, people, and services required for the success of an ART or Solution Train, but that are not dedicated full-time.” The Shared Services guidance article provides an extensive list of examples of specialist skills often included in Shared Services. While this list is not exhaustive, it serves as a helpful prompt when considering the needs of a specific Agile Release Train (ART). Most ARTs will only need a subset of...
July 24, 2024
How Comparative Agility Supports SAFe
Recording of the Comparative Agility demo at the SAFe Australia Online Meetup - SAFe Tooling Special Interest Group (SIG).
Summary of the SAFe Tooling SIG Featuring Comparative AgilityThe meetup began with a welcome to the third SAFe Tooling Special Interest Group event.Jorgen Hesselberg, a founder of Comparative Agility, was introduced. He has been a significant figure in the SAFe community for over a decade.Overview of Comparative Agility:Comparative Agility is ...June 27, 2024
How TeamForm Supports SAFe
Recording of the TeamForm demo at the SAFe Australia Online Meetup - SAFe Tooling Special Interest Group (SIG).
Summary of the SAFe Tooling SIG Featuring TeamFormMelissa Hay from Pretty Agile welcomed everyone to the Special Interest Group Meetup, introducing the session focused on TeamForm. The session aimed to provide an overview of TeamForm, demonstrate its functionality, and answer questions from participants.
Overview of Team FormSam Yates, the founder and CEO of Tea...


