Large Solution SAFe is aimed at developing the largest and most complex solutions that typically requires multiples ARTs and suppliers, but do not require portfolio level considerations.

1. Coordinate and integrate multiples ARTs and Suppliers

Solution Trains align ARTs to a common mission

ARTs power the Solution Train

Each ART within a Solution Train contributes to the development of a large solution

Solution Management, Solution Architect/Engineering and the STE (Solution Train Engineer) foster the coordination and the delivery of value

Suppliers play a key role in large solution development

Suppliers often play a key role in solution development. The overall Value Stream's agility is dependent on suppliers' agility.

Lean-Agile suppliers are treated as another ART, participating in all Solution Train events

Suppliers working traditional methodologies work against milestones, but are expected to attend pre- and post-PI Planning, Solution Demo and Solution Train Inspect & Adapt

SAFe enterprises help suppliers improve their processes and become more lean and Agile to the economic benefit of both organisations

Customers are inseparable from the development process

Customers are a critical aspect of development. Engaging them into the process depends on the type of the solution and the customer's impact

General Solutions

E.g: End user purchaser of a CRM system

Custom built solutions

E.g: Government purchaser of a defence system

Solution builder content authorities proxy the Customer
Solution Intent reflect facts and hypotheses
Frequently validates product assumptions
Scope, scheduled and budget at solution builders' discretion

Customer represents self
Defines fixed/variable Solution Intent
Directly validates product assumptions; attends planning and solution demos
Collaborative scope and schedule management; managed investment funding model

Prepare with Pre- and Post-PI Planning

Typically attended by: Customers, STE, Solution Management, Solution Architect/Engineering, Solution Train stakeholders and select representatives from ARTs and Suppliers

Pre-meeting helps build an aligned plan for the next PI and match solution demand to ART capacities

Post-meeting reviews, recaps, communicates and provides feedback

Pre-Planning structure

08:00 - 10:00	PI Summary reports	Goals Align Product Managers, System Architects and other ART stakeholders to a common vision Prepare content for ART PI Planning Input Results of the previous PI execution Outcomes of the Solution Demo or, if delayed, ART demos Roll-up of the Program Predictability Measure to the Solution Train Output Set of new features for every ART Updates to the ART versions
10:00 - 10:30	Business context & Solution Vision
10:30 - 11:30	Top N Capabilities
11:30 - 13:30	Next PI features

Solution Train management review and problem solving

After the ARTs finish their management review and problem-solving, the STE facilitates a similar meeting for the Solution Train.

Common questions during the Solution Train management review and Problem-Solving:
- What new dependencies have we identified?
- Where do we need to adjust Vision? Scope? Resources?
- Where are the bottlenecks?
- What capabilities must be de-scoped?
- What decisions must we make between now and tomorrow (for PI Planning meeting) to address these issues?

Post-Planning structure

09:00 - 12:00	PI Planning report	Goals Understand the PI plan for the entire Solution Train Make adjustments, if necessary, and communicate to the ARTs Input Program PI Objectives form all ARTs Solution Train board Solution risks Output Consolidated Solution Train PI Objectives Solution Train roadmap updates
12:00 - 13:00	Lunch
13:00 - 15:00	Plan review, risk analysis and confidence vote
15:00 - ???	Plan re-work, if necessary
	Planning retrospective and moving forward

Verify fitness for purpose with the Solution Demo

The Solution Demo is a major event in the life of the Solution

The Solution Train demos a fully integrated Solution, showing accomplishments of the previous Program Increment

Senior managers and high profile stakeholders review the progress

Action and investment decisions are based on this objective evidence

Solution Demo requires frequent solution integration

Frequent Solution Integration and testing provides the best objective evidence

A joint responsibility of ARTs and Solution Train's system teams

Provides early validation and regular risk reduction

Increases actual velocity

Solution team Inspect & Adapt

The Solution Train I&A workshop consists of three parts:

Solution Demo
Retrospective
Problem-solving workshop

Participants are representatives from ARTs and Suppliers building the solution:

Release Train Engineers, Solution Train Engineers, System and Solution Architect/Engineering, Product and Solution Management, Customers
Portfolio stakeholders may also attend this workshop

2. Define Large Solutions

Solution and Solution Context

A solution is uniquely associated with one Value Stream and defined by Solution Intent

The Solution Context defines the environment in which the solution operates:
- System of systems, e.g:
  - Avionics system as part of an aircraft
  - Product suite - Word Processor as part of an Office suite
- Production infrastructure, e.g:
  - cloud environment where solution is deployed
- Other application or systems in which the target solution is integrated

Capabilities describe Solution behaviours

A Capability describes the higher level behaviours of a Solution.

They are maintained in the Solution Backlog and are prioritised using WSJF
Written using a phrase, statement of benefits and acceptance criteria
Must be structured to fit within a single PI
Capabilities are split into Features for implementation

Capture knowledge in Solution Intent

Solution Intent:

Single source of truth as to the intended and actual behaviour of the Solution

Record and communicate requirements and design decisions
Facilitate continuous exploration and analysis activities
Align the Customer, System Builders and Suppliers to a common purpose
Support compliance, contractual, traceability, high assurance

Moving from variable to fixed Solution Intent

Preserve flexibility to enable evolution towards optimum solution alternative
To achieve that, fix only minimum requirements and designs
Consider the rest as assumptions and designs
Validate assumptions continuously, through repetitive learning cycles (PIs)
Drive exploration with Enablers
Converge on well defined (fixed) behaviours

Continuously evolve compliance documents

Evolve specifications and compliance documents each increment
Ensure alignment across all solution builders
Generate specifications and compliance documents from models to ensure single source of truth