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LEITWERK Consulting: 7 steps to a successful PI planning

7 steps to successful PI planning

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
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Planning Interval (PI) Planning is a regular event for the entire Agile Release Train (ART) as part of the application of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe ®). During PI Planning, teams and stakeholders come together to focus on a common goal achievement in the defined period of the PI iteration. PI Planning is moderated by the Release Train Engineer (RTE) and includes all members of the ART.

According to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®), ‘PI Planning is essential for SAFe®: if you don't do it, you're not doing SAFe®.’

But how can you ensure that PI Planning is successful? This blog post provides an answer to this question with some concrete application examples from our practice.

With the aid of seven key points that cover preparation, implementation and follow-up, nothing stands in the way of successful PI planning:

  • Coordinate preparation and framework conditions
  • Set clear goals
  • A harmonised agenda
  • Identify risks
  • Promote communication and collaboration
  • Reflection
  • Follow-up

The key points described are a combination of the requirements of the SAFe® framework, our many years of experience and tips from our consulting practice.

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PI Planning: preparartion

Step 1: Preparation and coordination of the framework conditions are the key to successful PI planning

Good preparation is essential for successful PI planning. To ensure that the meeting runs smoothly, all the necessary materials must be obtained in advance (including flipcharts, markers, cards and sticky notes). For successful PI Planning, you need enough space for all members of the ART. A room should therefore be reserved in advance and set up accordingly. It is also important that all participants are informed of the date, time and location in advance. There should also be an exchange with relevant stakeholders before the event in order to become aware of any dependencies at an early stage and to ensure the right focus for PI planning.

Tips for preparation:

  • Provide a moderation case with sticky notes, pens and masking tape (e.g. for name tags for large groups or for hanging up flipcharts)
  • Booking and viewing the premises
  • Determining the communication channels
  • Communication of the centrally accessible documentation (e.g. on Confluence) with all important information for the participants
  • Checking the required technologies, tools and audio quality (especially for virtual and hybrid PI planning)
  • Individual coordination with speakers, keynote speakers or other PI guests
PI Planning: set goals

Step 2: Set and communicate clear goals

Objectives help to ensure focus. Before PI Planning begins, clear objectives are defined that include the most important topics of the upcoming PI iteration. The defined objectives are communicated to all persons participating in the PI Planning. In this way, the teams have a clear understanding of the priorities of the upcoming iteration before the break-out sessions and can align their planning with the set goals. To ensure transparency, relevant stakeholders also receive information about the goals for the next iteration in advance.

Tips:

  • Additional definition of an overarching and motivating product vision that is regularly presented and available to everyone
  • Coordinate the goals closely with the business owners and product managers

Step 3: Set, communicate and visibly place a coordinated agenda

The path to the goal: The PI Planning Agenda contains all the important points for the planned days and creates a clear framework for the most important topics. The agenda ensures that time is used effectively and that all important points can be dealt with. By planning coffee breaks and joint lunches, the agenda helps to maintain energy levels and contributes to dialogue and team building. The main task in facilitation is to ensure that discussions are moderated in a targeted manner and that the schedule is kept in view.

When introducing SAFe® for the first time, it is advisable to strictly adhere to the agenda provided by SAFe®. As the teams gain more experience with PI Planning, this can be customised to the individual needs of the teams and developed iteratively. Figure 1 shows an exemplary agenda for two days, as presented on the SAFe® website.

Tips:

  • Visible placement of the PI Planning agenda for everyone, e.g. on a flipchart on site
  • Digital pre-information of the agenda, e.g. on Confluence
  • Continuously check the agenda during PI planning to identify deviations at an early stage
  • Regular references to the current agenda item and the overarching objective during moderation
PI Planning: Agenda Day 1
PI Planning: Agenda Day 2

Step 4: ROAM - Identify risks

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    During PI planning, risks (technical, organisational or other external factors) often crystallise that may have an impact on the upcoming PI iteration or the achievement of objectives. A ROAM Board is used to recognise risks at an early stage and plan effective measures. The acronym ROAM stands for Resolved, Owned, Accepted and Mitigated.

    Organising the various risks on the ROAM board helps to record the risks in a structured manner and to become aware of their potential impact. This involves weighing up whether risks must be accepted or whether a preventive or at least mitigating measure can be planned. Possible measures are then planned for implementation in the PI.

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    Tips

    • Preparation of a ROAM board for each team on a flipchart
    • Recording of risks that arise during discussions in the planning phases by the SAFe® Scrum Master or other team members
    • Repeated reference to the need to record risks during PI planning by the RTE
    • Ensuring the sustainable tracking of risks after PI Planning: How is the implementation of the measures by the teams approached, e.g. effectiveness check in the daily?

Step 5: Promote open communication and cohesion

PI planning thrives on exchange, discussion and interaction. It is therefore important that all participants can communicate freely and openly with each other. By adhering to jointly defined communication rules, it can be ensured that all important points are discussed. This also includes the risks described in step 4 and serious doubts about feasibility.

PI Planning also offers the opportunity for teams to grow together and create synergies. Informal dialogue is very important for better team cohesion, which can be promoted through ‘ice breakers’ and cross-team breaks. ‘Get to know each other bingo’, for example, is a good way for team members to get to know each other personally. The participants try to fill in the bingo fields as quickly as possible by asking each other questions. The first person to fill in all nine fields calls out ‘Bingo’. The winner then explains and presents the bingo content, which further intensifies the process of getting to know each other, and receives a symbolic prize.

Tips:

  • Create a room overview for the team breakouts (digitally or on a flipchart) to make it easier for the teams to socialise: Who is where and how can I reach whom?
  • Plan joint coffee breaks or ‘cake breaks’ for an informal exchange across teams
  • Organising ice breakers and games to get to know each other, depending on the group size and intention
  • Scheduling short yoga breaks or meditation sessions to maintain motivation and focus throughout the day
  • Organising a dinner together for a festive finale
  • Visualise the common communication rules (on a flipchart)

LEITWERK - Get to know each other Bingo
You can download the bingo here

Retro board

Step 6: Retrospective for continuous improvement

The retrospective helps to reflect on how PI planning went and to develop specific optimisation proposals. Methods such as a classic ‘start, stop, continue retrospective’ are suitable for this. This allows you to look back and categorise what the team should add in the next iteration, what it should stop doing and what should continue as usual.

The retrospective enables the participants to work together to continuously improve themselves as an individual team and PI Planning as a whole. It is important that concrete measures and optimisation ideas are developed and that there is clearly documented responsibility for implementation and follow-up.

Tips:

  • Prepare a flipchart with key questions for the retrospective
  • Consolidate measures from the retrospective on a centralised confluence page to make it easier to track implementation
  • Motivating everyone involved in PI planning to take part in the retrospective
  • Constructive derivation of effective measures, even in the event of critical comments
  • Raising awareness of the added value and benefits of a retrospective (ideally in advance of the PI Planning)

Step 7: Next steps and post-processing

In order to be able to work with the results during the PI iteration and achieve progress, documentation is essential as part of the post-processing. With tools such as Confluence and Jira, the results can be recorded in a way that is accessible to everyone. Because after PI Planning is before PI Planning: Well-maintained templates in which the learnings from the last PI iteration have been directly implemented can be copied and reused directly to reduce the preparation effort.

Tips:

  • Regular tracking of feedback from the retrospective
  • Transfer empirical values to the next PI Planning (e.g. through RTE)
Do you have any questions on this topic or are you interested in a consultancy service?
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LEITWERK Consulting: Sonja Neubauer
Your contact person
Sonja Neubauer
+49 89 189 235 96
sonja.neubauer@leitwerk-consulting.com
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