Roles and Responsibilities: Solution Train Engineer
In the intricate realm of software development, where innovation meets complexity, the role of a System Architect shines as a guiding light, steering projects towards success. The Solution Train Engineer wields a unique blend of technical prowess and strategic insights within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). This blog embarks on an enlightening journey to unravel the multifaceted roles and responsibilities that define System Architects in the SAFe ecosystem.
Who is a Solution Train Engineer?
To succeed in today’s digital age, organizations need to build efficiently and develop large solutions which fulfill their customer’s critical business needs. Building and developing such large solutions can involve hundreds and thousands of people on Solution Trains which are organized around complex value streams. These value streams require a dedicated leader to drive the associated ARTs and Suppliers. That is where a Solution Train Engineer (STE) comes up.
Imagine the System Architect as an architect of dreams, crafting the blueprint for technological excellence. STEs are servant leaders and coaches who facilitate Solution Train events and processes, coordinates the work of ARTs and suppliers and supports ARTs in delivering value.
The STE also works in close collaboration with the Agile Release Train (ARTs) and Release Train Engineers (RTEs), each of whom is responsible for coordinating the delivery of a critical aspect of the solution. Together, the STE and RTEs comprise a coordination and facilitation network that guides all teams on the Solution Train through the effective execution of the solution strategy.
Roles and Responsibilities of Solution Train Engineer
The roles and responsibilities of the STE fall into the five areas as shown in the following figure. Each role and responsibility is further explained in detail below:
First Responsibility: Facilitating Solution Train PI Planning
The first responsibility can be further explained with the following sub-set responsibilities.
1. Update the Solution Vision and Roadmap
The essential context for PI Planning is provided by Solution Vision and Roadmap. STEs collaborate with Solution Management, Solution Architects, and others as necessary to ensure they represent an accurate summary of the overall solution strategy. This strategy must also be reflected in the Solution Train Backlog as prioritized Capabilities and guided by well-balanced capacity allocation.
2. Gather feedback and metrics
STE must collect feedback on the solution train’s performance towards outcomes, competency and flow to drive relentless improvement. They also work closely with the Solution Management and Solution Architects to obtain insights from customers and systems.
3. Assist with PI Planning logistics
As a matter of final preparation, STEs work with RTEs, stakeholders and other ART representatives as necessary to schedule PI planning events, invite key participants, and communicate the agenda. In case it is needed, the STE facilitates a Pre-Plan workshop immediately before PI planning to achieve alignment among Solution Train leaders and stakeholders.
During PI planning, the STE focuses on the following to ensure productive outcomes are achieved:
- Synchronize with ARTs – STEs need to maintain reliable communication with RTEs to sense and address impediments across ARTs quickly. This is often done by facilitating several RTE syncs utilizing a solution planning board.
- Address uncertainty – Unforeseen information gaps and dependencies often rise during PI planning. It’s the STEs responsibility to dampen the effects of these issues quickly. That is done by connecting teams with the information sources needed to resolve them quickly.
- Define Solution Train PI objectives – Solution Train PI planning aims for all participating ARTs and suppliers to commit confidently to a joint plan. The STE creates Solution Train PI Objectives to represent this plan.
Second Responsibility: Coordinating Large Solution Delivery
1. Facilitate synchronization events
STEs are responsible for facilitating events like RTE Syncs and Solution Train Syncs. This is important as regular syncs keep the Solution Train on track.
2. Ensure frequent solution integration
The STE ensures that the Solution Train values frequent integration, as it helps in reducing risks and supports steady development process. This helps the ARTs and System teams in succeeding.
3. Facilitate solution demo
Solution Trains do not typically produce an end-to-end Solution Demo at every iteration. However, the STE frequently helps the Solution Train showcase the integrated—or partially integrated—solution throughout the PI.
4. Coordinate release activities
STEs work with RTEs, Solution Management, and Product Management to oversee release activities for the Solution Train.
Third Responsibility: Coaching Solution Train Stakeholders
1. Lead by example
STEs lead change and earn authority by modeling Lean-Agile behavioxrs. They operate with a growth focused mindset and have deep respect for transparency, people, alignment and improvement. Additionally, they are guided by SAFe principles and three domains of ESD.
2. Coach fellow Solution Train Leaders
STEs help RTEs, Epic Owners, Business Owners, enterprise executives, supplier stakeholders, and other influential Solution Train members lead by example. They do this by holding leaders responsible for their actions, assisting with building Agile leadership teams, and coaching leaders away from traditional behaviors, such as siloed decision-making, adherence to fixed plans, cost-based accounting, and phase-gated delivery.
3. Foster continuous delivery culture
STEs are pivotal in driving a culture of continuous delivery and they do this by collaborating with Solution Management, Solution Architects, RTE, Product Management, System Architects and Business Owners to establish Lean Systems Engineering practices, build CDP (Continuous Delivery Pipeline) and architect for flexibility.
4.Build influential relationships
Building large solutions and coordinating agile delivery can be challenging, made more complex by politics, communication challenges and debates. To avoid these, it is STEs responsibility to build authentic relationships with key influencers within and outside the Solution Train.
Fourth Responsibility: Optimizing Flow
1. Facilitate value stream mapping
The STEs collaborates and visualizes each value stream that pertains to the Solution Train. This helps in clarifying the actual end-to-end flow of activities across all teams and aligns leaders on the health of the delivery system.
2. Measure Solution Train flow
The STEs apply the six flow metrics provided by SAFe on large solution delivery, establishing a holistic view of flow time, distribution, velocity, load, efficiency and predictability across the Solution Train.
3. Apply flow accelerators
The STE guides Solution Train stakeholders in applying SAFe’s flow accelerators to streamline efficiency across the entire delivery system.
Fifth Responsibility: Improving Relentlessly
1. Identify meaningful metrics
The STE is instrumental in identifying the metrics that apply best to the Solution Train at any given time and working with Solution Train stakeholders and peers to establish meaningful improvement targets.
2. Measure often
The STE assists with gathering measurements at the appropriate intervals—per day, per iteration, per PI, or otherwise—to provide the most valuable feedback at the most valuable cadence.
3. Facilitate solution level I&A
The STEs are crucial facilitators of the Inspect & Adapt event, as Solution Trains uses the event to address impediments and problems that span ARTs and suppliers.
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