What helps visualize work during PI Planning? Explain it briefly and choose the correct one from the following
a. ART PI Objectives.
b. ART Planning Board.
c. ART PI Risks.
d. ART Predictability Measure.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer: b. ART Planning Board
Explanation
During Program Increment (PI) Planning in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), teams from an Agile Release Train (ART) come together to align on a shared mission and plan the upcoming increment, typically over 8–12 weeks. One essential tool that helps visualize the work during PI Planning is the ART Planning Board.
The ART Planning Board is a collaborative visualization tool used during PI Planning to map the features against the iterations (sprints) and teams that will work on them. It helps all stakeholders see how work is distributed across teams, identify dependencies, and ensure alignment with business priorities. This board typically includes:
- Rows representing teams
- Columns representing iterations
- Sticky notes or digital cards for features or stories assigned to each team in each iteration
- Lines or markers to show inter-team dependencies
This visualization promotes transparency and encourages real-time collaboration and problem-solving. As teams place their work on the board and discuss dependencies, they can better align and adjust plans before the PI starts. The ART Planning Board also helps identify overloaded teams, unaddressed dependencies, or schedule conflicts, enabling proactive resolution.
Other options provided, while important in PI Planning, serve different purposes:
- ART PI Objectives (a): summarize team goals and align them with business objectives.
- ART PI Risks (c): document potential risks and their mitigation strategies.
- ART Predictability Measure (d): used after the PI to evaluate how well teams met their commitments.
In summary, the ART Planning Board plays a central role in PI Planning by visually organizing and coordinating work, fostering team collaboration, and enabling early detection of potential planning issues, making it the correct answer to the question.
