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SAFe POPM- A Catalyst for your Agile Career

Updated: Mar 9, 2023


What is SAFe POPM?

There are different roles and responsibilities involved in the agile process and SAFe POPM is one of these roles in this process and stands for Product Owner/Product Manager.


What’s Agile and why is it so popular?

The answer lies in the definition of Agile itself- “Agile Methodology is an iterative approach towards managing projects or developing a product with an aim to satisfy the end customer with efficient delivery of the product on time.”


What is SAFe?

SAFe stands for Scaled Agile Framework which was initially released in 2011. There have been 5 major updates over the years and SAFe 5 was released in January 2020. The creator of SAFe, Dean Leffingwell has developed this framework based on Seven Core Competencies-

  • Lean-Agile Leadership

  • Team and Technical Agility

  • Agile Product Delivery

  • Enterprise Solution Delivery

  • Lean Portfolio Management

  • Organizational Agility

  • Continuous Learning Culture

As per ‘Scaled Agile Framework’, SAFe® for Lean Enterprises is a knowledge base of proven, integrated principles, practices, and competencies for achieving business agility using Lean, Agile, and DevOps.


SAFe Product Owner

A Product Owner is a role in a Product Development or Scrum team who is accountable to maximize the value of the product. The main responsibility of a Product Owner is to prepare and update the Product Backlog based on which the development team executes the process. This is not incorrect to say that the success of a project depends on a Product Owner to a great extent. They are the representatives of the customer and it is their responsibility to make sure that their requirements are met. The sum of their responsibility is that they carry out Product Vision, Create Project’s Criteria and Manage Product Backlog.

A Product Owner should own some skills in order to deliver the best for whatever they are responsible-

  • Analytical Skills like Critical Thinking, Logical Reasoning, Data Analysis and Research

  • Decision Making

  • Technical Skills like Coding, UX Design, Software Development, etc.

  • Communication

  • Collaboration

  • Resolving issues

  • Project Management

SAFe Product Manager

Product Manager is a role in the Development team who is responsible for the development of the products by designing the product strategy. A Product Manager is responsible to identify the customer needs and the business objectives for which a product needs to be developed.

Product Managers are usually degree holders in technical fields such as computer sciences, engineering, MBA or certification for product management. However, someone from a non-tech background can also get a job as a Product Manager by learning skills.


Responsibilities of a Product Manager-

  • Analysis of customer needs and thorough market research

  • Examination of the product/service/competition

  • Collaborating and communicating with different teams involved in the project

  • Managing the Product Management Lifecycle

  • Coordinating between the stakeholders and the team

Comparison between Product Owner and Product Manager

Point of Difference

Product Owner

Product Manager

Focus

Product’s vision, company objectives and market Strategic

Completed stories

Nature

Developing the business map and Product Backlog for the product

Tactical

Responsibility

Technical skills including coding, communication, collaboration, issue resolving skills, etc.

Cross-team alignment

Skills required

Backlog, Epics, User stories

Technical skills, communication, critical thinking, etc. Does not require expertise in Coding.

MVPs , Product Roadmap NPS

Owns

Completed stories

​Conversions

Success Metrics

Other metrics related to the development team

Churn

How is SAFe POPM beneficial for your Agile Career?

The increasing demand for implementation of Lean and Agile practices in different organizations has created a scope and opportunity for agile professionals who are well-versed in agile practices and who are proficient in managing projects with the necessary knowledge about mechanics and tools available in Scaled Agile Framework. To fulfil this demand the agile professionals are suggested to enroll themselves with the certification courses available in the market like SAFe POPM certification to uplift their qualification.

What SAFe POPM Certification Course teaches you?

SAFe POPM certification course teaches you the necessary skill sets required to fulfill the role of POs and PMs in an organization to produce deliverables of higher quality. This program teaches you to be more client-centric by focussing more on creating the best experience for the customer based on their demands. Obtaining SAFe certification can also set you apart from other candidates who are non-certified. Along with these, several other benefits that are associated with SAFe POPM certification are:

  • Quality- SAFe is designed in such a manner that it implements the Agile Practices without compromising the quality of the product.

  • Improvement in Efficiency and Productivity- While training in Agile one learns prioritizing the resources and tasks which increases efficiency.

  • Decision Making- SAFe Certification trains you to make clear decisions during the process.

  • Transparency/Clarity- You get clarity about the process, tools and methods from this course.

  • Collaboration and communication- This course trains you to communicate and collaborate with the stakeholders and the team.

Conclusion

SAFe POPM is a course that gives a detailed training in Agile practices which can help to boost your career in this field. It will also enhance other skills to develop your overall personality.

You should consider enrolling in a SAFe certification course at Acekube which is a learning platform that focuses on customers to enhance individual and team’s agility to adapt to changing market needs quickly with training from our experienced coaches and trainers.

FAQs

1. What are the pre-requisites for the SAFe POPM course?

There are no such pre- requisites to enroll for SAFe POPM course but it is advisable to have a degree in a technical course.

2. Who is eligible for this certification?

SAFe POPM is best suited for product managers, product owners, business owners, system architects, solution managers, program managers, PMO personnel, Agile coaches and Executives who are Agile leaders.

3. What are the courses in SAFe?

Some of the key courses in SAFe are-

  • Leading SAFe

  • SAFe POPM

  • Safe Agile Product Management

  • SAFe Scrum Master

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