In Agile frameworks, particularly in large-scale environments such as the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), ensuring the system meets both functional and non-functional requirements is crucial for success. While functional requirements dictate what a system should do, non-functional requirements (NFRs) address how well the system performs. Non-functional enablers play a pivotal role in supporting these requirements and ensuring that architectural decisions align with long-term business goals. Collaborating with system architects to refine these enablers is an essential activity to ensure system scalability, reliability, security, and performance.

This blog explores the role of non-functional enablers, the importance of collaboration with system architects, and how Product Owners and Product Managers (PO/PMs) can contribute to refining these enablers in a SAFe environment.

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Understanding Non-Functional Enablers in SAFe

In SAFe, non-functional enablers are items in the backlog that enable and support the system’s non-functional requirements, like security, performance, scalability, and usability. These enablers are critical for sustaining the system’s performance in production and ensuring that business needs are met effectively over time.

Enablers, in general, are often classified into two categories:

1. Architectural Enablers – These support the system’s architecture and technical infrastructure, ensuring it can scale and evolve as needed.

2. Compliance Enablers – These ensure the system complies with regulatory requirements and industry standards, often dealing with aspects like security and data privacy.

Non-functional enablers, therefore, help guide decisions on how these architectural and compliance requirements are addressed in the Agile Release Train (ART) and solution development.

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Why Collaborate with System Architects?

The collaboration between Product Owners/Managers and system architects is crucial because both groups are working towards the same goal—creating a product that meets both user needs and technical excellence.

1. Bridging the Gap Between Business and Technology
   Product Owners and Managers are deeply embedded in the business and customer needs, while system architects bring their technical expertise to the table. Without a shared understanding, there could be a mismatch between what the system needs to deliver and the technical constraints of the architecture. Regular collaboration ensures that technical requirements (like performance, reliability, and scalability) are integrated into the product's design from the outset.

2. Ensuring the System's Viability and Scalability
   Non-functional requirements often have long-term implications. For example, scalability might not be critical during the early phases of product development but becomes crucial as the user base grows. By collaborating with architects, PO/PMs ensure that these concerns are accounted for in every iteration, preventing potential bottlenecks down the line.

3. Fostering Continuous Improvement
   Working with architects on non-functional enablers allows PO/PMs to help define the backlog in a way that reflects the evolving needs of the product. Architects ensure that the right technical improvements are made to maintain and improve the system's quality, which ultimately supports business agility. This iterative approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

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Steps for PO/PMs to Effectively Collaborate with System Architects

1. Define Clear Non-Functional Requirements

To refine non-functional enablers, the first step is understanding the specific non-functional requirements (NFRs) that the system needs to meet. These could include:

• Scalability – The system’s ability to handle growth in user volume, transactions, or data.

• Performance – The speed at which the system responds to requests, such as latency and throughput.

• Security – Safeguarding the system from external threats and ensuring data privacy.

• Availability – The system’s ability to remain operational under various conditions, including load balancing, redundancy, and failover.

• Usability – Ensuring that the system is user-friendly and accessible.

Once these are identified, PO/PMs should work closely with architects to ensure that the backlog reflects these requirements accurately and is prioritized appropriately.

2. Collaborate Early and Often

Product Owners and Managers should be involved early in the system architecture planning process. The iterative nature of SAFe means that decisions around architectural enablers must be made as early as possible to avoid costly technical debt in later stages. Regular interactions during PI Planning, system demos, and backlog refinement sessions will ensure that both teams stay aligned on goals and constraints.

3. Incorporate Technical Debt Considerations into the Backlog

Non-functional enablers often involve addressing technical debt. This is the cost of taking shortcuts in the development process that might result in poor system performance or maintainability later on. By collaborating with architects, PO/PMs can ensure that these items are appropriately tracked and prioritized in the backlog. This proactive approach helps mitigate the impact of technical debt on future development cycles.

4. Focus on Business Value and Customer Needs

System architects often focus on technical excellence, while PO/PMs need to ensure that the end result aligns with customer needs and business goals. Regular communication between these two roles ensures that the technical enablers support the product's features and functionality. By continuously aligning on business value, PO/PMs can help ensure that enablers don’t become just technical artifacts, but are tied directly to customer satisfaction and product success.

5. Review and Adapt Based on Metrics

In an Agile environment, measurement is key. Regularly review performance metrics related to non-functional enablers, such as response times, system availability, and user feedback. By examining these metrics, PO/PMs can work with architects to adapt the system design and ensure the enablers continue to meet business objectives.

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Key Challenges in Refining Non-Functional Enablers

While collaboration between Product Owners and system architects is essential, there are challenges that often arise:

1. Balancing Speed and Quality
   Agile's emphasis on delivering quickly may sometimes conflict with the need for careful architectural refinement. Product Owners and architects must balance the urgency of delivering features with the long-term need for system stability and performance.

2. Technical Complexity
   Non-functional enablers often involve complex technical concepts that may not be easily understood by all stakeholders. To overcome this, architects need to communicate their decisions clearly to PO/PMs and ensure that the business value is easily understandable.

3. Stakeholder Misalignment
   Ensuring that all stakeholders (including architects, PO/PMs, development teams, and business leaders) are aligned on the goals of non-functional enablers can be a challenge. Regular meetings and transparency are essential for ensuring everyone is on the same page.

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Conclusion

Refining non-functional enablers is essential for building robust, scalable, and high-performing systems in Agile environments. By collaborating with system architects, Product Owners and Product Managers can ensure that the system’s technical foundation aligns with both business objectives and customer needs. Through regular communication, careful backlog management, and a shared understanding of non-functional requirements, teams can mitigate technical risks, reduce debt, and create a product that stands the test of time.

For those looking to develop expertise in aligning business needs with technical capabilities, SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM) Certification is an excellent pathway. This certification can enhance your ability to work effectively with architects and other technical stakeholders, ensuring that the system not only delivers on functional requirements but excels in non-functional areas as well.

 

Learn more about SAFe POPM Certification and how it can help you elevate your role in SAFe implementations.

 

Also read - Mapping Enablers to Architectural Runway in SAFe Portfolios

Also see - Managing Release Train Coordination with PI Objectives and Dependencies