Managing Architectural Runway In PI Planning Prep

Blog Author

Siddharth

Published

30 Jul, 2025

Managing Architectural Runway In PI Planning Prep

Architectural runway is the set of existing technical components, infrastructure, and design decisions that make it possible to deliver near-term features without massive refactoring. Think of it as having solid tracks laid down so your Agile Release Train (ART) doesn’t derail halfway through the journey.

If you neglect it, your teams end up stuck, blocked, or wasting time fixing yesterday’s shortcuts. That’s why architectural runway prep is central to effective PI planning.

Why PI Planning Prep Needs Architectural Runway

Here’s the thing: PI planning is where teams commit to delivering business value. But those commitments are only as good as the technical foundation under them. If the runway is weak, teams spend more time fighting fires than building features.

A well-managed architectural runway lets you:

Deliver features predictably
Reduce technical debt
Pivot quickly when priorities shift
Keep the ART moving at a steady, sustainable pace

Who Owns the Architectural Runway?

Everyone has a part to play, but the real heavy lifting falls to the System Architect, Release Train Engineer, and Agile Teams.

System Architects are responsible for defining and evolving the runway — making sure technology choices align with business strategy.
Product Owners and Product Managers keep an eye on the near-term backlog, flagging features that will need new or updated architectural elements.
Scrum Masters remove blockers, encourage collaboration, and surface risks early.
The Release Train Engineer orchestrates the big picture, making sure architectural work fits the cadence of the PI.

If you want to dive deep into these roles, check out the Leading SAFe Agilist Certification Training and SAFe Release Train Engineer Certification Training.

Key Steps for Managing Architectural Runway in PI Planning Prep

Let’s break down a practical approach you can use in the real world:

1. Get Clarity on the Vision

Before you even start talking features, revisit the business and product vision. What are you aiming for in this PI? What’s likely coming next? Good architecture is always tied to what’s next, not just what’s now.

Tip: Connect with Product Management and stakeholders to ensure everyone’s looking at the same horizon. That’s where the SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager POPM Certification comes into play — these are the people who help keep the train pointed in the right direction.

2. Assess the Existing Runway

Runway isn’t a checkbox — it’s a living asset. Take inventory:

Which technical capabilities are solid?
Where are the cracks, workarounds, or tech debt landmines?
Are there upcoming features or enablers that will hit architectural bottlenecks?

This assessment should involve architects, senior engineers, and team leads. Don’t let it turn into a post-mortem; keep it focused on solutions.

3. Identify and Prioritize Enablers

Not all PI backlog items are user features. Enablers extend or strengthen the runway — infrastructure work, refactoring, spikes, and technical investigations.

In PI planning prep:

Work with architects to propose enabler stories that lay the necessary groundwork.
Make sure these stories are visible in the backlog, not hidden in side meetings or technical wish lists.
Prioritize enablers that unblock the most critical features.

For more on balancing this work, SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Certification Training covers advanced techniques for making this happen across teams.

4. Bring the Right People Together

Don’t silo architectural conversations. Ahead of PI planning, set up pre-PI architecture syncs:

System Architect and key engineers review the roadmap with Product Management.
Team leads share technical constraints or opportunities.
Risks get flagged and recorded, not swept under the rug.

Strong collaboration here can prevent the “oh, we can’t do that because the platform isn’t ready” moment halfway through the PI.

5. Make Architecture Visible in PI Planning

During PI planning, architectural runway work should be on the board, right next to features. Treat it as first-class work — not invisible labor. This drives transparency and helps teams make realistic commitments.

Tie architectural enablers directly to business features when possible. If you’re spending time on the runway, everyone should know which train it’s for.

6. Track Progress and Adjust

Just like you track feature delivery, keep tabs on architectural runway work during the PI:

Are enablers getting done, or slipping?
Are teams running into new architectural needs you didn’t plan for?
Is new technical debt popping up?

Hold regular syncs between architects and Scrum Masters to review progress, flag risks, and adjust. Here’s where strong Scrum Masters earn their stripes — SAFe Scrum Master Certification will give you the playbook for managing these cross-team dependencies.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Managing architectural runway sounds simple, but it’s easy to get it wrong. Here are a few traps to watch out for:

Treating architecture as an afterthought: If you bolt it on after features are planned, you’ll hit walls you can’t see coming.
Letting enabler work pile up: Don’t let technical debt sneak in because “there wasn’t time this PI.”
Siloed technical work: When only architects talk architecture, teams miss context. Bring the conversation into the open.
Not linking architecture to business outcomes: Technical improvements are only valuable if they support delivering business value. Make the connection clear.

Making Architectural Runway a Habit

Sustaining a healthy runway isn’t a once-a-quarter scramble. It’s a habit:

Bake architectural discussions into every planning interval.
Continuously update the architectural roadmap as features, technology, and business needs evolve.
Keep a regular pulse between architects, Product Management, and teams.

To get hands-on with building this culture, dive into the resources at Scaled Agile Framework: Architectural Runway.

Quick Checklist for PI Planning Prep

Want a practical way to get started? Here’s a working checklist:

Sync with Product Management on PI vision and major features
Review existing runway: What’s strong, what needs work?
Identify and prioritize enabler stories
Hold architecture syncs before PI planning
Make architectural work visible during PI planning
Assign clear owners and due dates for enabler stories
Review progress regularly and adapt

Wrapping Up

Architectural runway isn’t some technical overhead. It’s what lets your teams move quickly and safely, deliver real value, and avoid grinding to a halt mid-PI. If you invest in it — with the right people, visibility, and discipline — you’ll set your ART up for long-term success.

Want to deepen your practical skills? Explore these hands-on trainings: