Agile, SAFe, and AI Glossary
Between SAFe, Agile, Six Sigma, and AI, SIG uses a lot of shorthand. This page pulls every term and acronym from across our site into one place, in plain language, so you never have to guess what ART, WSJF, or AI Readiness actually means. We keep it updated as our work and our terminology evolve.
Looking for something specific? Jump to a letter below, or use Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on a Mac) to search this page directly.
A
Acceptance Criteria
AgileThe specific, testable conditions a piece of work must meet before a team calls it done.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Adoption Readiness
AIOne of SIG’s four AI readiness pillars. It measures how prepared people and teams actually are to change the way they work, not just try a new tool.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Agentic AI
AIAI systems that can plan and carry out multi-step tasks on their own, rather than just answering one question at a time.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Agile Release Train (ART)
SAFeA long-lived team of agile teams that plans, commits to, and delivers value together on a regular cadence.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
AI Adoption
AIThe process of building AI tools and workflows into how a team or organization actually works, not just piloting them on the side.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
AI Governance
AIThe policies, guardrails, and oversight an organization puts in place to manage how AI gets used and the risk that comes with it.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
AI Legislation
AILaws and regulations that govern how organizations can build, use, or deploy AI systems.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
AI Literacy
AIA working understanding of what AI can and can’t do, and how to use it responsibly.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
AI Readiness
AIHow prepared an organization is to adopt AI in a way that sticks, measured across data, leadership, process, and adoption.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
AI Upskilling
AITraining people to build real, practical AI skills they use in their day to day work.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
ART Launch
SAFeThe formal kickoff of a new Agile Release Train, including training and its first planning event.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
B
Backlog
AgileThe prioritized list of work, projects, epics, features, or stories a team or portfolio hasn’t tackled yet.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Backlog Refinement
AgileThe ongoing work of clarifying, sizing, and preparing backlog items so they’re ready to be planned.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Bias Management
AIThe practices an organization uses to find and reduce unfair or skewed outcomes in AI systems.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Blue-Green Deployment
DevOpsA release approach where two identical environments run side by side, so traffic can shift to the new version with almost no downtime.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Business Agility
AgileAn organization’s ability to sense change in the market and respond quickly, not just at the team level but across the whole enterprise.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
C
Canary Deployment
DevOpsRolling out a change to a small slice of users first, watching how it performs, then expanding it once it’s proven safe.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Capability
SAFeA large piece of solution functionality that usually spans multiple Agile Release Trains and gets sized for delivery within a Program Increment.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Capacity Planning
AgileThe process of matching a team’s available time and bandwidth to the work committed for an upcoming sprint or Program Increment, so the team doesn’t overcommit before planning locks in.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
CFO (Chief Financial Officer)
BusinessThe executive responsible for an organization’s financial strategy and reporting.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment)
DevOpsThe practice of automatically building, testing, and releasing code changes so new work reaches production quickly and safely.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
CIO (Chief Information Officer)
BusinessThe executive responsible for an organization’s information technology strategy and systems.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Classes of Service
AgileCategories, like standard, expedite, fixed date, and intangible, that define how different types of work get prioritized on a Kanban board.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
CoD (Cost of Delay)
SAFeA way of putting a number on what it costs an organization, in lost value, every week or month a piece of work sits and waits.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Confluence
BusinessAtlassian’s team documentation and knowledge management tool, widely used to store decision logs, process docs, and program artifacts alongside Jira.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Connecting Strategy to Execution
SIG FrameworkSIG’s term for aligning the work teams do every day with company goals and OKRs, so strategy doesn’t stay stuck on a slide.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
COO (Chief Operating Officer)
BusinessThe executive responsible for day to day operations across an organization.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
CPO (Chief Product Officer)
BusinessThe executive responsible for an organization’s product strategy and roadmap.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
CSM (Certified Scrum Master)
AgileA certification from Scrum Alliance that verifies foundational Scrum knowledge and facilitation skills. A-CSM is the advanced tier.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
CTO (Chief Technology Officer)
BusinessThe executive responsible for an organization’s technology direction and engineering strategy.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Cumulative Flow Diagram
AgileA chart that shows how work builds up across each stage of a process over time, which makes bottlenecks easy to spot.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Cycle Time
AgileThe amount of time it takes a single piece of work to move from start to finish.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
D
Daily Standup
AgileA short daily check-in where a team syncs on progress, plans, and any blockers, usually 15 minutes or less.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Data Readiness
AIOne of SIG’s four AI readiness pillars. It measures how clean, accessible, and trustworthy an organization’s data is before AI gets layered on top of it.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Definition of Done
AgileThe team’s shared checklist for what “finished” actually means for a piece of work, covering things like testing, review, and deployment.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Definition of Ready
AgileThe team’s shared standard for what a piece of work needs before it can be pulled into a sprint.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control)
Six SigmaA five-phase Six Sigma method for improving an existing process.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
DORA Metrics
DevOpsFour measures from DevOps Research and Assessment used to gauge software delivery performance: deployment frequency, lead time for changes, time to restore service, and change failure rate.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
E
Enterprise Agile Coach
AgileA senior practitioner who coaches transformation across an entire organization, working at the level of strategy, culture, and leadership rather than a single team.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Enterprise Transformation
SIG FrameworkLarge scale organizational change that touches people, process, and technology together, not just one piece of the business.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Epic
SAFeA large body of work, or a significant solution initiative, that needs a Lean business case and portfolio approval before it gets funded.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
EPMO (Enterprise Project Management Office)
BusinessA project management office that sets standards and oversees execution across an entire enterprise, rather than a single department.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
F
Feature
SAFeA piece of functionality, sized so a single Agile Release Train can deliver it within one Program Increment.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Feature Toggles
DevOpsA way to turn a feature on or off in production without deploying new code, so teams can separate releasing code from releasing a feature to users.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Fibonacci Sequence
AgileA numbering pattern (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13…) many agile teams use for relative sizing, since the growing gaps between numbers force real conversations about size.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Flow Metrics
AgileMeasurements, like cycle time, throughput, and work in progress, that show how well work is actually moving through a system.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Fractional Leadership
SIG FrameworkAn embedded transformation leader who joins an organization for a defined period, rather than a full time hire.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Frontier Professionals
AIA term from Microsoft research describing the minority of workers who have built real, repeatable habits around where AI genuinely helps and where it doesn’t.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
I
IC (Individual Contributor)
BusinessA person in a professional role who does hands-on delivery work without managing other people. In SIG’s job family framework, IC levels run from T1 (entry level) through T6 (senior principal).
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Impediment
AgileAnything blocking a team from moving work forward, whether it’s a technical dependency, an organizational policy, or a person who hasn’t responded. Removing impediments is a primary responsibility of the Scrum Master and RTE.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Inspect and Adapt
SAFeA structured review, held at the end of a Program Increment, where teams look at what happened and adjust before the next one starts.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
J
Jira Accelerator
SIG FrameworkA pre-built, importable set of work items SIG uses to speed up how fast a team can get a backlog structured in Jira or a similar tool.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Job Family
BusinessA group of related roles that share a common function and progression path. SIG’s job family library organizes technology delivery roles into families (TPM, Agile Delivery, Enterprise PMO) with defined IC and leadership levels.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
K
Kanban
AgileA visual system for managing work that limits how much is in progress at once and pulls in new work only when there’s capacity.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Kanban Planning
AgileThe practice of reviewing and planning work on a Kanban board, focused on flow and work in progress limits rather than fixed sprints.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
BusinessA specific, measurable value used to track how well a team or organization is meeting a goal.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
L
LACE (Lean/Agile Center of Excellence)
SAFeA small team that guides and supports an organization’s agile transformation across the enterprise.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Leadership Alignment
AIOne of SIG’s four AI readiness pillars. It measures whether an organization’s leaders actually agree on why and how AI should be adopted.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Lean
Six SigmaA way of working that focuses on delivering value while cutting out waste, delay, and anything that doesn’t matter to the customer.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Lean Business Case
SAFeThe approval document used to justify funding for an Epic before work begins.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Lean Coffee
AgileA structured but agenda-free meeting format where participants vote on what topics to discuss, then work through them in order of interest. Used to surface the conversations a group most needs to have.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Lean Portfolio Management (LPM)
SAFeConnecting strategy to funding, prioritizing the right work, and giving executives real visibility into how the portfolio is performing.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
M
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
AIA standard that lets AI tools connect to outside data sources and other tools in a consistent way.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Miro
BusinessA digital whiteboard platform widely used for remote and hybrid workshop facilitation, PI planning, and visual collaboration.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
MoSCoW Prioritization
AgileA way to sort work into Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won’t have, so a team is clear on what matters most.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
AgileThe smallest version of a product or feature that’s still complete enough to deliver real value and gather feedback.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
O
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)
BusinessA goal setting method that pairs a qualitative objective with a small number of measurable results that show whether it’s on track.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
P
PI (Program Increment)
SAFeA fixed timebox, usually eight to twelve weeks, during which an Agile Release Train plans, builds, and delivers value.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
PI Planning (Program Increment Planning)
SAFeSAFe’s big room planning event, where every team on an Agile Release Train plans the next Program Increment together.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
PM (Product Manager)
SAFeThe role responsible for defining and prioritizing the features a team or ART builds, representing the market and business needs to the development organization.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
PMO (Project Management Office)
BusinessThe team or function responsible for setting project management standards and overseeing execution across an organization.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
PO (Product Owner)
AgileThe role responsible for representing the customer’s priorities and deciding what a team builds next.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Portfolio Kanban
SAFeA visual board that tracks epics as they move from idea through analysis, approval, and implementation across the whole portfolio.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Process Maturity
AIOne of SIG’s four AI readiness pillars. It measures how well defined and repeatable an organization’s processes are before adding AI into them.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Program Backlog
SAFeThe list of features and enablers waiting to be pulled into a Program Increment.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Program Predictability Measure
SAFeA metric that shows how closely an Agile Release Train’s actual delivery matches what it planned to deliver during PI Planning.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Prompt Library
AIA saved collection of tested AI prompts a team can reuse instead of starting from scratch every time.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Pull System
AgileA way of managing work where team members take on new work only when they have the capacity for it, rather than having it pushed onto them.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
R
RAID Log
BusinessA running log of Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies that a team tracks throughout a project or program.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Retrospective
AgileAn Event where a team looks back at how a sprint or iteration went and decides what to keep doing, stop doing, and try next.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
ROI (Return on Investment)
BusinessA measure of the value gained from an investment relative to what it cost.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
RR/OE (Risk Reduction and Opportunity Enablement)
SAFeOne of the factors in the WSJF formula, capturing the value of reducing risk or opening up a new opportunity.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
RTE (Release Train Engineer)
SAFeThe servant leader and coach for an Agile Release Train, responsible for facilitating its events and processes.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
S
SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
SAFeThe leading framework for scaling agile practices across large enterprises, connecting strategy, teams, and delivery.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Scrum Master
AgileThe role that facilitates a team’s events, removes blockers the team can’t clear on its own, and protects the team from unplanned work.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Servant Leadership
AgileA leadership philosophy where leaders put the needs of their team first, focusing on removing obstacles, building capability, and enabling others to do their best work rather than directing from authority.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
SIPOC (Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers)
Six SigmaA high level map of a process, used early in a process improvement effort to define its boundaries.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Six Sigma
Six SigmaA data driven methodology for reducing defects and variation in a process.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
DevOpsA commitment that defines the level of service a team or vendor promises to deliver.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
SLO (Service Level Objective)
DevOpsA specific, measurable target within an SLA, like uptime or response time.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
SME (Subject Matter Expert)
BusinessSomeone with deep, specific knowledge of a process, system, or domain.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
SOW (Statement of Work)
BusinessA document that defines the scope, deliverables, and terms of an engagement.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
SPC (SAFe Program Consultant)
SAFeA certification for the people trained to lead and coach SAFe implementations inside an organization.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Sprint
AgileA fixed length iteration, usually one or two weeks, during which a team commits to and delivers a set amount of work.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Sprint Demo
AgileAn Event where a team shows completed work to stakeholders and gathers feedback. Also called a Sprint Review.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Sprint Goal
AgileThe outcome a sprint is meant to achieve, described in terms a customer or stakeholder would recognize rather than a list of tickets.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Sprint Planning
AgileAn Event where a team decides what work it will commit to for the upcoming sprint.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
SSM (SAFe Scrum Master)
SAFeA SAFe-specific certification that equips Scrum Masters to facilitate team events, remove impediments, and coach Lean-Agile practices inside an Agile Release Train.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
STE (Solution Train Engineer)
SAFeThe servant leader and coach for a Solution Train, coordinating multiple Agile Release Trains working toward a shared solution.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Steering Committee
BusinessA group of senior leaders who provide direction, oversight, and decision authority for a program, transformation, or major initiative.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Story Mapping
AgileA visual technique for breaking a feature down into the steps a user actually takes, to help a team sequence and size the work.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Story Points
AgileA relative unit teams use to size the effort of a piece of work compared to other work, rather than estimating hours directly.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Story Splitting
AgileBreaking a piece of work that’s too large for one sprint into smaller pieces that can each be finished and tested on their own.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Strategic Themes
SAFeThe high level business objectives that connect a portfolio’s vision to the work it actually funds and executes.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Swarming
AgileA team temporarily converging on a single blocked or high priority item to get it moving again.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
T
Team Charter
AgileA document a team creates together that defines their norms, working agreements, roles, and how they’ll handle conflict, used to align a new or reformed team before the first sprint starts.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Three Amigos
AgileA practice where a developer, tester, and product representative review a piece of work together before it starts, to catch gaps early.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Throughput
AgileThe amount of work a team completes in a given period of time.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
TPM (Technical Program Manager)
BusinessThe role responsible for coordinating complex, cross-team technical programs from planning through delivery.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
TPM Value Ladder
SIG FrameworkSIG’s framework for how AI changes program management work. AI takes on Tier 1 (Assembly) and Tier 2 (Production) work, while practitioners focus on Tier 3 (Synthesis) and Tier 4 (Judgment).
Last updated: September 29, 2026
TPMO (Technical Program Management Office)
BusinessThe function responsible for technical program management standards and oversight across an organization.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Trunk-Based Development
DevOpsA branching strategy where developers merge small changes into a single shared branch frequently, instead of working in long-lived separate branches.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
U
User Story
AgileA short description of a piece of work written from the user’s point of view, usually in the form “As a [role], I want [action], so that [value].”
Last updated: September 29, 2026
V
Value Stream
SAFeThe end-to-end series of steps an organization uses to deliver value to a customer, from idea to working solution.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Velocity
AgileA team’s average amount of completed work per sprint, used to forecast future capacity.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
VOC (Voice of the Customer)
Six SigmaDirect input from customers about their needs and expectations, gathered to guide a process improvement effort.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
VP (Vice President)
BusinessA senior executive title, often used for leaders who own a specific function like the PMO or Portfolio.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
W
WIP (Work in Progress)
AgileThe amount of work currently being worked on at once. Teams often set WIP limits to keep from overloading a stage of work.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
Workflow Automation
AIUsing AI or other tools to handle repetitive steps in a process automatically, freeing people to focus on higher value work.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First)
SAFeA prioritization method that sequences work by dividing its cost of delay by its size, so the items with the best ratio of value to effort go first.
Last updated: September 29, 2026