Recently, in my Telegram channel, a subscriber asked a great question: is it possible to use LeSS inside one area of a large SAFe implementation?
The short answer is no. Let’s look at why.
Why Some Think It Works
I have seen Agile coaches say they tried LeSS in some areas of a SAFe rollout (what SAFe calls Agile Release Trains). At first, it may look like it works.
But the problem is that these implementations are usually very shallow. They treat LeSS as if it was only a framework. In that case, you can tweak events, adjust cadences and roles, and say: “Here, we have LeSS.”
But this is wrong.
LeSS Is Not a Framework
LeSS is organizational design. This is stated directly on the official site.
Real LeSS requires deep changes in:
- power structures,
- processes,
- rewards and HR policies.
If you only change processes, the result will be partial. You will never see the full power of LeSS.
Feature Teams Are Essential
One clear example.
The main building block of LeSS is feature teams that do both discovery and delivery.
When 4–8 feature teams work from a single Product Backlog, some specialists may not have tasks in their main skill area because of variability in requirements and technologies in product development. Work usually does not spread evenly across teams. This is normal.
That is why developing T-shaped and M-shaped skills is essential. LeSS supports this by suggesting (Guide: LeSS Organizational Structure) a cross-functional line manager who is the direct manager for all members of the feature teams. As a result, the organization shifts to a cross-functional line structure.
One of the recommended structures in LeSS
Why It Conflicts in Large Organizations
In most big companies, the structure looks different. There are functional line managers — a test lead, an analytics lead, a Java lead, and so on. This structure makes it hard to grow cross-functional skills in a large organization.
And remember: if you are trying to combine SAFe and LeSS, you are probably in a very large company with thousands of employees. In such a context, moving to a cross-functional line structure is extremely difficult.
Can You Pilot SAFe and LeSS in One Company?
In theory, yes. But usually this means running pilots in different divisions. LeSS means deep changes in organizational design. Cosmetic changes do not work. Inside a single unit, SAFe and LeSS would conflict.