Methodology Comparison: DAD vs. SAFe vs. Scrum This paper will compare and contrast the definitive traits, roles, processes, artifacts, benefits, complexities, uses, tools and other factors among the following three methodologies: Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD), Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), and Scrum. Ultimately this paper will illuminate the advantages and disadvantages of each process, based on their specificities. Finally, this paper will discuss which of these three methods would be most suitable to employ at my specific company, a media company which focuses on new and publishing.

Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) refers to a form of IT solution conveyance that puts people first and which is founded on a more flexible, learning-oriented approach (disciplinedagiledelivery.com). The lifecycle of this methodology is risk-value and cognizant of enterprise and always adjustable in terms of scale (disciplinedagiledelivery.com). For these reasons, it is one of the major foundations of the entire Discipline Agile Framework. Some experts argue that DAD is more of “a process decision framework, not a methodology.  It is a hybrid of leading agile and lean methods with guidance on how to make better choices when applying strategies for the situation that you find yourself in.  DAD can be summed up as ‘pragmatic agile,’ giving you the flexibility to adapt your approach for your unique context” (Lines, 2015). This is one of the main reasons that DAD is enjoying so much popularity of late: it offers users such a massive amount of adaptability.

The main of role of DAD is that it offers a more fluid and comprehensive approach to the delivery of agile solutions (disciplinedagiledelivery.com). One way that it achieves this is by supporting a more robust array of roles via its hybrid method (disciplinedagiledelivery.com). This hybrid approach is one of the major advantages that it offers as this allows it to extend the capabilities of Scrum with techniques that have been proven to be effective. These are strategies from methods like Agile Modeling (AM), Extreme Programming (XP), and Unified Process (UP) and others (disciplinedagiledelivery.com). Another benefit that DAD offers is that it’s open: it’s a non-proprietary, freely accessible methodology that even supports a range of delivery lifecycles. One of the advantages that DAD has over Scrum is that it is able to elongate the extension of its construction-centered lifecycle from the start of the project all the way to transferring the solution to its end receivers (disciplinedagiledelivery.com). DAD also centers on lean, constant delivery and lean start up versions of the lifecycle as a whole (disciplinedagiledelivery.com). As opposed to other methods, this framework doesn’t revolve around one set lifecycle as it acknowledges that context is crucial and variety is necessary. This is yet another advantage that DAD presents: it offers choices, not set prescribed tactics in a one-size-fits-all process. It offers a goal-centered approach, offering contextual guidance towards worthwhile solutions and their pros and cons (disciplinedagiledelivery.com). Another benefit is that DAD offers guidance regarding technical practices as well as governance strategies that Scrum does not possess.

The four lifecycle models that DAD possesses means that it offers a higher level of flexibility in overall project guidance and recommendations for best processes within each type of project (Francino, 2016). To offer a construction analogy, this means that DAD offers the overall basic framework for creating a cottage, mansion, townhouse or mobile home, doing this by offering general guidance on the types of tools and processes one might want to use, rather than the prescriptive blueprint that something like Scrum would offer (Francino, 2016). It is important to note that this level of flexibility isn’t appreciated by all people, generally just those who have a solid grasp of agile in general. For professionals who are new to agile, a method like DAD doesn’t offer enough guidance. While SAFe and DAD generally...

For example, DAD has five primary roles, composed of the Stakeholder, Team Member, Team Lead, Product Owner and Architecture Owner (Ambler, 2016). The Primary roles are found regardless of scale, whereas the secondary roles are a reaction to the scaling. The secondary roles include the specialist, the domain expert, the technical expert, the independent tester, and the integrator. Thus, DAD has over three times the number of roles than Scrum, largely as a result of scope: Scrum makes leadership and change management the main aspects of construction, thus the roles it creates for people reflect that. On the other hand, DAD’s focus is on the total delivery lifecycle and all factors of solution delivery, particularly the technical factors that Scrum eliminates: thus, a larger scope means more roles need to exist to fulfill all the needs created. For example, DAD being more comprehensive, it includes agile architecture, hence there’s an architecture owner role: Scrum doesn’t deal with this, so no such role exists. DAD creates an atmosphere where the roles are more interchangeable and people on the team may take turns performing one another’s roles. Some might argue that this creates a stronger team, as everyone has a familiarity with the jobs and tasks that make things work. On the other hand, SAFe has roles for five to ten people who all have the responsibility to iterate, develop and assess some aspect of the overall solution value.
Scrum is a subdivision of Agile and an exceedingly common method for processing and implementing Agile. “It is an iterative software development model used to manage complex software and product development. Fixed-length iterations, called sprints, lasting one to two weeks long, allow the team to ship software on a regular cadence. At the end of each sprint, stakeholders and team members meet to plan next steps” (Smartsheet, 2017). Scrum follows a set of concrete jobs, tasks, and meetings that always remain constant: some professionals like this high level of consistency, whereas others find it confining or narrowing. One common example of this is how Scrum requires four ceremonies that offer structure to each sprint: sprint planning, daily stand-up, sprint demo and sprint retrospective (Smartsheet, 2017). Each individual sprint calls for the use of visual artifacts such as task boards or burndown charts which will allow one to demonstrate their progress and still be a recipient of constructive feedback and guidance (Smartsheet, 2017). The tools and artifacts, which are specific to the Scrum process, are very specific. For instance, a Scrum board is used to show the backlog or burndown chart as a means of demonstrating superior work, usually divided into three areas: work, progress and completed (Smartsheet, 2017). User stories is another software feature that harness the unique gaze of the customer, following what type of user the customer is, what he/she is trying to achieve, so that the appropriate code can be developed. The burndown chart is another element that shows all superior work as symbolized by significant benchmarks, helping the team to refocus if they are faced with many obstacles (Smartsheet, 2017). There is also the Large-Scale Scrum framework available to assist in the extension of rules and guidelines so that the core of principles of Scrum are fulfilled.

While DAD is enjoying more and more popularity, there are still many marked and definitive advantages to a methodology such as Scrum. Scrum is very concrete, prescriptive, and the roles and procedures for all involve are specific: while some might find that overwhelming to get a hold of at first, the rules and clear framework of Scrum do offer distinct advantages. The first advantage is…