Cost-effective SAFe tooling for large organisations

How Easy Agile Programs gives you PI planning and programme boards inside Jira.

TL;DR

  • SAFe tooling becomes expensive when you add separate portfolio platforms, PI planning boards and reporting systems on top of Jira.
  • A cost-effective approach keeps Jira as the system of record and adds Jira-native apps where needed for PI planning, programme visibility and team rhythm.
  • Easy Agile Programs, Easy Agile TeamRhythm and Review by Easy Agile provide SAFe style PI planning, programme boards, team level planning and retrospectives inside Jira.

Why SAFe tooling costs grow quickly

Large organisations that adopt SAFe often introduce multiple tools:

  • Jira or another tracker at the team level.
  • A separate SAFe platform at the portfolio and programme level.
  • Whiteboards for PI planning events.
  • Reporting tools to stitch information together.

Each tool can add value but also introduces licence costs, integration work and training requirements. Over time, the total cost can be significant.

Principles for cost-effective SAFe tooling

To keep SAFe tooling affordable, focus on a few principles.

  • Use Jira as the single system of record for work.
  • Add capability where it is missing, rather than duplicating full platforms.
  • Prefer Jira-native apps to reduce integration and governance overhead.

This is where Easy Agile can play an important role.

PI planning and programme visibility with Easy Agile Programs

Easy Agile Programs provides SAFe style PI planning and programme boards on top of Jira.

It helps large organisations:

  • Run PI planning events in Jira using Programme Boards.
  • Visualise dependencies and risks across multiple teams.
  • Track delivery against PI objectives and milestones.

Because it is a Jira app, you avoid the cost and complexity of a separate enterprise platform.

Team level SAFe practices with Easy Agile TeamRhythm

SAFe depends on strong team level practices. Easy Agile TeamRhythm supports SAFe teams by providing:

  • Story mapping and backlog refinement views.
  • Sprint planning and estimation tools.
  • Retrospectives for continuous improvement.

These capabilities help agile teams deliver within the SAFe structure while staying in Jira.

Retrospectives and reviews with Review by Easy Agile

Review by Easy Agile supports Inspect and Adapt style events and regular retrospectives by:

  • Offering guided templates for reflection and learning.
  • Allowing anonymous input where appropriate.
  • Tracking actions that arise from improvement discussions.

This helps organisations meet SAFe's continuous improvement goals without buying a separate retrospective platform.