Definition:
Enablers in agile development are technical items which support the development of business, which plays vital role in assisting business features. Enablers support efficient development and delivery of future business requirements bringing visibility to all the work necessary. They help to stabilise the architecture, infrastructure and maintaining customer needs.
Enablers as mentioned in SAFe framework, fall into four categories
- Exploration Enablers, supporting research, prototyping and other activities needed to develop an understanding of customer needs, exploring prospective solutions and to evaluate alternatives
- Architectural Enablers are created to build the architectural runway, which allows smoother and faster development
- Infrastructure Enablers are created to build, enhance and automate the development, testing and deployment environments. This facilitates faster development, higher quality testing and faster delivery.
- Compliance Enablers facilitates manning specific compliance activities, including Verification and Validation and regulatory submissions, approvals.
Enablers exists at all levels of framework
- Enabler Epics cutting across Value Streams and Program Increments.
- Enabler Capabilities and Features captures work at Large Solution and Program Levels.
- Enabler Stories fit in Iteration , where acceptance criteria clarify the requirements and support testing.
Enablers are often created by architects or system engineers at various levels improving the existing solutions.
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