Beyond the Sprint: Why Agile Teams Must Prioritize Post-Production Support

Why Post-Production and Hypercare Are Critical During Agile and SAFe Delivery

In Agile and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environments, where the emphasis is on delivering value iteratively, teams often focus intensely on sprints, backlogs, and releases. However, a crucial aspect that often gets sidelined is planning for post-production and hypercare — the phases where IT support and operations ensure the solution’s ongoing stability and usability.

To truly deliver value in an Agile or SAFe context, application development and system integration teams must bring IT support and operations into the fold early. Here’s why and how to do it.

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1. Continuous Delivery Means Continuous Responsibility

Agile and SAFe frameworks thrive on iterative delivery and frequent releases. But with continuous delivery comes continuous responsibility. If IT support and operations are brought in only after the last sprint, they inherit an overwhelming task: maintaining an application they’ve had no involvement in building.

Involving these teams from the initial program increment (PI) planning ensures they understand the application’s architecture, workflows, and technical nuances. This leads to smoother releases and fewer incidents post-launch.

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2. Operations Readiness as a Backlog Item

In Agile, teams prioritize work through a backlog. Often, operational readiness tasks like monitoring setups, alert configurations, or runbook creation don’t make the cut in the sprint backlog. This oversight can lead to chaotic post-launch scenarios.

By treating operations readiness as a first-class citizen in the backlog, teams ensure these critical tasks are prioritized and completed in sync with development.

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3. Hypercare Is a Team Effort

Hypercare — the phase immediately following a release — is a test of how well development and operations collaborate. In Agile and SAFe, where multiple teams may be delivering features concurrently, the complexity multiplies.

A coordinated hypercare approach, defined during planning stages, ensures that development teams remain available to support the operations team. This not only expedites issue resolution but also fosters trust between teams.

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4. DevOps and Agile: A Perfect Match for Support Enablement

DevOps principles align closely with Agile and SAFe, emphasizing collaboration across development and operations. Tools and practices like CI/CD pipelines, automated monitoring, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) can significantly ease the burden on IT support.

For instance, by integrating monitoring tools into the CI/CD pipeline, teams can proactively address potential bottlenecks and provide IT support with actionable insights post-deployment.

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5. Addressing SAFe’s Lean Budgeting Challenges

In SAFe, lean budgeting focuses on funding value streams rather than specific projects. While this is excellent for flexibility, it can lead to underfunding post-production activities if not accounted for early.

By including post-production support and hypercare in the program budget, organizations can avoid last-minute firefighting and ensure smooth transitions from development to operations.

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6. Agile Doesn’t Mean "Just-in-Time" for Support

While Agile thrives on flexibility, post-production planning isn’t something that can be left to the last moment. Operations teams need time to:

- Familiarize themselves with the application.

- Set up monitoring and diagnostic tools.

- Create and test incident response playbooks.

Starting this process during early sprints ensures that by the time the application is released, IT support is fully equipped to manage it.

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Best Practices for Post-Production Success in Agile and SAFe

1. Include Operations in PI Planning: In SAFe, program increments are the cornerstone of planning. Make sure IT support has a seat at the table.

2. Operational Definition of Done (DoD): Extend your DoD to include operational readiness criteria like documentation, monitoring setup, and runbook creation.

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Encourage cross-functional teams, including IT support members, to participate in sprint reviews and retrospectives.

4. Incremental Handover: Don’t wait until the last sprint to involve operations. Share knowledge incrementally, just as you deliver features.

5. Blameless Postmortems: Post-hypercare retrospectives should focus on learning, not blame, to refine processes for future releases.

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The Bigger Picture: Sustained Value Delivery

Agile and SAFe methodologies aim to deliver continuous value. But without robust post-production planning, even the most well-developed applications can falter. By integrating IT support and operations into the development lifecycle, teams can ensure that their applications don’t just meet immediate needs but deliver sustained value over time.

After all, success in Agile isn’t just about delivering functionality quickly — it’s about creating resilient systems that thrive in the real world.

How does your team address post-production challenges in Agile and SAFe? Share your experiences and insights below!