PI Planning (Program Increment Planning) is a central event in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). It is the heart of large-scale coordination and typically takes place every 8 to 12 weeks. In this two-day planning workshop, all teams of an Agile Release Train (ART) – often 100+ people – come together to jointly define goals, dependencies, and priorities for the next Program Increment.
Goal and process
PI Planning serves to translate the vision and strategy from the portfolio and solution level into concrete, actionable goals for the teams. Typical process:
1. Management Context & Vision: Business owners and executives present market and company goals.
2. Product/Solution Vision: Product management provides an overview of upcoming features.
3. Team Breakouts: Teams plan their iterations, identify dependencies and risks.
4. Draft Plan Review: Initial draft plans are presented and dependencies are coordinated.
5. Final Plan & Confidence Vote: Each team presents its commitment, and all participants jointly assess their confidence in the overall plan.
The end result is program objectives that bridge the gap between strategic goals and the work of the teams.
Practical relevance
PI Planning is much more than a planning exercise. It is a social event that strengthens transparency, trust, and shared responsibility. The physical or virtual meeting promotes alignment—especially in organizations with many departments and locations.
Good preparation is a key success factor: a poorly maintained backlog, lack of capacity, or unclear vision quickly lead to frustration. Well-prepared PI Planning, on the other hand, generates energy, clarity, and a strong sense of unity.
Common misunderstandings
• Just a meeting: Many organizations see PI Planning as nothing more than an appointment in the calendar. In reality, it is a central control instrument for alignment and value flow.
• Micro-planning: PI Planning is not a task breakdown. The focus is on goals, features, and dependencies, not on individual tickets.
• One-time event: The event is recurring—it sets the pace for continuous delivery and feedback loops.
Benefits for organizations
• Alignment: All teams work toward the same business goals.
• Transparency: Dependencies, risks, and priorities are visible.
• Commitment: Teams make a commitment that builds trust.
• Motivation: Joint "big room planning" creates energy and clarity.
Especially in complex organizations, PI Planning prevents teams from working in silos and losing sight of the big picture.
Real-world example
In an international project with over 15 teams in Germany and Spain, we were able to significantly increase delivery speed through consistent PI Planning. Previously, the teams suffered from dependencies and unclear priorities. After the first joint PI Planning session, program objectives were achieved at over 80%, and the teams had a clear picture of how they could create value together.
CALADE perspective
At CALADE, we see PI Planning as a catalyst for genuine collaboration. It is not just a SAFe ritual, but a tool for ensuring focus, trust, and value creation in large organizations. We support our customers in designing PI Plannings that are inspiring, effective, and sustainable – whether on-site or remote.
By the way, we using PI Planning also in non-SAFe areas like R&D for emobil hardware. Clever combination methods on anpragmatic way ;)
Related terms
• Agile Release Train (ART)
• Program Objectives
• Inspect & Adapt (I&A)
• Business Owners
• Program Board
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