What is a crucial aspect of Agile Release Trains (ARTs) in SAFe?

In the context of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), a crucial aspect of Agile Release Trains (ARTs) is that they involve multiple teams working towards a shared mission. ARTs are designed to enhance collaboration and alignment across various teams, promoting synergy in delivering value to the customer. This collective effort allows the teams to synchronize their work, plan together, and integrate their outputs to ensure a cohesive delivery of larger solutions or increments.

By fostering teamwork around a common objective, ARTs enable the implementation of Agile principles at scale, which is essential for larger organizations seeking to deliver complex products more efficiently. This alignment helps to streamline processes, reduce dependencies, and ultimately enhance the overall performance and productivity of the organization.

The collaborative nature of ARTs stands in contrast to the ideas of independence or focusing solely on short-term objectives, which could lead to fragmented efforts and a lack of strategic alignment. Moreover, an architectural vision is important for guiding the work and ensuring long-term sustainability, thus further emphasizing the importance of a shared mission within ARTs.