“There are key artifacts in the CIPSA Framework. In your view, however, which is the most important one, and who owns it?”
The most important artifact is the CIPSA Integrated Increment. No other artifact can replace it or even come close. I’ve emphasized this in the CIPSA certification course. See here to know more.
When applying Agile at scale with the CIPSA Framework, it’s essential to clearly understand the concept of the Integrated Increment. Unlike team-level Scrum or Kanban, where individual increments are delivered, the Integrated Increment is a different concept at scale.
I believe the following points will help. These are applicable for Scrum at Scale or Kanban at Scale with CIPSA, though in some points CIPSA Scrum is used.
Next, let’s go through the points for the CIPSA Integrated Increment. To read all articles of this series use this link: What It's and What It's Not series for CIPSA.
CIPSA Integrated Increment – What It’s and What It’s Not
1. Not Optional, but Required: The CIPSA Integrated Increment is not optional in a Sprint (or Release). At least one CIPSA Integrated Increment has to be given every Sprint (or Release).
At least one CIPSA Integrated Increment has to be given every Sprint (or Release). It is a mandatory outcome that ensures continuous delivery every Sprint (or Release). If you skip this delivery, it’ll undermine the goal of transparency and progress.
Note: Release is for Kanban at Scale with CIPSA.
2. Not Accepted, but Done: The CIPSA Integrated Increment is not about meeting acceptance criteria. A CIPSA Integrated Increment is borne when it meets the DoD.
The CIPSA Integrated Increment is borne when it meets the Definition of Done (DoD). CIPSA team's work completion is based on meeting the shared DoD, not the Chief Product Owner's (CPO) approval. This ensures consistency and quality.
For Kanban, again, it’s not the Chief Service Request Manager’s (CSRM) approval.
3. Not at Sprint (or Release) End, but Anytime: The CIPSA Integrated Increment is not delivered only at a Sprint’s (or Release) end. It can be given before.
The CIPSA Integrated Increment can be given before the end of the Sprint or Release. However, delivery can occur at any point during the Sprint (or Release) as soon as it's done. This enables feedback and better validation.
4. Not Team Review, but CIPSA Review: The CIPSA Integrated Increment is not validated in individual reviews. It’s done as part of the CIPSA Review.
The CIPSA Integrated Increment is reviewed in the CIPSA Sprint Review 0r CIPSA Review for Kanban. CIPSA Sprint Review happens at the system level, not in individual team reviews. This ensures integrated value is validated collectively.
5. Not Isolated, but Integrated: The CIPSA Integrated Increment is not an isolated work item. The CIPSA Integrated Increment is the sum of all.
The CIPSA Integrated Increment is the sum of all integrated work coming individual Scrum teams (or Kanban teams). It's not valuable in isolation, rather it must represent a cohesive, working whole.
Such an integration ensures cross-team functionalities are truly captured.
6. Not multi-Sprint (or Release), but Per Sprint (or Release): The CIPSA Integrated Increment does not come from multiple Sprints. It has to be delivered at least once in a Sprint (or Release).
The CIPSA Integrated Increment has to be delivered at least once in a Sprint. It must be delivered within a single Sprint, not across multiple ones. Unlike many frameworks, where an increment is given after multiple Sprints, the CIPSA Integrate Increment has to be delivered at least once in a Sprint. This is a key distinction.
This enforces regular integration and early problem detection, if any. For Kanban at Scale, it must be given per Release.
CIPSA Integrated Increment – Summary Table
To quickly and easily recall the key points, you can refer to the table below. It summarizes the main aspects of the CIPSA Integrated Increment.
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Concluding Words
Remember the first question from a reviewer that we started with?
The CIPSA Integrated Increment is most important artifact because of the principles of Agile manifesto. In fact, the first principle is:
"Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software."
You can replace software with product or service. When you go through the principles of the Agile Manifesto, the consistent focus on the delivery of the product or service.
This article articulates only a few of the points related to CIPSA Integrated Increment. If you want to learn in-depth and in a practical, hands-on manner, consider becoming a CIPSA professional.
You’ll find the best possible return on your investment. The course comes with a full money-back guarantee. See here to know about the guarantee.
What It's and What It's Not Series:
All Articles in What It's and What It's Not - CIPSA
CIPSA Sample Videos:
- CIPSA Sample Video List (Choose a video to play)
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