SAFe® for Architects Certification (ARCH)in Abu Dhabi

Module 1: Exploring the Role of a SAFe® Architect

Understanding the SAFe® Architect Role

• Responsibilities of architects in Lean-Agile enterprises.
• Collaboration between enterprise, solution, and system architects.
• Aligning architecture with business strategy and customer value.

Architectural Leadership in SAFe®

• Leading architectural decisions in Agile environments.
• Supporting Agile teams and Agile Release Trains (ARTs).
• Encouraging continuous learning and architectural collaboration.

Module 2: Aligning Architecture with Business Value

Business Strategy and Architectural Vision

• Translating business objectives into architectural goals.
• Defining architectural vision and measurable outcomes.
• Connecting technical decisions with customer value.

Lean-Agile Architecture Principles

• Applying Lean thinking to architecture development.
• Balancing near-term delivery with long-term sustainability.
• Supporting incremental development and continuous improvement.

Module 3: Architecting for Continuous Delivery

Continuous Delivery Pipeline

• Understanding continuous exploration, integration, deployment, and release on demand.
• Aligning architecture with automated delivery practices.
• Improving feedback loops and release readiness.

DevOps and Release Readiness

• Integrating architectural practices with DevOps and CI/CD.
• Supporting automated testing and deployment.
• Improving system reliability and delivery efficiency.

Module 4: Developing Architectural Runway

Architectural Runway Fundamentals

• Understanding architectural runway and its business value.
• Identifying upcoming technical capabilities and dependencies.
• Preparing systems to support future features.

Managing Technical Debt

• Identifying architectural constraints and legacy dependencies.
• Balancing refactoring with feature development.
• Improving maintainability, scalability, and system flexibility.

Module 5: Collaborating Across Agile Release Trains

Agile Release Train Coordination

• Understanding architecture contributions to ART execution.
• Supporting Program Increment (PI) Planning.
• Managing technical dependencies across Agile teams.

Cross-Team Architecture Alignment

• Facilitating technical collaboration across teams.
• Communicating architectural decisions and constraints.
• Supporting synchronized solution delivery.

Module 6: Designing Large-Scale Solutions

Solution Architecture and System Design

• Defining system boundaries, interfaces, and integration patterns.
• Designing scalable and resilient enterprise solutions.
• Evaluating architectural trade-offs and constraints.

Quality Attributes and Nonfunctional Requirements

• Addressing performance, availability, security, and maintainability.
• Evaluating architecture against quality requirements.
• Supporting reliable and adaptable software systems.

Module 7: Applying Lean Portfolio and Architectural Governance

Architecture Governance in SAFe®

• Establishing architectural guardrails and technical standards.
• Supporting decentralized decision-making.
• Maintaining alignment across enterprise architecture initiatives.

Portfolio and Business Alignment

• Connecting architecture investments with business priorities.
• Supporting value streams and strategic initiatives.
• Evaluating architecture decisions based on business outcomes.

Module 8: Evolving Architecture Through Innovation

Emergent Design and Evolutionary Architecture

• Supporting incremental architectural development.
• Adapting systems to changing requirements.
• Balancing experimentation with architectural integrity.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Identifying opportunities for architectural improvement.
• Incorporating stakeholder and delivery-team feedback.
• Encouraging sustainable technical innovation.

Module 9: SAFe® for Architects Practical Application

Enterprise Architecture Scenario Analysis

• Analyze business requirements and identify architectural priorities.
• Map system dependencies and evaluate design alternatives.
• Recommend architecture improvements for enterprise Agile delivery.

Architecture Planning Workshop

• Develop an architectural vision and runway plan.
• Align architecture decisions with PI objectives.
• Present architectural recommendations to stakeholders.

Module 10: SAFe® Architect Certification Exam Preparation

Certification Exam Overview

• Review the certification objectives and examination process.
• Reinforce key SAFe® architecture concepts.
• Identify knowledge gaps through practice questions.

Mock Assessment and Revision

• Practice scenario-based certification questions.
• Review architectural decision-making concepts.
• Strengthen exam readiness through targeted revision.