What is the primary objective of **SAFe**?

**The primary objective of SAFe is to scale Lean-Agile practices across large enterprises to achieve Business Agility by aligning strategy, execution, and operations.** SAFe accomplishes this through 10 immutable Lean-Agile principles, such as taking an economic view and organizing around value, and seven core competencies including Lean-Agile Leadership and Continuous Learning Culture. It structures delivery via Agile Release Trains (ARTs) of 50-125 people operating in Program Increments (PIs) of 8-12 weeks.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **SAFe**?

**No organizations are legally required to comply with SAFe, as it is a voluntary framework for enterprise agility.** Professionally, it is adopted by large enterprises scaling Agile beyond single teams, particularly in software development and IT operations with multiple ARTs, where over 20,000 organizations and 1 million certified practitioners use it for alignment in complex environments like regulated industries.

Does **SAFe** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**SAFe does not require external audits or third-party certification for implementation.** Adoption relies on internal training and certifications like SAFe Agilist, RTE, or SPC through the Scaled Agile Academy, with success measured via PI metrics, Inspect & Adapt workshops, and maturity assessments rather than formal audits.

How often should an assessment for **SAFe** be performed?

**SAFe assessments should be performed continuously through Inspect & Adapt workshops at the end of each 8-12 week Program Increment (PI).** Additional maturity assessments occur pre-implementation via tools like value stream mapping and during phased rollouts, with ongoing metrics tracking flow, velocity, and competencies at PI cadences.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **SAFe**?

**There are no legal consequences for non-compliance with SAFe, as it is not a regulatory standard.** Internal risks include failed enterprise agility, such as strategy misalignment, dependency chaos, reduced productivity (potentially missing 30-75% gains), and prolonged time-to-market in scaled environments without ART synchronization.

Can **SAFe** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, SAFe can be mapped to other international frameworks through its flexible configurations and shared Lean-Agile principles.** Its Essential to Full configurations align with team-level practices like Scrum or Kanban, while portfolio elements support DevOps pipelines and compliance adaptations for regulated delivery.

What is the first step to begin implementing **SAFe**?

**The first step to implement SAFe is to train executives in Lean-Agile Leadership via Leading SAFe or SAFe Agilist certification.** This is followed by forming a Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE), conducting value stream mapping, and launching with Essential SAFe for an initial ART per the official Implementation Roadmap.

What is the primary objective of **ISO 28000**?

**ISO 28000:2022 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a security management system (SMS) with explicit relevance to supply chain security.** It operationalizes a **Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)** cycle across Clauses 4–10, embedding risk assessment (aligned with ISO 31000), leadership commitment, operational controls, performance evaluation, and continual improvement to manage threats like malicious acts, disruptions, and supply chain interdependencies.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **ISO 28000**?

**ISO 28000 is voluntary and sector-agnostic, applicable to all organization types and sizes involved in supply chain activities.** It targets logistics providers, manufacturers, retailers, ports, and government agencies handling goods transport, storage, or related processes; compliance is driven by customer contracts, insurer requirements, or trade facilitation programs rather than legal mandates.

Does **ISO 28000** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**No, ISO 28000 does not require external audit or third-party certification; conformity may be verified via internal or external auditing.** Certification follows ISO 28003 guidelines through accredited bodies via Stage 1 (design review) and Stage 2 (implementation) audits, with ongoing surveillance; it supports market assurance but is optional.

How often should an assessment for **ISO 28000** be performed?

**Risk assessments under ISO 28000 must be maintained continuously per Clause 8.3, with internal audits conducted at planned intervals per a risk-based program (Clause 9.2).** Management reviews occur at planned intervals (Clause 9.3), typically annually, considering changes in context, performance data, and prior results; frequency scales with risk and organizational complexity.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **ISO 28000**?

**ISO 28000 non-conformance risks operational disruptions, financial losses from incidents, and failure to meet contractual or assurance obligations.** Clause 10 requires reacting to nonconformities via corrective actions, root-cause analysis, and risk-reviewed mitigations; externally, it may lead to lost market access, higher insurance premiums, or partner de-selection, with no direct legal penalties as it is voluntary.

Can **ISO 28000** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, ISO 28000:2022 aligns with ISO management system standards via its Annex SL structure and PDCA cycle.** It references ISO 31000 for risk processes (Clause 8.3), ISO 22301 for security plans (Clause 8.6), and supports integration with guidelines like ISO 19011 for auditing, enabling combined audits and shared governance without duplication.

What is the first step to begin implementing **ISO 28000**?

**The first step is determining the organization's context, interested parties, and SMS scope per Clause 4.** This includes identifying internal/external issues, legal requirements, supply chain boundaries, and controls for externally provided processes, documented as foundational input for leadership policy (Clause 5) and risk planning (Clause 6).

SAFe vs ISO 28000

Standards Comparison

SAFe

Voluntary

2023

Framework scaling Lean-Agile for enterprise Business Agility

ISO 28000

Voluntary

2022

International standard for supply chain security management systems.

Quick Verdict

SAFe scales Agile for enterprise software delivery, enabling Business Agility in IT. ISO 28000 establishes security management systems for supply chains, ensuring resilience. Companies adopt SAFe for faster delivery; ISO 28000 for risk reduction and compliance.

Agile Scaling

SAFe

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0

Cost

€€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

12-18 months

Key Features

Agile Release Trains synchronize 50-125 people for aligned delivery
Program Increments enable 8-12 week predictable value cadence
10 immutable Lean-Agile principles underpin all practices
Seven core competencies drive enterprise Business Agility
Four configurations scale from Essential to Full SAFe

Supply Chain Security

ISO 28000

ISO 28000:2022 Security management systems — Requirements

Cost

€€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

12-18 months

Key Features

Risk-based PDCA cycle for SMS
Supply chain interdependencies and supplier controls
Alignment with ISO 31000 risk management
Top management leadership and policy commitment
Integration with ISO 22301 business continuity

Detailed Analysis

A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

SAFe Details

What It Is

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 is a comprehensive knowledge base of organizational patterns and workflow for scaling Lean-Agile practices across enterprises. It integrates Agile, Lean, systems thinking, and DevOps to achieve Business Agility, spanning team, program, solution, and portfolio levels with configurable implementations.

Key Components

**Agile Release Trains (ARTs)50-125 person virtual organizations for synchronized delivery.
**Program Increments (PIs)8-12 week cadences with PI Planning and Inspect & Adapt.
10 Lean-Agile principles and 7 core competencies (e.g., Lean-Agile Leadership, Continuous Learning Culture).
Four configurations: Essential, Large Solution, Portfolio, Full. No formal certification required, but SAFe Academy offers role-based training.

Why Organizations Use It

Drives faster time-to-market (20-50%), productivity gains (30-75%), and quality improvements. Enables alignment in large-scale IT/software, compliance in regulated industries (GDPR, SOC 2), and dual operating systems for governance. Builds stakeholder trust through predictable flow and metrics.

Implementation Overview

Phased roadmap: Train leaders, map value streams, launch ARTs with RTEs. Applies to enterprises in software/IT; tools like Jira Align aid. Involves cultural shift, certifications optional for maturity.

ISO 28000 Details

What It Is

ISO 28000:2022 — Security management systems — Requirements is an international certification standard specifying requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving a security management system (SMS) focused on supply chain security. It adopts a risk-based, PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach to manage threats like theft, sabotage, and disruptions.

Key Components

Clauses 4-10 cover context, leadership, planning, support, operation, evaluation, and improvement.
Emphasizes risk assessment (aligned with ISO 31000), security policies, operational controls, audits, and supplier interdependencies.
Built on harmonized ISO structure for integration; no fixed controls, but tailored treatments.
Supports third-party certification via ISO 28003.

Why Organizations Use It

Reduces supply chain risks, ensures compliance, meets partner demands.
Enhances resilience, lowers insurance costs, boosts market access.
Builds stakeholder trust through auditable governance.

Implementation Overview

Phased: gap analysis, risk assessment, controls deployment, training, audits.
Scalable for all sizes/industries; 12-18 months typical.
Involves internal audits, management reviews; optional certification with Stage 1/2 audits.

Key Differences

Aspect	SAFe	ISO 28000
Scope	Scaling Agile for enterprise software/IT	Supply chain security management system
Industry	Software, IT operations, enterprises worldwide	Logistics, manufacturing, all sectors globally
Nature	Voluntary agile scaling framework	Voluntary certification management standard
Testing	PI planning, Inspect & Adapt workshops	Internal audits, management reviews, certification
Penalties	No penalties, loss of agility benefits	No legal penalties, certification loss

Scope

SAFe

Scaling Agile for enterprise software/IT

ISO 28000

Supply chain security management system

Industry

SAFe

Software, IT operations, enterprises worldwide

ISO 28000

Logistics, manufacturing, all sectors globally

Nature

SAFe

Voluntary agile scaling framework

ISO 28000

Voluntary certification management standard

Testing

SAFe

PI planning, Inspect & Adapt workshops

ISO 28000

Internal audits, management reviews, certification

Penalties

SAFe

No penalties, loss of agility benefits

ISO 28000

No legal penalties, certification loss

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SAFe and ISO 28000

SAFe FAQ

ISO 28000 FAQ

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SAFe

ISO 28000

Quick Verdict

SAFe

Key Features

ISO 28000

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

SAFe Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

ISO 28000 Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

Key Differences

Scope

Industry

Nature

Testing

Penalties

Frequently Asked Questions

SAFe FAQ

What is the primary objective of SAFe?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with SAFe?

Does SAFe require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for SAFe be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with SAFe?

Can SAFe be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing SAFe?

ISO 28000 FAQ

What is the primary objective of ISO 28000?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with ISO 28000?

Does ISO 28000 require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for ISO 28000 be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with ISO 28000?

Can ISO 28000 be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 28000?

You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

The Tool Landscape for Reaching and Maintaining ISO 27701 Compliance

NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5.1 Private Sector Tailoring Blueprint: First 5 Steps to Overlay-Driven Compliance with Infographic

CMMC Level 3 Implementation Guide: Integrating NIST SP 800-172 Enhanced Controls for APT Defense

Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages

NIST 800-171 vs 23 NYCRR 500

COPPA vs FDA 21 CFR Part 11

LGPD vs ISO 37301