How can an RTE help manage dependencies across teams?

An RTE (Release Train Engineer) plays a crucial role in managing dependencies across teams by facilitating discussions that aim to identify and manage these dependencies effectively. This collaborative approach is essential within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), where multiple Agile teams work together as part of an Agile Release Train (ART).

By facilitating discussions, the RTE ensures that all team members are aware of dependencies that may impact their work and timelines. This transparency enables teams to coordinate their efforts, share information, and synchronize their activities to avoid potential bottlenecks or misunderstandings. Additionally, these discussions encourage proactive problem-solving, allowing teams to work together to develop plans that address identified dependencies, ensuring smoother integration of their work by the end of an increment.

In contrast to other approaches, such as avoiding discussions about dependencies, which can lead to confusion and misalignment, or delegating the management of dependencies to external stakeholders, which might remove the teams from the decision-making process, active facilitation by the RTE promotes a shared understanding and collective ownership of the work involved. This method reinforces the essence of collaboration within SAFe and empowers teams to take responsibility for managing their dependencies effectively.