Overview

The Solution Context identifies those critical aspects of the target solution environment, including usage, installation, deployment, run time and support. This artifact would logically be created during the Analysis phase of the Kanban for Epics and typically would reflect the operational information about the ultimate solution to be delivered. This information is informed by the intent of the solution, described by the Solution Intent artifact.

Learn more about Solution Context as described by SAFe.

Artifact Template

The Solution Context has a corresponding artifact template that can be used when you create a new Solution Context artifact. The template reminds you about the things you should consider when articulating the context for a given solution. The template looks like this:

[Solution Context Title]

<Mapped to the Solution Intent title that is informed by this context.>

Installation

<Identify any installation considerations and constraints.>

Operating Environment

<Describe the operating environment, highlighting any distinctions for this solution above and beyond the Value Stream operating environment.>

Packaging

<Describe how the solution will be packaged, highlighting unique considerations.>

Support

<How will the solution be supported? List specific resources charged with ensuring that Support collateral is developed along with the solution. >

Enablement

<How will sellers and customers be enabled on the solution? List specific resources charged with ensuring that Enablement collateral is developed along with the solution. >

Services

<Will there be services associated with, or even packaged with, the solution? List specific resources charged with ensuring that Services collateral is developed along with the solution. >

Marketing

<How will the solution be marketed so that it is easily discoverable by customers? List specific resources charged with ensuring that Marketing collateral is developed along with the solution. Specifically describe the digital “try, buy, sell” plan.>

Selling

<How will the solution be sold? List specific resources charged with actually selling or developing the  Sales collateral associated with the solution. >

Attributes

The Solution Context artifact type defines the following custom attributes:

• Owner - The owner of the artifact
• Status - The status of the artifact (see States below)

States

The Solution Context artifact type has this workflow:

• Draft - Initial state of the artifact
• Under Review - Indicates that the artifact is being reviewed by the Portfolio team
• In Playback - Indicates that the artifact is being reviewed with stakeholders and customers for feedback
• Approved - Indicates that it is approved by the Portfolio team as well as stakeholders/customers
• Rejected - Indicates that the artifact is rejected and no further work will be done
• Deprecated - Indicates that the artifact has been deprecated and there may possibly be a newer version of it

Traceability