What is the best measure of progress for complex system development?

The best measure of progress for complex system development is the System Demo. This practice serves a crucial role in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) by providing stakeholders an opportunity to view potentially shippable increments of the product at the end of each Program Increment (PI). During the System Demo, the integrated work of the Agile Release Train (ART) is showcased, allowing teams to gather feedback and assess how well the system meets business objectives and user needs.

The emphasis on the System Demo lies in its ability to demonstrate real, working software and system capabilities, offering a tangible measure of progress rather than just theoretical plans or estimates. By highlighting integrated work across multiple teams, it helps ensure alignment and collaboration while also identifying any necessary adjustments for future iterations.

Other options, while important in their own rights, serve different purposes. Inspect and Adapt focuses on continuous improvement rather than measuring progress directly. The prioritized backlog represents the planned work items but does not reflect completed deliverables. Iteration Review is critical for understanding progress within a single iteration but does not assess the overall system’s development across the entire program increment like the System Demo does. Hence, the System Demo is the most effective measure for tracking progress in complex system development within the SAFe framework.