Which practice helps in maintaining 'built-in quality' throughout the development process in SAFe?

The concept of 'built-in quality' refers to the practice of ensuring that quality is an integral part of the product development process rather than an afterthought. In the context of SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), cross-functional teams play a crucial role in maintaining this built-in quality.

Cross-functional teams are made up of members with various skills and expertise, allowing them to handle all aspects of the development process, from analysis and design to development, testing, and deployment. This team structure enables immediate feedback and collaboration, promoting shared responsibility for the final product's quality. When all necessary skills are available within the team, it minimizes handoffs, reduces delays, and allows for continuous integration of work, which enhances the overall quality of the product.

Additionally, cross-functional teams can more readily adopt practices like pair programming, collective code ownership, and continuous integration, further embedding quality into the development process.

While other practices like frequent releases, refactoring, and testing automation are important in their own right and contribute to improving quality, they are often more tactical aspects that support the overarching principle of built-in quality, which is primarily realized through effective team collaboration and cross-functionality.