Many organisations adopt agile frameworks like SAFe, yet still struggle when it comes to execution – especially in hardware environments with long development cycles and strong cross-functional dependencies.

In this talk, I will share practical insights from evolving project portfolio management at DECTRIS. The focus is on how we moved beyond classical prioritisation and introduced a quarterly execution system that blends agile principles, OKR thinking, and active leadership in portfolio steering and decision-making, ultimately leading to strong similarities with SAFe for hardware.

I will present our approach, highlight what worked, what still does not, and what we learned along the way. Key learnings include how to handle resource conflicts transparently, how to create real ownership instead of task execution, and how to align strategy with day-to-day work in a scalable way.

The session aims to foster exchange on agility in hardware and explore how SAFe principles can be applied in smaller, hardware-driven organisations. It will provide concrete ideas and reflections for leaders operating in scaled agile environments who want to improve their organisation’s ability to execute.

The talk is held in English.