Using design thinking to create valuable products in the Lean Enterprise
SAFe Agile Product Management goes beyond the backlog. Where POPM establishes how Product Owners and Product Managers operate within an ART, APM explores the customer discovery and strategic thinking that should drive what goes on the backlog in the first place.
The course uses design thinking as its central lens, giving Product Managers a practical method for understanding customer needs, generating ideas, and validating them before committing to delivery. From that foundation, participants explore how to shape a compelling product vision, develop a coherent strategy, and build roadmaps that maintain direction while remaining adaptable to change.
As a private cohort, the course is particularly valuable when an organisation wants to align its Product Management community around a shared approach to customer centricity and product strategy.
What your people will learn
- How to apply design thinking to put customers at the centre of product decisions
- How continuous exploration fuels innovation and better product outcomes
- How to define a clear product vision and communicate it to the ART
- How to create a product strategy that balances market demands with delivery realities
- How to develop short-term roadmaps that contribute to long-term value creation
- How to use customer and market feedback to evolve the product direction
- How to align Product Management and Product Ownership for consistent backlog prioritisation
- How to measure outcomes rather than just outputs
Who this course is for
- Product Managers working within or moving into a SAFe environment
- Product Owners who want to develop stronger strategic thinking and customer insight
- UX and CX professionals contributing to product direction within an ART
- Business and process analysts who support Product Management functions
- Agile coaches and RTEs who need to better support Product Management capability
- Leaders responsible for product strategy and value stream outcomes
Certification and exam
This course prepares attendees for the SAFe® Agile Product Manager (APM) certification.
- SAFe® Agile Product Manager (APM) certification
- 45 multiple choice questions
- 90 minutes
- 76% pass mark
- Two exam attempts within 30 days included
- Unlimited practice test with feedback and coaching report
- Perpetual access to the course workbook and SAFe Studio
- Certification renewed yearly
Taking the exam within the first month after completing the course is recommended, while the material is still fresh.
What attendees get after the course
- Course workbook and certificate of completion
- Eligibility to sit the SAFe® Agile Product Manager (APM) certification exam
- One-year membership to SAFe Studio with product management templates and resources
- Access to practice tools, learning materials, and the wider SAFe community
- Digital badge on successful passing of the certification exam
Prerequisites
Anyone is welcome to attend. For those intending to sit the certification exam, the following background is recommended:
- 2+ years of experience in product or project management
- Familiarity with Agile practices such as Scrum or SAFe
- Prior or upcoming participation within an Agile Release Train
Why organisations choose this course
Most SAFe implementations have capable Product Owners managing their backlogs well, but fewer have Product Managers with the design thinking and strategy skills to consistently define what the right backlog should contain.
APM addresses that gap directly, giving product practitioners the tools to connect customer insight to delivery at scale.
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Delivery options
We provide this as a private course for organisations, either remotely or in person. Private delivery allows the design thinking and strategy exercises to be grounded in your actual products and customers rather than generic examples.
Remote delivery is fully supported with collaborative tooling. In-person delivery can be arranged across the UK, Europe, the USA, and beyond.
Current SAFe curriculum
Scaled Agile Inc. positions APM as the course for product practitioners who want to move beyond backlog management into the customer insight, strategic direction, and continuous discovery that drive great products in a Lean Enterprise.
Lead trainer
Matt Hosking
SAFe Premier Trainer & A-SPC
Matt has been working with SAFe since 2012 and brings practical product and delivery experience into the classroom. AgilityPro works with smaller private groups, keeping the conversation relevant to your products and organisation.