What is PI in Agile?

In Agile methodologies, especially those scaled for larger organizations, **PI** stands for **Program Increment**.

A Program Increment (PI) is a fundamental concept in Agile frameworks designed to coordinate large teams and deliver significant value over a set period. Based on the provided reference:

A Program Increment (PI) is **a timebox in which an ART delivers incremental value in the form of working software or systems**.

Think of a PI as a larger container for work compared to the shorter cycles used by individual teams. It's the heartbeat for an **Agile Release Train (ART)**, which is a long-lived team of agile teams that collaboratively develops and delivers solutions.

The reference draws a helpful analogy to clarify its role:

*   PIs are to ARTs
*   ...what Sprints are to Scrum teams
*   ...or Iterations are to Agile teams.

This means that just as individual Scrum teams use Sprints (typically 1-4 weeks) to plan, execute, and deliver increments of value, ARTs use PIs (typically 8-12 weeks) to synchronize multiple teams, plan together, and deliver a larger, integrated increment of value.

The PI cycle culminates in the delivery of demonstrable, working software or systems, providing a predictable rhythm for the ART and key stakeholders. The reference also hints at the importance of **Agile PI planning**, which is a significant event typically held at the beginning of each PI to align teams on objectives, dependencies, and the overall plan for the upcoming increment.

In essence, a PI provides structure, synchronization, and a predictable cadence for larger Agile initiatives, ensuring that multiple teams working together are aligned and delivering value incrementally towards a common goal.