In the context of SAFe, a program board is used during Program Increment (PI) planning to visualize the work being committed to and to facilitate planning. When a feature is placed in a team's swim lane with no strings attached, it indicates that the feature can be completed by that team independently1.
This means that the team has identified that they have all the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to complete the feature without needing to rely on other teams. This is an ideal situation as it minimizes dependencies and potential delays that can occur when coordination with other teams is required.
The absence of strings on the program board signifies that there are no cross-team dependencies that need to be managed for that particular feature. It allows the team to plan and execute the work within their capacity, fostering autonomy and efficiency. This aligns with the Lean-Agile principle of decentralized decision-making, where teams are empowered to make decisions and take action to the best of their ability, without being hindered by external dependencies1.