Scrum SAFe-SASM SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (SASM) Exam Practice Test

The fishbone diagram, also known as an Ishikawa diagram or cause-and-effect diagram, is a tool used to systematically identify potential root causes of a problem. It helps teams brainstorm and categorize the possible causes of problems to identify root issues.

Problem Statement:Clearly defines the problem at the head of the fishbone diagram.

Categories:Major categories (e.g., methods, materials, equipment, people, environment, etc.) are identified and drawn as "bones" branching off from the main "spine."

Brainstorming:Each category is explored to list possible causes, which are added as smaller bones off the main categories.

Analysis:The team analyzes the diagram to identify which causes are most likely contributing to the problem.

This method helps teams to visually map out and drill down into all possible causes of a problem, leading to more thorough and effective problem-solving.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Training Material, Chapter on Problem-Solving Techniques​​.

To transform unpredictable events into predictable events (A): Cadence creates a regular, reliable schedule for events, which helps in managing and mitigating variability. This predictability allows teams to plan and execute their work more effectively, reducing the uncertainty of unforeseen events.

To synchronize planning for multiple teams and ARTs (C): Cadence helps align the planning cycles of multiple teams and Agile Release Trains (ARTs), ensuring that everyone works in a coordinated manner. This synchronization is critical for integrated, cross-team activities and for maintaining a cohesive workflow across the organization.

SAFe Scrum Master References

SAFe Principles: the importance of cadence and synchronization

SAFe 5.0 framework: benefits of applying cadence in Agile teams

Collaboration with System Architects and the Systems Team is likely to have the greatest impact on Solution development during PI Planning. This is the time when teams plan their work for the upcoming Program Increment, and involving System Architects and the Systems Team can ensure that architectural considerations, dependencies, and technical requirements are properly addressed. Their input helps align the technical direction with business goals, identify potential risks, and plan for the necessary enablers and infrastructure needed to support the development efforts.

SAFe Scrum Master References

SAFe PI Planning guidelines

SAFe 5.0 framework: roles of System Architects and Systems Teams in PI Planning

Communities of Practice (CoPs):CoPs are groups of people who share a common interest in a particular domain or practice and come together to share knowledge, solve problems, and improve their skills.

Improvement Roadmap:When creating an Improvement Roadmap, CoPs provide valuable insights and guidance on best practices, emerging trends, and effective techniques for improving technical practices.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe recognizes CoPs as a vital resource for fostering continuous learning and improvement within organizations. They provide a platform for practitioners to exchange ideas and elevate their practices.

Centralized decision-making is appropriate in scenarios where consolidating decisions can lead to significant economies of scale, which involves:

Economies of Scale:These are cost advantages reaped by companies when production becomes efficient. This can happen through increased production, lower costs per unit, bulk purchasing, and centralized processes.

Consistency and Control:Centralized decisions ensure consistency across large-scale operations and can help in maintaining standards and controls, reducing duplication of effort, and leveraging bulk purchasing power.

In contrast, decentralized decision-making is more suitable for decisions requiring specific local context or those that need to be made frequently and swiftly.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Training Material, Chapter on Decision-Making Frameworks​​.

SAFe Core Valuesare the fundamental beliefs that guide behaviors and decision-making in SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework). They are critical for fostering a culture that supports Lean-Agile principles.

Transparency:

Definition:Transparency in SAFe means having an open and honest environment where everyone has access to the information they need. It involves making work visible to all stakeholders, sharing risks, and ensuring that everyone understands the status of the work.

Importance:Transparency enables trust across the Agile Release Train (ART) because it ensures that everyone is aware of what is happening, leading to informed decision-making and reducing misunderstandings. It builds a culture of openness and accountability.

SAFe Framework Reference:In SAFe, transparency is crucial for effective collaboration and alignment across teams and stakeholders. It ensures that progress, challenges, and changes are communicated openly, fostering trust and collective problem-solving.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe training materials emphasize the importance of transparency as a core value that underpins trust and collaboration within and across teams.

The SAFe website and guides detail how transparency is implemented through various practices like visual management, open communication, and regular feedback loops.

One way a Scrum Master leads the team's efforts for relentless improvement is by helping teams become better problem solvers. This involves coaching and mentoring the team in effective problem-solving techniques, facilitating problem-solving workshops, and encouraging a mindset of continuous improvement. By empowering teams to identify and address issues autonomously, the Scrum Master supports the development of a high-performing, self-sufficient team.

SAFe Scrum Master References

SAFe 5.0 framework: role of the Scrum Master in promoting continuous improvement

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master learning materials: techniques for improving problem-solving skills within teams

Problem Statement:The ART has nothing to show at the System Demo, indicating potential issues with integration, quality, or coordination among teams.

Recommended Action:Stopping new development work to focus on integrating and testing the system allows the team to identify and resolve integration issues, ensuring that the system is in a stable state.

Scope Adjustment:Based on what is learned during integration and testing, the scope can be adjusted to focus on delivering a coherent and functional system increment.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe emphasizes the importance of a stable, integrated system increment to demonstrate progress and ensure quality. Addressing integration issues promptly is crucial for maintaining stakeholder confidence and delivering value.

Phase-gate milestones are traditional project management mechanisms that mark the end of one phase and the beginning of another. One major problem with phase-gate milestones is that they assume a point solution exists and can be built correctly the first time. This assumption does not account for the iterative nature of Agile methodologies, where solutions are developed incrementally and iteratively, with feedback loops and continuous improvement. Assuming a point solution can be finalized early often leads to rigidity, lack of adaptability, and higher risks of delivering a product that does not meet the actual needs or expectations.

Completed by a Single Agile Release Train within one PI:

Definition:A Feature in SAFe is a service or functionality that meets the needs of a customer and can be delivered within a single Program Increment (PI) by an ART.

Explanation:Features are planned and delivered within the timeframe of a PI, ensuring that they provide tangible value and align with the ART's objectives.

Prioritized using Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF):

Definition:WSJF is a prioritization method used in SAFe to sequence work for maximum economic benefit.

Explanation:Features are prioritized based on their cost of delay and the effort required to implement them. This ensures that the most valuable and impactful features are delivered first.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe framework details the concept of Features, emphasizing their completion within a PI and their prioritization using WSJF to maximize value delivery.

Team Performance Measurement:In SAFe, one of the key metrics for measuring team performance is the ratio of Story points completed to Story points planned in the Program Increment (PI).

Story Points:Represent the effort required to complete user stories. By comparing planned and completed Story points, teams can gauge their ability to deliver on commitments.

Purpose:This metric helps in assessing how well the team is performing relative to their planned objectives, identifying areas for improvement, and making adjustments for future PIs.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe provides guidance on using Story points and other metrics to measure team performance and drive continuous improvement.

Utilization refers to the percentage of a team's capacity that is being used. When team members are highly utilized (i.e., their capacity is nearly fully booked), it often leads to longer lead times. This is because:

High utilization reduces the team's flexibility to handle new or unexpected work.

It can cause bottlenecks as individuals or teams become overburdened with tasks.

There is less room for managing variability, leading to delays and increased cycle times.

In contrast, lower utilization rates typically allow for more flexibility and quicker response times, reducing lead times. Therefore, higher utilization generally results in longer lead times due to increased bottlenecks and reduced capacity to handle new tasks efficiently.

SAFe Scrum Master References

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master learning materials

Principles of Lean-Agile development: optimizing flow by managing queue lengths and reducing batch sizes to improve lead times and throughput.

Integration points in agile development serve as critical junctures where progress is reviewed, and decisions can be made on whether to continue on the current path or pivot based on new information.

Integration Points:Regular integration points help in verifying progress, ensuring alignment with objectives, and assessing whether the current approach is delivering the desired outcomes.

Pivot or Persevere:These points provide the opportunity to pivot if necessary. Teams can change their course of action based on feedback, new insights, or changing requirements, ensuring that the final product meets the needs effectively.

Risk Mitigation:Regular integration reduces the risk of late discovery of issues and ensures that the product evolves in a way that adds value continuously.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Training Material, Chapter on Iteration Execution​​.

Large stories, often referred to as "epics," pose a challenge to iterative development because they encompass too much work to be completed within a single iteration. This contradicts the principles of Agile, which emphasize small, incremental deliveries to ensure continuous progress and feedback. By breaking down large stories into smaller, more manageable pieces, teams can better align with iterative development practices, allowing for more frequent delivery of value, better risk management, and easier progress tracking.

The Scrum Master should coach Lee to discuss his progress in the context of the Iteration goals. By framing his updates around how his work contributes to the broader objectives of the iteration, Lee can provide the team with better visibility into his progress and the impact of his work. This approach encourages team members to think beyond individual tasks and understand how their efforts align with the team's goals, fostering greater collaboration and accountability.

SAFe Scrum Master References

SAFe Principles: focusing on outcomes and aligning individual efforts with team goals

SAFe 5.0 framework: effective daily stand-up practices

The first step a team should take to feed potential problems into the Problem Solving workshop is to analyze quantitative and qualitative metrics. These metrics provide objective data about the team's performance and can highlight areas where issues may be occurring. By reviewing these metrics, the team can identify trends, pinpoint specific problems, and prioritize them for discussion in the Problem Solving workshop. This approach ensures that the workshop focuses on data-driven issues, leading to more effective and targeted solutions.

SAFe Scrum Master References

SAFe 5.0 framework: importance of data-driven decision-making and problem-solving

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master learning materials: analyzing metrics for continuous improvement

Creating collaboration opportunities on a team is essential for fostering a cooperative and innovative environment. Three effective opportunities for collaboration include:

Pair work (A): Pair programming or pairing on tasks allows team members to work closely together, share knowledge, and improve the quality of their work through constant feedback and collaboration.

Communities of Practice (C): These are groups of people who share a common interest in a particular domain or practice. They provide a platform for sharing best practices, discussing challenges, and developing new skills collaboratively.

Hackathons (E): Hackathons are events where team members come together to work intensively on projects, often with a focus on innovation and creative problem-solving. These events foster collaboration, creativity, and rapid prototyping.

SAFe Scrum Master References

SAFe Principles: fostering a collaborative culture

SAFe 5.0 framework: encouraging team collaboration through various practices and events

The Inspect and Adapt (I&A) event is a critical component in the SAFe framework, held at the end of each Program Increment (PI). The main output of the I&A event is a set of improvement items that are intended to be actioned in the next PI Planning event. This helps in ensuring continuous improvement in the process and products.

PI System Demo:Demonstrates the current state of the solution and provides an opportunity for the stakeholders to inspect the progress.

Quantitative Measurement:Teams review metrics that reflect the current state of the development process.

Problem-Solving Workshop:Identifies root causes of the biggest problems and formulates improvement items.

Improvement Backlog:The improvement items identified are prioritized and added to the team's backlog for the next PI.

This cycle of continuous feedback and improvement helps in refining the development process and enhancing the team's performance.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Training Material, Chapter on Inspect and Adapt​​.