SAFe-SASM Exam Dumps - SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (SASM)

The Portfolio Backlog in SAFe contains the larger initiatives, known as Epics. Epics are substantial pieces of work that require analysis, investment, and development effort over multiple Program Increments (PIs). They represent significant business or technical needs that drive the long-term strategy of the organization. These Epics are prioritized and managed in the Portfolio Backlog, where they can be decomposed into smaller, actionable items as they progress through the development process.

If a team consistently receives defect reports from production despite thorough testing of each story, the first step to address this issue is to ensure that development and testing environments are equivalent to production. Differences between environments can lead to undetected issues that only surface in the production environment. By aligning these environments, teams can ensure that tests accurately reflect real-world conditions, reducing the likelihood of defects slipping through.

SAFe Scrum Master References

SAFe Principles: ensuring quality by maintaining equivalent environments

SAFe 5.0 framework: best practices for aligning development, testing, and production environments

The program predictability measure is the primary metric used during the quantitative measurement part of the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) event in SAFe. This measure assesses how reliably the Agile Release Train (ART) can deliver business value within the Program Increment (PI) timebox. It helps to:

Evaluate the team's ability to meet their commitments.

Identify areas where predictability can be improved.

Ensure that the business value planned for the PI is actually delivered.

By focusing on the predictability of business value, organizations can better align their planning and execution efforts, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and achieving strategic goals more effectively.

SAFe Scrum Master References

SAFe Inspect and Adapt events

SAFe 5.0 framework: using program predictability as a key metric to assess and improve ART performance.

The primary measurement during the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) event in SAFe is the program predictability measure. This metric assesses the Agile Release Train's (ART) ability to deliver on its commitments within a Program Increment (PI). It helps teams understand how accurately they can plan and execute work, providing a basis for continuous improvement. By focusing on predictability, organizations can improve their planning processes, align better with business objectives, and ensure more reliable delivery of value.

Waterfalling the Iteration:The term "waterfalling" in an Agile context refers to the anti-pattern where teams delay integration, testing, and other critical activities until the end of the iteration, mimicking the Waterfall model of sequential phases.

Agile Practice:In Agile, the goal is to continuously integrate and test stories throughout the iteration. This practice ensures that issues are identified and addressed early, and the product increment is always in a potentially shippable state.

Anti-pattern Explanation:Integrating and testing stories only on the last day of the iteration means the team is not practicing continuous integration. This can lead to hidden defects, reduced quality, and last-minute rushes that jeopardize the team's ability to meet commitments effectively.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe emphasizes continuous integration and regular testing as key practices to maintain quality and agility. Delaying these activities to the end of the iteration undermines these principles and can lead to significant issues.

Trust:Trust is the foundation of any highly collaborative team. It enables open communication, risk-taking, and mutual respect, which are essential for effective collaboration.

Collaborative Team Dynamics:In a high-performing team, trust allows team members to rely on each other, share knowledge freely, and work together towards common goals without fear of blame or retribution.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe underscores the importance of trust in building and maintaining effective Agile teams. Trust fosters a safe environment where team members can collaborate openly and effectively.

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​​.

Creating a buffer state between two states in a Kanban board can help regulate the flow of work and address the varying completion times.

Buffer State Purpose:Acts as a holding area to balance the flow between different stages of work, smoothing out variances in completion times.

Flow Regulation:Ensures that work can continue smoothly without bottlenecks or idle times.

Work In Progress (WIP) Limits:Helps maintain a steady flow by preventing too much work from accumulating in any one state.

This approach aligns with Lean principles of managing flow and reducing variability in processes.

SAFe Scrum Master References:

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Training Material, Chapter on Kanban Systems​​.