Scrum SAFe-POPM SAFe Product Owner-Product Manager (POPM) Exam Practice Test

The problem-solving workshop is more effective than traditional lessons learned documents because it makes improvements actionable through backlog items for the next Program Increment (PI). A problem-solving workshop is a structured approach to identify and solve problems that affect the performance and quality of the Agile Release Train (ART) or Solution Train1. Unlike traditional lessons learned documents, which are often passive and rarely implemented, a problem-solving workshop results in a set of improvement backlog items that are prioritized and planned for the next PI2. This way, the teams can implement the improvements and measure their impact on the value delivery3.

References:

•Inspect and Adapt - Scaled Agile Framework

•Why is the problem-solving workshop more effective than traditional …

•Problem-solving workshop: Step-by-Step - Agilephoria

Journey mapping is one method for designing the end-to-end customer experience. It is a visual representation of the steps, emotions, and pain points that a customer goes through when interacting with a product or service. It helps to identify the customer needs, expectations, and goals, as well as the gaps and opportunities for improvement in the current experience. Journey mapping also helps to align the stakeholders on the customer perspective and prioritize the features and solutions that will deliver the most value and satisfaction123

References:

•The expanding role of design in creating an end-to-end customer experience

•End to End Customer Experience: Know and Control its 3 Elements - HEFLO BPM

•How Design thinking Can Shape end to end Customer Experience

One method to establish a team’s velocity is to compare the average story points completed throughout the previous iterations. This gives an indication of how much work the team can realistically deliver in a given time frame, based on their past performance. To calculate the team’s velocity, you can use the following formula: Team velocity = total story points completed / number of iterations. You can also use various charts and tools to visualize the team’s velocity and track itsprogress over time1234

References:

•Velocity in Scrum: How to Measure and Improve Performance - Atlassian

•Discover the Concept of Team Velocity - OpenClassrooms

•A Word on Velocity - LeadingAgile

•Increasing Your Scrum Team’s Velocity — ClearlyAgile

One way Kanban boards are used in SAFe is to manage Work-In-Progress (WIP) limits. WIP limits are the maximum number of work items that can be in a given state or column of the Kanban board at any time. They help to prevent bottlenecks, reduce waste, improve flow, and increase quality and predictability. WIP limits are applied at every level of the SAFe framework, from the portfolio to the team, to optimize the value delivery123

References:

•SAFe Team Kanban - Scaled Agile Framework

•Applying Kanban in SAFe - Scaled Agile Framework

•What is one way Kanban boards are used in SAFE? a. To manage runway …

A solution is defined as a product, service, or system delivered to the customer in SAFe. A solution can be a small mobile application built by a single Agile Release Train (ART) or a large automotive system of systems built by a network of Development Value Streams (DVSs) in a supply chain1. A solution may also be an insurance or banking product offered by a financial institution. Solutions can be the products a company sells or the internal products they use to run the business. They may provide direct value to an end-user or may be a component of a larger solution1.

References:

•Solution - Scaled Agile Framework

Considering how and what to demo during Iteration Planning increases the effectiveness of System Demos, which are events that provide an integrated view of new features delivered by the Agile Release Train (ART) in each Iteration12. By thinking ahead of how and what to demo, the teams can:

•Align on the product vision and roadmap and ensure that the work items are aligned with the customer value and the PI objectives12.

•Define clear and testable acceptance criteria for each work item and plan how to verify them in the demo12.

•Identify and resolve any dependencies, risks, or impediments that may affect the demo12.

•Prepare the demo environment and the necessary tools and data to support the demo12.

•Practice the demo and rehearse the script and the roles of the presenters12.

Some additional information that might be helpful for you are:

•The other options (A, B, and C) are not actions that increase the effectiveness of System Demos, but rather actions that may reduce it.

•Spending a lot of time preparing for the demo may not be effective, as it may take away time and focus from the actual development and testing of the work items. Instead, the teams should aim for continuous integration and built-in quality practices that enable them to demo the work items as soon as they are done12.

•Limiting team attendance to minimize disruptions to the team may not be effective, as it may reduce the feedback and collaboration opportunities that the demo provides. Instead, the teams should invite and engage all the relevant stakeholders, such as Business Owners, executive sponsors, other Agile Teams, development management, and customers, to the demo12.

•Focusing on team-level metrics may not be effective, as it may not reflect the true value and progress of the integrated work across the ART. Instead, the teams should focus on system-level metrics, such as PI objectives, solution quality, and customer satisfaction, to evaluate the outcome and impact of the demo12.

Product Management is the role that ensures that the Agile Release Train (ART) has the Vision and Backlog needed to engage in PI Planning successfully. Product Management is responsible for defining and communicating the Vision, which describes the future state of the solution and its features1. Product Management also develops and maintains the Program Backlog, which contains the features and enablers that the ART will implement in the upcoming Program Increments (PIs)2. Product Management collaborates with stakeholders, customers, architects, and other roles to discover, prioritize, and refine the backlog items and present them to the ART during PI Planning3.

References:

•Vision - Scaled Agile Framework

•Product Management - Scaled Agile Framework

•PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework

Hypothesizing what would create value for customers is the main activity of Product Owners and Product Managers in the first step of SAFe’s Continuous Delivery Pipeline, which is Continuous Exploration (CE)12. In CE, they use design thinking to understand the market problem or customer need and the solution required to meet that need12. They start with a hypothesis of something that will provide value to customers, such as a new feature, capability, or enhancement12. They then validate or invalidate their hypothesis through experimentation, feedback, and learning12.

Some additional information that might be helpful for you are:

•The other options (A, B, and C) are not the main activity of Product Owners and Product Managers in the first step of SAFe’s Continuous Delivery Pipeline, but rather activities that may occur in other steps or roles.

•Ensuring the Architecture team has sufficient capacity is an activity that may occur in the second step of SAFe’s Continuous Delivery Pipeline, which is Continuous Integration (CI)12. In CI, the Architecture team works with the Development teams to ensure the technical quality and integrity of the solution12.

•Negotiating Supplier contracts is an activity that may occur in the fourth step of SAFe’s Continuous Delivery Pipeline, which is Release on Demand12. In Release on Demand, the Solution Management team works with the Suppliers to coordinate the release of the solution components that are provided by them12.

•Prioritizing the Team Backlog is an activity that occurs in the Program Increment (PI) Planning event, which is part of the Agile Product Delivery competency3. In PI Planning, the Product Owner works with the Development team and other stakeholders to define, prioritize, and estimate the work items for the upcoming PI3.

The primary purpose of PO Sync is to assess progress of the Program Increment (PI) and adjust scope and priority as needed12. PO Sync is a regular event that involves the Product Owners from all the Agile teams in an Agile Release Train (ART)12. In PO Sync, they share the status of their work, identify dependencies, risks, and impediments, and align on the product vision and roadmap12. PO Sync helps to ensure that the ART delivers value to the customers and meets the PI objectives12.

Some additional information that might be helpful for you are:

•The other options (B, C, and D) are not the primary purpose of PO Sync, but rather purposes of other events or activities.

•Building PI Objectives and improving alignment is the purpose of PI Planning, which is a two-day event that occurs at the beginning of each PI3. In PI Planning, all the members of the ART collaborate to define, prioritize, and plan the work for the next PI3.

•Aligning with Coach Sync participants on the status of the PI is the purpose of Scrum of Scrums (SoS), which is a regular event that involves the Scrum Masters from all the Agile teams in an ART4. In SoS, they coordinate and synchronize the work of the teams, resolve cross-team impediments, and report the progress and risks to the RTE4.

•Conducting backlog refinement is an activity that occurs throughout the PI, where the Product Owner and the Development team review and update the Team Backlog to prepare for the upcoming Iterations. Backlog refinement helps to ensure that the work items are clear, feasible, and valuable

The System Demo is an event where the Agile Release Train (ART) demonstrates the integrated and working software to the stakeholders and customers1. The System Demo aligns with the Agile Manifesto principle that states: "Working software is the primary measure of progress"2. This principle emphasizes the value of delivering functional and usable software over comprehensive documentation or adherence to a plan3. The System Demo provides feedback on the quality, usability, and value of the software, as well as the effectiveness of the ART1.

References:

•System Demo - Scaled Agile Framework

•12 Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto | Agile Alliance

•Manifesto for Agile Software Development

The minimum requirements for a feature are a name, a benefit hypothesis, and acceptance criteria12. A name is a brief and descriptive phrase that summarizes the feature. A benefit hypothesis is a statement that describes the expected outcome and value of the feature for the customer or user. Acceptance criteria are a set of conditions that the feature must satisfy to be accepted by the customer or stakeholder12.

Some additional information that might be helpful for you are:

•The other options (A, C, and D) are not the minimum requirements for a feature, but rather additional or optional elements that may be included in the feature definition.

•Data models are representations of the data structures and relationships that the feature requires or affects. Data models are not mandatory for a feature, but they may be useful for complex or data-intensive features3.

•Priority is the relative importance or urgency of a feature compared to other features. Priority is not a requirement for a feature, but it is a factor that influences the feature selection and sequencing4.

•Non-functional requirements (NFRs) are system qualities that guide the design of the solution and often serve as constraints across the relevant backlogs. NFRs are not specific to a feature, but they may affect the feature implementation or testing5.

•Architecture is the design and structure of the system that supports the solution. Architecture is not a requirement for a feature, but it is an enabler that facilitates the feature delivery.

Capacity allocation is an allocation of work by work item type for an upcoming planning period1. It helps the Agile Teams to balance their investments across different types of backlog items, such as new features, enablers, defects, and technical debt2. One benefit of capacity allocation is that it prevents different types of backlog items from being compared against each other based on their relative value or priority, which can be misleading or subjective3. Instead, capacity allocation allows the teams to focus on delivering value and quality in each work item type, without compromising the other2.

References:

•Capacity Allocation - Scaled Agile Framework

•Team Backlog - Scaled Agile Framework

•How Does SAFe Handle Capacity Planning and Resource Management? - Value Glide

Release on Demand is the process that makes value available to customers when it’s needed. It is the final aspect of the Continuous Delivery Pipeline, which represents the workflows, activities, and automation needed to guide new functionality from ideation to an on-demand release of value1. Release on Demand allows the business to release the solution to the end users or customers in acontrolled or staggered manner, based on the market and business needs2. Release on Demand enables the enterprise to respond quickly to customer feedback, optimize the timing and frequency of releases, and reduce the risk associated with each release3.

References:

•Continuous Delivery Pipeline - Scaled Agile Framework

•Release on Demand - Scaled Agile Framework

•What is Release on Demand? | Definition and Overview