Scaled Agile SAFe-SASM Exam Questions

An effective Agile Team focuses on delivering value by reliably deploying features that meet customer needs.

Value Delivery: The primary measure of success for an Agile team is the continuous delivery of valuable, working software.

Customer Focus: Teams work collaboratively to understand and deliver what is most valuable to customers.

Incremental Progress: Regularly delivering increments of the product that are potentially shippable ensures continuous feedback and improvement.

This characteristic emphasizes the Agile principle of delivering working software frequently, with a focus on customer value.

SAFe Scrum Master Reference:

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Training Material, Chapter on Agile Teams.

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 Reference

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

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 Reference:

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.

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 Reference:

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

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 Reference:

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.