SPC Flashcards
(221 cards)
1
Q
What is SAFe recognized as in terms of business operations?
A
An operating system for Business Agility.
2
Q
What are the seven core competencies of Business Agility?
A
- Team and Technical Agility
- Agile Product Delivery
- Enterprise Solution Delivery
- Lean Portfolio Management
- Organizational Agility
- Continuous Learning Culture
- Lean-Agile Leadership
3
Q
What does Business Agility enable organizations to do?
A
Quickly respond to market changes and emerging opportunities.
4
Q
Fill in the blank: Business Agility is the ability to compete and thrive in the digital age by quickly responding to _______.
A
[market changes and emerging opportunities]
5
Q
What does the ‘Lean Portfolio Management’ competency focus on?
A
Aligning strategy and investment funding with business goals.
6
Q
What is the significance of ‘Customer Centricity’ in Business Agility?
A
It focuses on understanding and meeting customer needs.
7
Q
What does ‘Develop on Cadence, Release on Demand’ refer to?
A
A practice in Agile Product Delivery that emphasizes regular development cycles and flexible release timing.
8
Q
What does SAFe emphasize regarding organizational structure?
A
A dual operating system that combines efficiency and stability with speed of innovation.
9
Q
What is the impact of the Digital Age on organizations according to John P. Kotter?
A
Basic systems, structures, and cultures cannot keep up with the demands being placed on them.
10
Q
What is the focus of ‘Agile Teams’ within the SAFe framework?
A
Building high-quality products through collaboration and self-organization.
11
Q
What is meant by ‘Relentless Improvement’ in the context of SAFe?
A
A commitment to continuously enhance processes, products, and services.
12
Q
What does ‘Lean Governance’ aim to achieve?
A
To provide oversight while enabling teams to deliver value efficiently.
13
Q
What is the role of ‘Lean Systems Engineering’ in SAFe?
A
To ensure that systems are developed with a focus on efficiency and effectiveness.
14
Q
What are ‘Teams of Agile Teams’?
A
Groups that ensure collaboration and alignment across multiple Agile teams.
15
Q
What does the SAFe framework support regarding leadership?
A
Lean-Agile Leadership.
16
Q
What is the goal of the SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC) certification?
A
To equip individuals to lead the implementation of SAFe in organizations.
17
Q
What percentage increase in productivity is associated with SAFe?
A
35%
18
Q
How much faster is the time-to-market reported to be with SAFe?
A
50%
19
Q
What is the defect reduction percentage associated with SAFe?
A
50%
20
Q
What are the four configurations of SAFe Framework?
A
- Essential Configuration
- Large Solution Configuration
- Portfolio Configuration
- Full Configuration
21
Q
According to W. Edwards Deming, what must top management know regarding quality and productivity?
A
What they must do and that these obligations cannot be delegated.
22
Q
What is SAFe recognized as in the context of Business Agility?
A
An operating system
23
Q
What is Lean-Agile Mindset?
A
Combination of beliefs, assumptions, attitudes, and actions of SAFe leaders and practitioners who embrace the concepts of Lean Thinking and the Agile Manifesto.
24
Q
What are the benefits of adopting a Lean-Agile Mindset?
A
Increased productivity, faster time-to-market, and reduced defects.
25
What are the Lean Thinking Principles
► Precisely specify value by product
► Identify the Value Stream for each product
► Make value flow without interruptions
► Let the Customer pull value from the producer
► Pursue perfection
26
What are agile Values
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
27
What are agile values on the left for
Over processes and tools
over comprehensive documentation
over contract negotiation
over following a plan
Individuals and interactions
Working software
Customer collaboration
Responding to change
28
What are the SAFe Core Values?
* Alignment
* Transparency
* Respect for People
* Relentless Improvement
29
Fill in the blank: The SAFe Lean-Agile Mindset includes _______.
[Lean Thinking, Agile Values]
30
What is the first principle of Lean Thinking?
Precisely specify value by product
31
What is the goal of Lean Thinking ?
To deliver the maximum value (a solution) to the customer in the shortest sustainable lead time from the trigger to the point at which the customer receives the value.
32
What is meant by 'Value Stream' in Lean Thinking? ?????
Activities from recognizing an opportunity through release and validation
33
What is the ultimate goal of pursuing perfection in Lean Thinking? ??????????
To enhance value flow and eliminate waste
34
What does the Agile Manifesto value over processes and tools?
Individuals and interactions
35
True or False: The Agile Manifesto states that working software is valued over comprehensive documentation.
True
36
What does the Agile Manifesto encourage regarding customer collaboration?
It values customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
37
What is the preferred time frame for delivering working software according to Agile principles?
From a couple of weeks to a couple of months (Agile Manifesto Pg 37)
38
How often should business people and developers interact throughout a project according to Agile principles?
They must work together daily
39
What does the principle of 'Simplicity' in Agile emphasize?
Maximizing the amount of work not done
40
What is the primary measure of progress in Agile processes?
Working software
41
What is the primary measure of progress in Agile?
Working software
## Footnote
This emphasizes the importance of delivering functional software over extensive documentation.
42
Fill in the blank: Agile processes promote _______ development.
sustainable
## Footnote
This means that stakeholders should maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
43
What is essential for enhancing agility according to the Agile Manifesto?
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design
## Footnote
This principle highlights the importance of quality in the development process.
44
What does simplicity mean in the context of Agile?
The art of maximizing the amount of work not done
## Footnote
This principle encourages teams to focus on essential tasks and avoid unnecessary work.
45
What is a key characteristic of self-organizing teams?
The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge
## Footnote
This principle emphasizes the value of team autonomy in the development process.
46
How often should teams reflect on their effectiveness?
At regular intervals
## Footnote
This practice allows teams to tune and adjust their behavior for continuous improvement.
47
What does the 'Alignment' core value in SAFe emphasize?
Communicating the vision, mission, and strategy
## Footnote
This involves connecting strategy to execution and ensuring everyone understands the goals.
48
Which SAFe Core Value encourages a trust-based environment?
Transparency
## Footnote
This value promotes open and honest communication within teams.
49
What is the first SAFe Lean-Agile principle?
Take an economic view
## Footnote
This principle emphasizes making decisions based on economic factors and value delivery.
50
What does systems thinking in SAFe refer to?
Understanding that a system must be managed to prevent components from becoming competitive
## Footnote
This principle focuses on cooperation among components to achieve organizational goals.
51
Fill in the blank: Development occurs in an _______ world.
uncertain
## Footnote
This highlights the need for flexibility in requirements and designs.
52
What is the goal of preserving options in the development process?
To improve economic results
## Footnote
This allows for better decision-making as conditions change.
53
What is the benefit of building incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles?
Improves learning efficiency
## Footnote
This approach reduces the time between action and effect, facilitating quicker adjustments.
54
What does the iterative learning cycle reduce?
The cost of risk-taking
## Footnote
It allows teams to truncate unsuccessful paths quickly, minimizing wasted resources.
55
What is a potential problem with phase-gate milestones?
This can lead to false positive feasibility and hinder project success. They force design decisions too early
56
What is a key takeaway from W. Edwards Deming regarding universal principles?
Principles that improve quality of product and service are universal in nature
## Footnote
This highlights the relevance of certain management principles across different contexts.
57
What is a ‘point’ Solution?
A phase gate assumption that a ‘point’ Solution exists and can be built correctly the first time.
58
What issues arise from Phase gate creating huge batches and long queues?
They centralize requirements and design in program management.
59
The problem of phase-gate Milestones
► They force design decisions too early; this encourages false positive feasibility
► They assume a ‘point’ Solution exists and can be built correctly the first time
► They create huge batches and long queues, and they centralize requirements
and design in program management
60
no correlation between exiting ____ on time and the success of a project
phase gates
61
What is the significance of objective Milestones in planning?
Planning Interval (PI) System Demos are orchestrated to deliver objective progress, product, and process Metrics.
62
What are the eight flow accelerators?
* Visualize and limit WIP
* Address bottlenecks
* Minimize handoffs and dependencies
* Get faster feedback
* Work in smaller batches
* Reduce queue length
* Optimize time ‘in the zone’
* Remediate legacy practices and policies
63
True or False: Reducing batch size increases predictability and accelerates feedback.
True.
64
True or False: Reducing batch size increases rework and cost
False: Reduces rework and lowers cost
65
What is the effect of long queues?
* Longer lead times
* Increased risk
* More variability
* Lower quality
* Less motivation
66
According to Little’s Law, how can queue lengths be controlled?
By controlling wait times through WIP limits, small batches, and deferring commitments.
67
What converts unpredictable events into predictable occurrences and lowers cost
Cadence
68
What does cadence-based planning do?
Limits variability to a single interval.
69
What are the two components of cross-domain planning?
* Synchronization
* Cadence
70
What are the three components of intrinsic motivation according to Daniel H. Pink?
* Autonomy
* Mastery
* Purpose
71
What is a primary benefit of decentralizing decision-making?
Empowers others to make changes based on local information.
72
Centralize or Decentralize: Infrequent, Long lasting, Significant economies of scale
Centralize
73
Centralize or Decentralize: Frequent, Time Critical, Requires local information
Decentralize
74
Fill in the blank: The most important batch is the _______.
handoff batch.
75
What is the relationship between batch size and variability?
Large batch sizes increase variability while small batches reduce it.
76
What is the impact of reducing transaction costs on optimal batch size?
It reduces total costs and lowers optimal batch size.
77
What is the role of feedback in the PI System Demo?
To assess Product/Solution Performance.
78
How does cadence affect planning and work injection?
Makes waiting times for new work predictable and controls the injection of new work.
79
What is a negative consequence of infrequent or one-time planning?
It leads to accumulated deviation from the plan.
80
What is the economic logic behind centralizing certain decisions?
They are infrequent, long-lasting, and provide significant economies of scale.
81
What is a crucial aspect of managing knowledge workers?
They must be heard and respected for effective management.
82
What happens when cadence is not synchronized?
Teams may be iterating but not aligned, leading to delays and misalignment.
83
What is the purpose of the Improvement Backlog Items in the PI System Demo?
To facilitate process improvement.
84
What does reducing batch size achieve?
* Increases predictability
* Accelerates feedback
* Reduces rework
* Lowers cost
85
What is the formula for average wait time according to Little's Law?
Average wait time = average queue length divided by average processing rate.
86
What is the main goal of applying cadence in planning?
To convert unpredictable events into predictable occurrences.
87
What is the total value range that indicates a decision should be centralized? ????????
zero to three
88
What is the total value range that indicates a decision should be decentralized?
four to six
89
What are the three criteria for rating decisions?
* Frequent? Y=2 | N=0
* Time-critical? Y=2 | N=0
* Economies of scale? Y=0 | N=2
90
What is a key practice for decentralized decision-making?
Openly discuss how decisions are made
91
What should be established to equip knowledge workers with decision-making abilities?
A decision-making framework
92
What type of decisions should be centralized?
Strategic decisions that are infrequent, long lasting, and have significant economies of scale
93
What is the main organizational challenge mentioned regarding value delivery?
Inhibited by handoffs and delays
94
What does organizing around development Value Streams aim to achieve?
Creation of profitable operational value streams
95
What does each development Value Stream include?
* Activities from recognizing an opportunity through release and validation
* Steps, flow of information and material, and people who develop the Solution
96
Fill in the blank: Value flows across ........... boundaries.
organizational
97
What is necessary for connecting silos in an organization?
Effective communication
98
What should teams be prepared to form?
Cross-functional Agile Teams
99
What quality practices should be described?
Built-in Quality practices
100
What is the role of Agile Release Trains (ARTs)?
Organizing around the flow of value
101
True or False: An organization’s ability to thrive in the digital age is dependent on the ability of its teams to deliver solutions that reliably meet a customer’s needs.
True
102
What is the significance of Built-in Quality in Agile practices?
Ensures that quality is integrated throughout the development process
103
Fill in the blank: Each Agile Release Train is organized around the ...... of value.
flow
## Footnote
Pg 73
104
# Before realizing SAFe’s rewards, organizations must embrace ............
a Lean-Agile Mindset
Lean-Agile principles
105
eight ‘accelerators’ of leading a change
Create a sense of urgency
Build a guiding coalition
Form a strategic vision
Enlist a volunteer army
Enable action by removing barriers
Generate short-term wins
Sustain acceleration
Institute Change
| Kotter
106
# Organizations arriving at the need for change meet one of two conditions
A burning platform
Visionary Leadership
| Tipping Point
107
3 benefits of the vision for change
Purpose
Motivation
Alignment
| Tipping Point
108
Case studies and customer stories show that enterprises can expect to see benefits in four major areas
Time to market
Quality
Productivity
Engagement
109
What is needed in addition to vision to reach the tipping point
Leaders, Influencers
| Attend Leading SAFe course
110
What is the Focus of VMO
Supporting Transformation:
Operational excellence
portfolio flow improvement
value stream optimization.
| VMO focuses on enabling the LPM activities, translate solution to vision
111
What is the Focus of LACE
Facilitating Transformation:
Training, coaching, and practice adoption across the organization.
| LACE is focused on launching, coaching, and accelerating transformation
112
The label of Value Management Office (VMO) has been applied to create focus on this change in approach from?
PMO
Project/Program Management Office
113
What are the critical Portfolio Inputs Gathered by VMO
Strategic Themes
Portfolio Vision
Lean Budget allocations
114
........... provides training and supports value execution on Agile practices, while the ............... helps ARTs and value stream to continuously measure and improve their value delivery performance via activities like value stream mapping.
LACE
VMO
115
........... creates the level of urgency needed to inspire significant change.
Reaching the tipping point
116
117
Four critical steps to create a guiding coalition
Change Agents - SPC
Charter a LACE
Train execs, managers and leaders
Enlist Leaders to lead and implement SAFe
| 4th point: Leading in the digital age
118
Three primary ingredients for 'sufficiently powerful guiding coalition'
Reaching the Tipping Point
Train Lean-Agile Change Agents
LACE
119
Characteristics exemplified by individuals in LACE
Respect of Peers
Mativated by helping others
Pragmatic Optimism
120
What model is more effective when several hundred practitioners need more than 6 dedicated people in LACE
Decentalized
or
Hub-and-Spoke
121
Critical responsibilites of LACE
Facilitating the Agile Transformation
Managing the Transformation Backlog
Foster Lean-Agile learning
Coaching Leadership
Supporting the Lean Portfolio Management
122
............ optimizes the flow of strategic value delivered within a SAFe portfolio.
VMO
123
What are the three distinct dimensions of the Lean-Agile Leadership core competency
Mindset, Values and Principles
Leading change
Leading by Example
124
................. are an effective tool for describing the specific objectives for implementing SAFe.
Transformation OKRs
| Form a strategic vision
125
.......... provide the details for how each outcome will be achieved and how those results will be measured
key results
126
What are the 5 principles of Lean thinking
Precisely specify value by Product
Identify value streams for each product
Make value flow without interruptions #6
Let the customer pull value from the producer
Pursue prefection
| PIMLP
127
4 Agile Values
Individuals and Interactions
Working software
Customer collaboration
Responding to change
| IWCR - Value in items on the left
128
The time from the trigger to value delivery is .........
Lead Time
| Value Stream
128
Attributes needed needed by leaders to succeed in the Digital Age
Insatiable learning
Authenticity
Emotional competence
Courage
Growing others
Decentralized decision-making
| In addition Koter's change accelerators
129
The sequence of activities needed to deliver a product or service to a customer
Operational Value Streams
| Contain the steps and the people who deliver end-user value using the bu
130
The sequence of activities that convert a business hypothesis into a technology-enabled solution that delivers customer value
Development Value Streams
| Contains the steps and the people who develop the business solutions use
131
What needs to be identified firtst to determine the development value streams
Operational Value Streams
| DVS support the OVS
132
4 types of Operational Value Streams
Fulfillment
Manufacturing
Software Product
Supporting
133
Attributes of most effective ARTs
50 – 125 people
Focused on a holistic solution or related set of products or services
Long-lived, stable teams that consistently deliver value
Minimize dependencies with other ARTs
Can release independent of other ARTs
134
Team Topologies
Stream Aligned
Complicated subsystem
Platform
Enabling
135
Which ART reduces the cognitive load on the stream-aligned ARTs
Complicated Subsytem Art
136
Enterprises repeat which workshop after learning more as part of the Accelerate roadmap step?
Value Stream and ART identification workshop toolkit
137
Which step in Implementation roadmap requires real and tangible changes to individual and organizational behavior
Create the Implementation Plan
| Focus on 6 previous steps was on conceptualizing the change
138
3 activities in creating implementation plan
Pick the first value stream
Select the first ART
Create a preliminary plan for additional ARTs and value streams
139
What is found at the intersection of
Leadership support
Collaborating teams
Clear product or solutions
Significant program opportunity or challenge
Opportunistic ART
140
What is a natural output for the implementation of a plan before ART Launch
PI Roadmap
141
................. often lead the implementation of the initial ARTs, supported by ............... and members of the ..................
SPCs
SAFe-trained ART stakeholders
LACE
142
A vital benefit of the canvas is to help teams identify what?
the principal ART roles
143
When does the handoff of primary responsibility for the change from the change agents to the stakeholders of the newly formed ART happen.
At the one-day implementation workshop after the the 2 day leading safe course and before PI Planning
144
What is a simple tool that can help bring clarity and visibility to the organization of each team.
Team roster template
| filling out makes the more abstract concepts of Agile development concre
145
Team topologies guard against
Team Silos
146
Who steer the ART
PO/PM
147
Who is responsible for the flow of work through the system in ART
Scrum Master/Team Coach
148
Who defines enabler features in the backlog designed to maintain the architectural runway necessary to sustain business value creation.
System, and Solution Architects in Partnership with PM and RTE
149
What will delay learning, postponing the transformation and realization of its benefits.
trying to be too perfect up-front
| implementation - preparing for ART Launch
150
What is the forcing function that increases the urgency of determining the scope and Vision for the PI
Launch Date
151
How may days are needed for ART Quickstart approach and what are the 3 elements
5 days
Training 2 days
PI Planning 2 Days
Workshops 1 Day
152
The foundation of ART execution is
Team and Technical Agility.
153
............... competency enables the shortest sustainable lead time to value.
Agile Product Delivery
154
What creates alignment and shared commitment to a common set of objectives
PI Planning
155
What closes the rapid feedback loop through integration and validation of working systems
System Demos
156
What enables relentless improvement and systems thinking
Inspect & Adapt Workshops
157
What/ which events maintain alignment, resolve issues, and facilitate the attainment of PI Objectives
Coach Sync, PO Sync, and ART Sync
158
What facilitates the Agile Product Delivery assessment and guide the addition of improvement work into the ART backlog based on the results
ART Assessments
159
Larger value streams benefit from using the ................. backlog item .............. Kanban
capabilities
Solution Train
160
Solution roles in in Large Solution SAFe
STE
STA
SM
161
Architect Sync is part of which SAFe Framework
Large Solution
| Include Solution Demos, Pre-plan activities, Large Solution I&A
162
suppliers must at least integrate into SAFe events at the level.
large solution
163
What are the states of SAFe Implementation Railway Kanban
Funnel
Transofrmation Backlog
Tracks
Sustain and Improve
164
3 Dimensions / Guidance of LPM
Strategy & Investment Funding
Agile Portfolio Operations
Lean Governance
165
What consists of approximately 50 statements describing the best practices for strategy and investment funding, Agile portfolio operations, and Lean governance.
The LPM competency assessment
166
............... is the ability to recognize when things have shifted and a willingness to make adjustments to maintain an optimal flow of value
Organizational Agility
167
Benefit Hypothesis
168
PI Planning Events
169
Design Thinking
170
Epic Hypothesis
171
MVP Definition
172
Benefit Hypothesis
173
Acceptance Criteria
174
Responsibility of VMO
175
Organizational Agility
176
Time to Market
177
Input to PI Planning
178
Three elements of a powerful guiding coalition
179
Business performance measure for Value Streams in a portfolio
180
KPI's
181
OKR's
182
Flow Metrics
183
Flow Accelerators
184
ART Toplogy
185
CE, CD, CI
186
SPC Participation in PI Planning
187
ART Predictability Measure
188
ART Rollouts
189
ART Predictability Measure
| Business Value, Committed and Uncomitted
190
Three steps of LPM Adoption Roadmap
191
Benefit of Organizing around value streams
192
Time to Market
193
What new ways does Design thinking inspire to measure the success of our efforts
Desirable
Feasible
Viable
Sustainable
194
Portfolio Vision is achieved through ..........
Epics
195
3 dimensions of LPM
Strategy & Investment Funding
Agile Portfolio Operations
Lean Governance
196
The portfolio connects to the enterprise business strategy through ........... and the .................
Strategic Themes
Portfolio budget
197
............ describes the future state of Portfolio's value streams and solutions
Portfolio Vision
198
............. epics directly deliver business value, while ............. epics advance the architectural runway to support upcoming business or technical needs
Business
Enabler
199
................. provide funding for value streams aligned with the business strategy and current strategic themes.
Lean Budgets
200
............ support Lean budgets by providing governance and spending policies and practices.
Guardrails
201
LPM uses ................ to visualize and limit work-in-process (WIP), work in smaller batch sizes, and reduce the length of development queues.
The portfolio Kanban system
202
203
A portfolio primarily measures business outcomes by defining ..........
Objectives and Key Results for Strategic Themes
and
Value Stream Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
204
.......... are specific and quantifiable measures of business results for the value streams within that portfolio
KPIs
205
Flow Load ÷ Flow Time =
Flow Distribution
206
........... is an LPM event in which a group of stakeholders decides how to invest the portfolio budget across solutions and epics.
Participatory Budgeting (PB)
207
LPM Events
1. Strategic Portfolio Review
2. Portfolio Sync
3. Participatory Budgeting
208
3 Dimensions of Agile Product Delivery
Customer Centricity & Design Thinking
Develop on Cadence, Release on Demand
DevOps and the continuous delivery pipeline
209
............. is responsible for coordinating and bringing new solutions to market while ensuring the ongoing success of existing products
Product Management
210
2 main activities of Design Thinking
Understanding the Problem
Designing the right solution
| https://framework.scaledagile.com/agile-product-delivery
Double Diamond:
211
Building and maintaining a ............. allows each ART to define, build, validate, and release new functionality to meet their PI objectives.
Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP)
212
............. is a proven strategy to manage the inherent variability in product development
Cadence
| ART Events, Agile Team Events
213
4 activities of Release on Demand
Release
Stabilize and Operate
Measure
Learn
214
What builds quality into the development process by continuously integrating many Agile Teams’ work?
Continuous Integration
215
What represents the processes associated with migrating solutions from staging to production
Continuous Deployment
216
............... is the ability to make value available to customers all at once or in an ad hoc fashion based on market and business needs.
Release on Demand
217
What is CALMR
**SAFe’s approach to DevOps**
Culture
Automation
Lean Flow
Measurement
Recovery
218
219
What accelerates the delivery of products and services?
CDP
220
