Scrum SAFe-Practitioner - SAFe Practitioner Exam (6.0)

 In SAFe, a clear distinction is made between the purpose, structure and content of features, and that of stories (including enablers). Features are visible units of business intent that the customer recognizes, and it’s at this level of detail that the customer is able to prioritize their needs1. Features are maintained in the ART Backlog and sized to fit in a PI so that each delivers new value2. Stories are short descriptions of a small piece of desired functionality written from the user’s perspective. Stories are the primary artifact used to define system behavior in Agile3. Stories are small and must be completed in a single iteration3. Therefore, features can be larger than an iteration but stories should be small enough to fit into an iteration. References: Story - Scaled Agile Framework, Features and Capabilities - Scaled Agile Framework, Right-Sizing Features for SAFe Program Increments - Scaled Agile Framework

= Deliver value is one of the six Agile Team responsibilities in SAFe, along with aligning to a common mission, applying systems thinking, building incrementally with fast feedback, collaborating and making decisions together, and improving relentlessly. While delivering value is essential for Agile Teams, it should not come at the expense of other responsibilities, especially improving relentlessly. By skipping the retrospective events, Team B is missing an opportunity to reflect on their practices, identify what is working well and what is not, and plan actions to improve their performance and quality. Retrospectives are a key mechanism for implementing the SAFe Core Value of Relentless Improvement and the SAFe Principle #12 - Assume variability; preserve options. References: = Agile Teams - Scaled Agile Framework, Core Values - Scaled Agile Framework, SAFe Principles - Scaled Agile Framework, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner

The definition of done (DoD) is a set of criteria that a product increment must meet for the team to consider it complete and ready for customers1. It ensures the quality and consistency of a deliverable. The DoD is agreed upon by the entire project team, including developers, testers, product owners, and other stakeholders2. One of the common criteria that is typically included in the DoD for the team increment is regression testing, which is the process of verifying that the existing functionality of the system is not affected by the new changes3. Regression testing is done to ensure that the product increment meets the quality standards and does not introduce any defects or errors4. References: What is the Definition of Done? Understanding DOD in Agile - Atlassian, What is the definition of done? Guide for agile teams with examples - LogRocket Blog, What is Regression Testing? Definition, Tools, Method, and Example, What is typically included in the Definition of Done for the - Madanswer

= Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) is one of the seven core competencies of the Lean Enterprise that helps align strategy and execution. LPM enables enterprises to establish and communicate a set of strategic themes that provide business context for decision making and investment allocation. LPM also helps to apply Lean budgeting and guardrails to empower decentralized program execution and foster innovation. LPM also supports Agile portfolio operations and governance by providing the necessary visibility, coordination, and collaboration across the portfolio. References: = SAFe for Lean Enterprises, Lean Portfolio Management

SAFe Team Kanban is a method that enables teams to manage their flow of work using a visual board and a set of policies. It is especially suitable for teams that have unpredictable or interrupt-driven work, such as maintenance, support, or operations teams1. SAFe Team Kanban helps teams to visualize their work, limit their work in progress (WIP), measure and improve their flow, and implement feedback loops2. Team A is a maintenance team that cannot always predictably plan their work. They like to meet daily to review the needs of the system and plan for how they can quickly address those needs during the workday. Therefore, SAFe Team Kanban is the most appropriate SAFe Lean-Agile method for Team A to plan and execute their work. References: Team Kanban - Scaled Agile Framework, SAFe Lean-Agile Principles - Scaled Agile Framework

SAFe Team Kanban is a method that helps teams facilitate the flow of value by visualizing workflow, establishing Work In Process (WIP) limits, measuring throughput, and continuously improving their process1. It is suitable for teams that have a rapid and uneven arrival of work and fast-changing priorities, such as maintenance teams2. The other options are not appropriate for Team A’s context. SAFe Platform Team is organized around developing and supporting platforms that provide services to other teams3. SAFe Enabling Team is organized to assist other groups with specialized capabilities and help them become proficient in new technologies4. SAFe XP Team is an Agile Team method that combines the power of Scrum with Extreme Programming (XP) practices and operates within the ART iteration cadence5.

 The Inspect and Adapt event is a significant event held at the end of each Program Increment (PI), where the current state of the Solution is demonstrated and evaluated by the train. Teams then reflect and identify improvement backlog items via a structured, problem-solving workshop. The Inspect and Adapt event consists of three parts: PI System Demo, Quantitative and qualitative measurement, and Retrospective and problem-solving workshop. The last part is where the practices of reflection, problem solving, and identifying improvement actions are demonstrated. The teams use a root cause analysis technique, such as the Five Whys, to identify the most critical impediments that impact their performance and quality. They then brainstorm and prioritize improvement actions that address the root causes and create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals for implementing them in the next PI. The improvement actions are added to the Program Backlog and reviewed in the next PI Planning event. References: = Inspect and Adapt - Scaled Agile Framework, Scaled Agile Framework: Understand SAFe and Its 4 Core Values

 The Agile Release Train (ART) is a long-lived team of Agile teams that incrementally develops, delivers, and often operates one or more solutions in a value stream1. The ART aligns teams to a common mission using a single Vision and a Program Backlog. The Vision is a description of the future state of the solution under development. It reflects customer and stakeholder needs, as well as the features and capabilities planned for the solution2. The Program Backlog is the single source of truth for the upcoming features of the system. It contains the enablers necessary to build the Architectural Runway, as well as the user and business features that deliver customer value3. The Vision and the Program Backlog provide the context and the content for the ART to plan, commit, develop, and deploy together. References: Agile Release Train - Scaled Agile Framework, Vision - Scaled Agile Framework, Program Backlog - Scaled Agile Framework

 Knowledge is one of the factors that affect the size of a story. It refers to what is known or unknown about the story, such as the requirements, the design, the technology, the domain, the dependencies, and the risks. The more unknowns there are, the larger the story size will be, as it will require more effort, complexity, and uncertainty to implement. Knowledge is one of the components of the story point estimation technique, which is a relative measure of the effort required to implement a story. Story points take into account the volume, complexity, knowledge, and uncertainty of the work. References: Story - Scaled Agile Framework, Story Point - Scaled Agile Framework, How to Estimate Agile Stories: Introducing Relative Sizing - LeanDog, Estimate Story - Quickscrum, Agile Estimation – Feature and Story Sizing Scales

 = WIP limits are necessary in the ART Kanban to ensure large queues are not forming, which would slow down the flow of value and increase the lead time. WIP limits are a way of applying the Lean principle of reducing waste and optimizing the system for the whole. By limiting the amount of work that can be in progress at any stage of the Kanban system, the ART can balance the demand and capacity, avoid overloading the system, and focus on completing the work rather than starting new work. WIP limits also help to expose bottlenecks, dependencies, and impediments that need to be resolved to improve the flow efficiency and quality of the work. References: = ART Flow - Scaled Agile Framework, ART and Solution Train Backlogs - Scaled Agile Framework, Kanban And The Importance Of Work In Progress (WIP) Limits

A Story is a short description of a small piece of desired functionality written from the user’s perspective and in their language. A Story has three primary components: Card, Conversation, and Confirmation. The Card captures the essence of the Story using the format: “As a (who), I want (what), so that (why).” The Conversation is the ongoing dialogue between the team and the customer or product owner to elaborate and refine the Story details. The Confirmation is the set of acceptance criteria and tests that verify the Story is done and meets the customer’s expectations. A Story provides just enough information for both business and technical people to understand the intent, but not so much that it becomes a specification or a contract. Details are deferred until the Story is ready to be implemented, which allows for more flexibility and feedback. A Story is not a static artifact, but a dynamic one that evolves through collaboration and learning12. References: Story - Scaled Agile Framework, [What is User Story? -