SAFe-APM SAFe Agile Product Manager (APM 6.0) Question and Answers

The ART Sync is a weekly event that brings together the representatives of the teams and stakeholders of an Agile Release Train (ART) to review the progress and status of the current Program Increment (PI). The ART Sync tracks the progress of the ART toward meeting the PI Objectives by using various metrics and indicators, such as the PI burnup chart, the team and ART predictability measures, the feature completion report, and the dependencies and risks status. The ART Sync also provides an opportunity to identify and resolve any impediments, issues, or blockers that may affect the PI delivery.

References:

ART Sync: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the purpose, agenda, and participants of the ART Sync, and how it supports the alignment, collaboration, and execution of the ART.

PI Objectives: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework defines the concept and attributes of PI Objectives, and how they can be used to align and measure the outcomes of an ART or Solution Train.

Market segmentation is the process of dividing a market into distinct groups of customers who have similar needs, preferences, or behaviors. Market segmentation helps enterprises identify and target the most valuable and profitable customer segments, design and deliver solutions that meet their needs, and optimize their marketing strategies and campaigns. However, market segmentation is not only based on quantitative factors, such as size, growth, and profitability, but also on qualitative factors, such as values, mission, and vision. A market segment should align with the enterprise’s values and mission, which reflect its purpose, identity, and culture. A market segment that aligns with the enterprise’s values and mission will help the enterprise achieve its strategic goals, create a positive brand image, and build trust and loyalty with customers.

References:

Customer Centricity - Scaled Agile Framework

Advanced Topic - SAFe for Marketing - Scaled Agile Framework

What is one consideration when evaluating the fit for a market segment?

5.4 Essential Factors in Effective Market Segmentation

The strategic sweet spot of a company is where it meets customer’s needs in a way that rivals can’t, given the context in which it competes12. It is where the company’s capabilities match customer needs in a way that the competition can’t. Finding the strategic sweet spot is a key challenge of strategic thinking and a source of competitive advantage.

References:

How to find your strategic sweet spot and why it matters

The Strategic Sweet Spot - Harvard Business Review

One of the key job functions that differentiates a Product Manager from a Product Owner (PO) in SAFe® is prioritizing the backlog. A Product Manager is responsible for defining and prioritizing the features and capabilities that deliver value to the customers and the business. A Product Manager owns and maintains the Program Backlog, which is the single source of truth for the work that needs to be done by the Agile Release Train (ART). A Product Owner, on the other hand, is responsible for defining and accepting the user stories that implement the features and capabilities. A Product Owner owns and maintains the Team Backlog, which is the subset of the Program Backlog that the Agile Team works on. A Product Owner collaborates with the Product Manager to align the Team Backlog with the Program Backlog and the Vision.

References:

Product and Solution Management - Scaled Agile Framework

Product Owner (PO) Sync - Scaled Agile Framework

SAFe Product Manager vs Product Owner - Striking Differences - KnowledgeHut

The Architectural Runway is a key part of the Feasible aspect of the Design Thinking model. The Design Thinking model is a framework that guides the creation of innovative solutions that are desirable, viable, feasible, and sustainable. The Feasible aspect focuses on the technical and operational aspects of the solution, such as the architecture, infrastructure, integration, performance, and security. The Architectural Runway is a concept that describes the existing code, components, and technical infrastructure that enable the development and delivery of near-term features without excessive redesign and delay. The Architectural Runway supports the Feasible aspect by providing the necessary technical foundation and alignment for developing business initiatives and implementing new features and capabilities.

References:

Architectural Runway - Scaled Agile Framework

Design Thinking - Scaled Agile Framework

The Golden Circle is a framework developed by Simon Sinek that suggests that the most effective way to communicate a product or service to prospective customers is to start with the “why” - the core purpose, belief, or cause that drives an organization or individual. By explaining the “why” before the “how” (the strategies and methods) and the “what” (the products, services, or offerings), the communicator can inspire and connect with the customers on a deeper level, and differentiate themselves from the competitors who focus on the features or benefits of their products or services.

References:

Frameworks for Setting Company Priorities: The Golden Circle: This article from Geckoboard explains how the Golden Circle can help organizations align their actions and strategies with their purpose and values, and communicate them effectively to their customers and stakeholders.

How to Use the Golden Circle in Business: This article from ActiveCampaign provides a detailed guide on how to apply the Golden Circle to various aspects of business, such as marketing, sales, customer service, and leadership.

Golden Circle: A different approach for a unique value proposition: This article from ThePowerMBA illustrates how the Golden Circle can help businesses create a unique value proposition that resonates with their customers and stands out from the crowd.

According to the SAFe® Agile Product Management APM (6.0) documents and learning resources, Business Owners are key ART stakeholders who have the primary business and technical responsibility for return on investment (ROI), governance, and compliance. They are critical for evaluating fitness for use and actively participating in solution development. They can provide current business feedback to guide feature enhancements by assessing the value proposition, the competitive advantage, and the expected market share of the features. They can also help align the features with the product vision and roadmap, and prioritize them based on the WSJF method.

References:

Business Owners - Scaled Agile Framework

Customer Centricity - Scaled Agile Framework

WSJF - Scaled Agile Framework

The chasm is the gap in the technology adoption lifecycle between the early adopters and the early majority. The early adopters are visionaries who are open to trying new technologies, whereas the early majority are pragmatists who are more cautious and skeptical. The chasm occurs due to the different expectations and requirements of these two groups. A product that appeals to the early adopters may not appeal to the early majority, who value reliability, compatibility, and convenience over novelty and differentiation. Therefore, a product needs to cross the chasm by finding a niche market, establishing a clear value proposition, and creating a strong word-of-mouth.

References:

Crossing the Chasm & Scale Your SaaS: This article from Userpilot provides a practical guide on how to cross the chasm and scale a SaaS product, with examples and tips on finding product-market fit, defining a beachhead market, and creating a whole product.

Crossing the Chasm in the Technology Adoption Life Cycle: This article from Business to You explains the concept and purpose of the technology adoption lifecycle and the chasm, and how they can help marketers understand and target different customer segments.

A value exchange pivot is a type of pivot that changes the way customers pay for the product or service, or the way the business generates revenue from the product or service. A value exchange pivot would indicate that customers want to pay in a different way, because it reflects a change in the customer preferences, behavior, or expectations regarding the payment method, frequency, or amount. For example, a business may pivot from a one-time purchase model to a subscription model, or from a fixed-price model to a pay-per-use model, based on the customer feedback and data.

References:

Pivot: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework defines the concept and purpose of pivot, and how it helps to validate or invalidate the assumptions and hypotheses of a product or service using experiments and feedback.

The 10 Types of Startup Pivots: This article from Forbes provides an overview of the 10 types of startup pivots, and how they can help entrepreneurs adapt and innovate in response to the market and customer needs. It also provides some examples of successful pivots by well-known companies.

Design Thinking and the Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP) are both approaches that aim to deliver value to customers by understanding their needs, validating assumptions, and iterating on solutions. Design Thinking is a creative process that involves empathizing with customers, defining the problem, ideating possible solutions, prototyping, and testing. The CDP is a workflow that consists of four aspects: Continuous Exploration, Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, and Release on Demand. The CDP enables the delivery of small batches of new functionality, which are then released to fulfill market demand. Both Design Thinking and the CDP use feedback from customers to improve products, as feedback loops are essential for learning and adapting to changing needs and preferences.

References:

Design Thinking - Scaled Agile Framework

Continuous Delivery Pipeline - Scaled Agile Framework

Introduction to Continuous Delivery in SAFe | CDP in … - PremierAgile

Designing a data strategy is the process of defining the vision, goals, principles, and governance of data and analytics in an organization. A data strategy should align with the business strategy and enable the delivery of value from data and AI initiatives. Designing a data strategy requires collaboration between Product Managers and their Customers, as they are the ones who understand the needs, problems, and opportunities of the market and the users. Product Managers and Customers should work together to identify the data sources, use cases, metrics, and feedback loops that will inform the data strategy and drive the data-driven decision making.

References:

Design your data strategy in six steps | IBM

How to build and deliver an effective data strategy: part 1 - Microsoft UK Blog

Crafting Your Data Strategy - data.org

Designing Data Strategies - Development Gateway: An IREX Venture

According to the SAFe® Agile Product Management APM (6.0) documents and learning resources, innovation context type refers to the level of uncertainty and risk associated with the innovation. There are four types of innovation context: portfolio, solution, feature, and business agility. Solution context type is the most complex and uncertain type, as itinvolves creating integrated, end-to-end products and service offerings that solve complex market problems across trains. Solution context type requires a high degree of collaboration and alignment among multiple teams and stakeholders, as well as frequent experimentation and validation of assumptions.

References:

SAFe Innovation Framework for Lean Enterprises: What to Know

Solution Context - Scaled Agile Framework

According to the Scaled Agile Framework, the Portfolio Backlog contains the highest-level portfolio epics, which are large, cross-cutting initiatives that require analysis, approval, and funding by the Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) team1. The ART Backlog contains the features, which are services provided by the system that fulfill stakeholder needs2. Features are derived from epics and are typically implemented by one Agile Release Train (ART) within one Program Increment (PI)3. Therefore, Request 1, which is an incremental innovation that can be done by one ART in one PI, should be added to the ART Backlog as a Feature. Request 2, which is a major opportunity impacting multiple stages of the Value Stream and requiring the participation of two ARTs over multiple PIs, should be added to the Portfolio Backlog as an Epic.

References:

Portfolio Backlog: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the purpose, structure, and content of the Portfolio Backlog, and how it is managed by the LPM team using the Portfolio Kanban system.

Features: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework defines the concept of features, their attributes, and their relationship with epics and stories.

ART Backlog: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework describes the role, composition, and management of the ART Backlog, and how it supports the PI Planning process.

An Enabler Feature is a type of feature that supports the development and delivery of future business features by extending the architectural runway, improving the infrastructure, or addressing compliance. An Enabler Feature is usually defined and prioritized by System/Solution Architects, who are responsible for designing and guiding the technical aspects of the solution. Therefore, the best stakeholder to collaborate with if a Product Manager wants to discuss an Enabler Feature for the upcoming PI is the System/Solution Architect, as they can provide the necessary technical expertise, guidance, and alignment.

References:

Enablers - Scaled Agile Framework

System and Solution Architect/Engineering - Scaled Agile Framework

PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework

A measurement that can help drive Value Stream innovation and improvements is the percentage of Customers activating the product. This metric indicates how many Customers are actually using the product after acquiring it, and how well the product meets their needs and expectations. A high percentage of Customers activating the product means that the product delivers value and solves a problem for the Customers, and that the Value Stream is aligned with the Customer-centric mindset. A low percentage of Customers activating the product means that there is a gap between the product offering and the Customer demand, and that the Value Stream needs to innovate and improve the product design, delivery, and marketing.

References:

Value Stream KPIs - Scaled Agile Framework

The Four Most Useful Value Stream Metrics in Software

What is an example of a measurement that can be used to help drive …