SAFe-APM SAFe Agile Product Manager (APM 5.1) Question and Answers

A story map is a customer-centric requirement artifact that represents the user journey and the features that support it. A story map is a visual tool that helps to organize and prioritize user stories based on the user goals, activities, and tasks. A story map also helps to align the stakeholders on the scope, value, and dependencies of the product, and to plan the releases and iterations.

References:

• Story Mapping - Scaled Agile Framework
• What are some example artifacts from product definition?
• User Story Mapping: A Complete Guide | Miro

Buy a Feature is a research game that involves presenting customers with a list of possible features for a product or service, and giving them a limited budget to spend on their preferred ones. This game helps to understand customer needs, priorities, trade-offs, and willingness to pay. It also encourages collaboration and discussion among customers, and generates feedback and insights for the product team.

References:

• Buy a Feature: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the purpose, process, and benefits of the Buy a Feature game, and provides an example of how it can be used in a SAFe context.
• Buy a Feature: The Game that Teaches Prioritization: This article from Innovation Games describes the rules, variations, and outcomes of the Buy a Feature game, and provides tips and resources for facilitating it.
• Customer Needs Analysis: Definition & Research Methods: This article from Qualtrics XM provides an overview of customer needs analysis, and discusses various research methods, including Buy a Feature, to identify and understand customer needs.

The PO Sync is an ART event used to gain visibility into the ART’s progress toward meeting its PI objectives and to make any necessary adjustments. The PO Sync is commonly facilitated by the Release Train Engineer (RTE), who is the servant leader and chief Scrum Master for the ART. The RTE helps to coordinate the PO Sync by inviting the Product Owners and Product Management, setting the agenda, managing the timebox, and resolving any impediments or conflicts.

References:

• Product Owner (PO) Sync - Scaled Agile Framework
• Release Train Engineer and Solution Train Engineer - Scaled Agile Framework
• 5 Practices to Start Scaling Agile by Mike Hall | Agile Velocity

Journey maps are a design thinking tool that help visualize the steps, interactions, and emotions of a user as they go through a process or a service. Journey maps can help redesign work processes by identifying the pain points, opportunities, and gaps in the current state, and by generating ideas for improving the user experience and value proposition in the future state. Journey maps can also help communicate the user needs and expectations to the stakeholders and align them on a common vision and goal.

References:

• Journey Maps - Scaled Agile Framework
• Journey Mapping 101 | Nielsen Norman Group
• Journey Mapping: The Ultimate Guide | Miro
• Journey Mapping: How to Create One and Why It’s Important

Story mapping is a technique that helps product owners and teams visualize and prioritize user stories based on the user journey and the value they deliver. Story mapping involves creating a two-dimensional map of stories, where the horizontal axis represents the main activities or steps of the user journey, and the vertical axis represents the priority or importance of the stories. The stories are arranged in a hierarchy, where the top row contains the most essential stories that form the backbone of the feature, and the lower rows contain the more detailed or optional stories that enhance the feature. Story mapping helps to organize stories and understand which are critical to implementing the feature, as it shows the big picture of the user goals and needs, the dependencies and relationships among stories, and the minimum viable product (MVP) scope.

References:

• Story Mapping: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the purpose, process, and benefits of story mapping, and provides an example of how it can be used in a SAFe context.
• User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product: This book by Jeff Patton, the creator of story mapping, provides a comprehensive guide on how to use story mapping to create better products and services that delight customers.
• How to Create a User Story Map: Step by Step Guide with Examples: This article from Miro provides a detailed guide on how to create a user story map, with examples and templates for different types of products and services.

The value of a market segment is determined by the potential revenue and profit that can be generated from selling products or services to that segment. One of the key factors that influences the value of a market segment is the amount customers are willing to pay for products or services, which reflects their perceived value and price sensitivity. Customers who are willing to pay more for products or services that meet their needs and preferences are more valuable than customers who are willing to pay less or switch to cheaper alternatives. Therefore, understanding the customer’s willingness to pay is essential for setting optimal prices and maximizing the value of a market segment.

References:

• Market Segmentation: Definition, Example, Types, Benefits: This article from Investopedia explains the concept and purpose of market segmentation, and describes the four primary types of market segmentation: demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioral.
• Value-based Market Segmentation – Divide Markets into Value Categories: This article from Marketing Insider provides a detailed guide on how to conduct a value-based market segmentation, which is based on the actual value perceived and delivered to customers. It also discusses the benefits and challenges of value-based market segmentation, and provides some examples and best practices.
• Market Segmentation: Definition, Types, Benefits, & Best Practices: This article from Qualtrics XM provides an overview of market segmentation, and discusses the benefits and best practices of market segmentation for businesses. It also provides some examples and tips on how to segment markets effectively.

One of the strengths of qualitative research is that it can be applied to a large number of people, as it does not require a fixed sample size or a predefined set of questions. Qualitative research can use various methods, such as interviews, focus groups, observations, or document analysis, to collect data from different sources and contexts. This allows researchers to explore a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and meanings, and to generate rich and diverse insights.

References:

• 23 Advantages and Disadvantages of Qualitative Research
• 5 Strengths and 5 Limitations of Qualitative Research

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

According to the SAFe® Agile Product Management APM (6.0) documents and learning resources, Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) is a prioritization model used to sequence work for maximum economic benefit. It is calculated by dividing the cost of delay by the job duration or size. To estimate the cost of delay, three factors are considered: user and business value, time criticality, and risk reduction or opportunity enablement. To estimate the job duration or size, a relative scale such as Fibonacci is used. The highest value in the Fibonacci scale is set as the “ceiling” and the lowest value is set as the “floor”. The items are then scored by comparing them to the ceiling and the floor, and assigning them the closest Fibonacci number. The WSJF score is then obtained by dividing the cost of delay score by the job duration or size score. The items with the highest WSJF score are prioritized first.

References:

• WSJF - Scaled Agile Framework
• Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) | Definition and Overview - ProductPlan
• Weighted Shortest Job First - Open Practice Library

Buy a Feature is a research game that is primarily used to better understand the priorities of Solution requirements. Buy a Feature is a collaborative prioritization technique that involves giving participants a fixed amount of virtual money and a list of features or requirements with different costs. The participants then have to decide which features or requirements they want to buy, either individually or in groups. The game reveals the preferences,trade-offs, and consensus of the participants, as well as the relative value and importance of each feature or requirement.

References:

• Buy a Feature - Scaled Agile Framework
• Buy a Feature - Innovation Games
• What Innovation Game is primarily used to better understand the priorities of Solution requirements?

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.

Gemba is a Japanese term that means “the real place” or “the place where value is created”. In the context of the CDP, Gemba refers to the practice of going to the source of customer needs and feedback, and observing and learning from them. Gemba is an integral part of Continuous Exploration (CE), which is the first aspect of the CDP that drives innovation and fosters alignment on what should be built. CE involves applying Customer Centricity and Design Thinking to understand and create alignment on new development opportunities, and validating them with customers using hypothesis-driven experiments.

References:

• Continuous Exploration: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the purpose, process, and benefits of CE, and how it uses Gemba, design thinking, and lean startup methods to explore the market and customer needs, and define a vision, roadmap, and set of features for a solution.
• Gemba Walk: How to Drive Continuous Improvement in Manufacturing with Connected Work: This article from Parsable describes how Gemba walks can help manufacturing leaders and teams identify and solve problems, improve processes, and increase customer value. It also provides some tips and best practices for conducting effective Gemba walks using connected worker technology.

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 BMC is a strategic management tool that lets you visualize and assess your business idea or concept. It consists of nine boxes that represent different fundamental elements of a business, such as customer segments, value propositions, channels, and cost structure. The BMC helps you to design, analyze, optimize, and communicate your business model, and to test and iterate it as you learn from the market feedback. The BMC can be used for any type of business or product, regardless of whether it generates revenue or not, as long as it delivers value to the customers.

References:

• Business Model Canvas - Wikipedia: This article from Wikipedia explains the concept and history of the BMC, and describes its nine building blocks and their relationships.
• Business Model Canvas: Explained with Examples | Creately: This article from Creately provides a detailed guide on how to create a BMC, with examples and templates for different types of businesses and products.
• Business Model Canvas – Download the Official Template: This website from Strategyzer offers the official template and online courses, books, and webinars to master the BMC.

A roadmap is an artifact that shows the planned features and milestones for a solution over a timeline. It helps Product Managers communicate the vision and strategy to Product Owners and other stakeholders, and align them on the priorities and dependencies of the work. A roadmap also provides a feedback loop for validating assumptions and adapting to changing customer needs and market conditions.

References:

• SAFe Roadmap
• Product and Solution Management
• Product Owner