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Scrum vs SAFe Scaling

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Scrum utilizes a simple, team-based framework suitable for single teams or small organizations. The framework doesn’t inherently support scaling across multiple teams or larger organizations. In contrast, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) extends Scrum (and other Agile principles) to provide a structure that's more suitable for coordinating work across multiple teams or larger organizations, taking into account additional layers of governance and planning.

Guide: Scrum vs SAFe Scaling

Why it is Important:
Understanding the difference between Scrum and SAFe Scaling is vital to effectively applying Agile principles. Each framework has its unique attributes and knowing when to use one over the other helps to maximize productivity and efficiency in a team or organization.

What it is:
Scrum is an Agile framework that is widely used for product development, especially in software teams. The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), on the other hand, is a set of organization and workflow patterns intended to guide enterprises in scaling lean and agile practices.

How it Works:
Scrum works by organizing teams into small, self-managing groups that work in increments called 'sprints'. SAFe scales this concept and applies it to an enterprise level, aligning these teams with business strategies to provide a more structured method of achieving organization-wide agility.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Scrum vs SAFe Scaling:
1. Understand the key differences: Scrum is a framework for small teams, while SAFe is designed for larger organizations.
2. Know how they work: Scrum's key component is the sprint, a set period where specific tasks must be completed and ready for review, while SAFe aligns these sprints at an enterprise level.
3. Study real-life applications: Where possible, include examples of real-world situations where each framework would be best applied.
4. Master the terminology: Be sure you know the specific terms used in each framework, such as 'sprint' for Scrum and ‘program increment’ for SAFe.

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CSM - Scrum vs. Other Agile Frameworks Example Questions

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Question 1

Your company has an established Scrum framework and multiple teams across different locations. However, customer requirements have changed, requiring you to come up with a solution which can handle this increased complexity and provide articulation. What should you do?

Correct Answer: Move to SAFe while leveraging your current Scrum framework

In the situation described, flexibility and better articulation are required to handle the increasing complexity due to change in customer requirements. The best approach in this situation is to 'Move to SAFe while leveraging your current Scrum framework'. SAFe, or the Scaled Agile Framework, is specifically designed to cater to large organizations with multiple teams across different locations and offers tools to handle increased complexity. By leveraging the current Scrum practice and implementing SAFe, your organization can provide an optimum balance of flexibility, precision, and articulation. On the other hand, 'Divide teams further to handle the complexity' could lead to miscommunication or difficulties in coordination, making managing the project even more complicated. 'Continue with just Scrum' may not have the sufficient structure needed to deal with the complexity of the new requirements. Finally, to 'Move entirely to a new framework' could lead to disruptions in workflow, retraining effort for the entire team and a steep learning curve, which may greatly affect the productivity of the teams in the short term. Therefore, the other options are not beneficial when compared to adopting SAFe.

Question 2

Your company is growing fast, and you are finding it challenging to maintain effective communication between the different Scrum teams in place. You want to scale effectively while leveraging the principles of Agile. Which framework should you consider?

Correct Answer: SAFe

The best choice for maintaining effective communication between rapidly growing Scrum teams is SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework). This framework is designed to apply Scrum at an enterprise level and addresses the challenges that come with scaling Agile beyond a single team. It ensures alignment, collaboration, and delivery for multiple Agile teams. Scrum, on the other hand, is a framework for managing a single project team and does not inherently support coordinating between multiple teams. Kanban is a process tool that can complement Scrum but does not have a built-in mechanism for scaling. Extreme Programming is a type of Agile methodology focused on engineering practices, which does not address the issue of scaling.

Question 3

You are facing a scenario in your organization where you need to manage not only the technical debt but maintain the traceability between business strategy, requirement, test, and development. Which model should you choose?

Correct Answer: SAFe

The best option in this scenario is the SAFe - Scaled Agile Framework. SAFe is specifically designed for scaling Agile within a larger organizational structure. It delivers comprehensive guidance to work at enterprise Portfolio, Value Stream, Program and Team levels. It maintains traceability between business strategy, requirement, test, and development while also handling the technical debt. It is suitable for handling complexities in larger organizations. Scrum, on the other hand, is a framework for executing Agile work, but it lacks specific structures for scaling and maintaining traceability between business strategy, requirement, test, and development. It's better suited for smaller teams. Kanban is more about process visibility and it might lack constructs for managing technical debt or traceability between different organizational levels. The statement 'No scaling model is needed' is incorrect as it's clear from the question that you are dealing with scaling and traceability issues, a situation that calls for a structured scaling model.

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