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Empirical Process Control

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Empirical process control is a core principle of Scrum, which is based on the three pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Transparency ensures that aspects which affect the outcome is visible to those managing the outcomes. Inspection involves routinely checking these aspects to dete…

Guide: Empirical Process Control

What is Empirical Process Control?

Empirical Process Control is a concept that forms the foundation of Scrum, emphasizing the ability to adapt to change over following a predetermined plan. It assumes that processes are imperfectly defined and that knowledge comes from experience.

Why is it Important?

Empirical Process Control is important because it provides a flexible and adaptive framework for problem solving and continuous improvement. It paves the way for innovation by encouraging iterative and incremental development.

How Does Empirical Process Control Work?

Empirical Process Control works on three main principles:
1. Transparency: All aspects of the process should be visible to those responsible for the outcome.
2. Inspection: Regular examination of the process and the product in development.
3. Adaptation: If aspects deviate outside acceptable limits, adjustments must be made as soon as possible.

Answering Questions on Empirical Process Control in an Exam:

To answer questions on Empirical Process Control, remember the three principles and how they apply to Scrum. You might be asked to explain or give examples of transparency, inspection and adaptation in a Scrum context.

Exam Tips:
Keep in mind:
1. Be clear on the principles of Empirical Process Control.
2. Understand the real-life application of these principles in a Scrum context.
3. Be prepared to explain how these principles contribute to Scrum's flexibility and adaptability.
4. Practice with scenario-based questions to understand application of Empirical Process Control in different situations.

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PSM I - Empirical Process Control Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Empirical Process Control

Question 1

The Product Owner faced difficulty in understanding the requirements from the stakeholders. How can the Agile team use Empirical Process Control to address this issue?

Keep the stakeholders out of the agile process. Involve the Product Owner, stakeholders, and development team in sprint planning and sprint reviews. Let the team develop the product without stakeholder input. Implement a Waterfall methodology instead of Agile. Minimize interaction between the development team and stakeholders. Instruct the Product Owner to follow a strict set of guidelines for requirement gathering.

Correct Answer: Involve the Product Owner, stakeholders, and development team in sprint planning and sprint reviews.

Frequent interaction between stakeholders, the Product Owner, and the development team allows for improved communication and understanding of requirements. Empirical Process Control encourages such collaboration and frequent inspection to adapt as needed. The other options minimize interaction, ignore stakeholder input, or disregard agile principles.

Question 2

A Scrum Master noticed that the team's velocity is consistently decreasing in recent sprints. What is the best approach to address the issue using Empirical Process Control?

Reward the top-performing team members. Reduce the sprint lengths to compensate for the decrease. Use performance metrics to punish underperforming team members. Increase the number of team members. Facilitate a retrospective meeting to identify and address factors affecting the team's performance. Exert more control over the team by defining the tasks and setting deadlines.

Correct Answer: Facilitate a retrospective meeting to identify and address factors affecting the team's performance.

An empirical process control approach involves inspecting, adapting and learning from past performance. Therefore, a retrospective meeting facilitates identification of issues and improvement of processes. The other options may fail to address the underlying problems or may not adhere to the principles of empirical process control.

Question 3

A Scrum team has completed several sprints, but there seems to be a continuous disconnect between team members and stakeholders during their product review. Using Empirical Process Control, what should the Scrum Master propose as a solution?

Advise the Scrum team to increase the number of sprints to accelerate product delivery without seeking additional inputs from stakeholders. Suggest the Product Owner to use a predictive planning approach and base future sprint goals solely on initial project estimates and market research. Propose the Scrum team to focus on developing technical documentation and detailed reports after each sprint to present to stakeholders, aiming to replace direct communication and reduce misunderstandings. Encourage the Product Owner to closely collaborate with stakeholders for refining and prioritizing the product backlog based on the feedback received during the review sessions.

Correct Answer: Encourage the Product Owner to closely collaborate with stakeholders for refining and prioritizing the product backlog based on the feedback received during the review sessions.

The correct answer promotes collaboration and alignment between the Scrum team and stakeholders, adhering to Empirical Process Control principles of transparency, inspection, and adaptation. The wrong answers divert from scrum values and empirical process control by suggesting to either avoid stakeholder feedback, relying on predictive rather than empirical planning, or using documentation as a primary means of communication instead of fostering direct engagement.

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