SAFe SAFe Principles and Lean-Agile Mindset 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is the first principle of the SAFe House of Lean?
- Respect for people and culture
- Take an economic view (Correct answer)
- Apply systems thinking
- Organize around value
Correct answer: Take an economic view
The SAFe House of Lean is anchored by the goal of delivering value, with 'Take an economic view' as the foundational first principle.
Question 2: What does the SAFe Core Value 'Alignment' primarily ensure?
- Teams use the same tools
- All levels share a common mission and strategy (Correct answer)
- Developers follow identical coding standards
- Managers approve all backlog items
Correct answer: All levels share a common mission and strategy
Alignment ensures that strategy and execution are synchronized across Portfolio, Large Solution, Program, and Team levels.
Question 3: Which SAFe principle encourages delivering value in small batches to reduce risk?
- Apply cadence, synchronize with cross-domain planning
- Assume variability; preserve options
- Apply systems thinking
- Make value flow without interruptions (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Make value flow without interruptions
Making value flow without interruptions reduces batch size, which in turn shortens feedback cycles and decreases risk.
Question 4: In SAFe, what is the primary purpose of the 'Principle #2: Apply Systems Thinking'?
- To use enterprise architecture tools
- To understand interdependencies between people, processes, and technology (Correct answer)
- To build microservices architectures
- To align IT systems with financial reporting
Correct answer: To understand interdependencies between people, processes, and technology
Systems thinking in SAFe means understanding how the whole system — teams, processes, and tools — interacts to optimize overall flow.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes the SAFe 'Lean-Agile Mindset'?
- A focus on documentation and process compliance
- Combining Lean thinking and Agile principles to deliver customer value (Correct answer)
- Adopting Scrum ceremonies across all teams
- Following a waterfall approach with short iterations
Correct answer: Combining Lean thinking and Agile principles to deliver customer value
The Lean-Agile Mindset blends Lean's focus on flow and waste reduction with Agile's iterative, customer-centric principles.
Question 6: What is 'Takt time' in the context of SAFe Lean principles?
- The time to complete a sprint
- The rate at which work must be completed to meet customer demand (Correct answer)
- The time for PI Planning
- The cycle time for a single team
Correct answer: The rate at which work must be completed to meet customer demand
Takt time is the available production time divided by customer demand, setting the pace at which the system must deliver.
Which of the following is the first principle of the SAFe House of Lean?