SPS Exam Dumps - Scrum Scaled Professional Scrum Questions and Answers

A Nexus is a framework for scaling Scrum that enables multiple Scrum Teams to work on a single product 1. A Nexus has one Product Backlog, which is an ordered list of the work to be done by the Scrum Teams in the Nexus 1. The Product Backlog has a single source of requirements and priorities for the product, and it is managed by the Product Owner, who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and the work performed and integrated by the Scrum Teams 1. Having one Product Backlog for a Nexus ensures that the Scrum Teams have a common vision, goal, and alignment for the product 23. Therefore, the statement is true.

The best way to improve the ability of the Scrum Teams in a Nexus to produce an Increment for the next Sprint is to reduce the amount of work that the teams pull into the Sprint. This will allow the teams to focus on delivering a high-quality and valuable product Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Product Goal. Reducing the amount of work also reduces the complexity and dependencies among the teams, which makes integration easier and faster.

The other options are not advisable for the following reasons:

• Asking the Nexus Integration Team to extend the Sprint to allow more time for integration is not consistent with the Scrum principles and values. The Sprint length should be fixed and consistent throughout the product development, and it should be less than a month. Extending the Sprint would compromise the feedback loop, the transparency, and the adaptability of the Nexus 11.
• Reducing the number of Scrum Teams to reduce complexity is not a viable solution, as it would also reduce the capacity and the productivity of the Nexus. The number of Scrum Teams in a Nexus should be based on the size and the scope of the product, and it should not exceed nine teams 11. Reducing the number of teams would also disrupt the existing team dynamics and collaboration.
• Adding another Scrum Team to the Nexus to increase capacity is not a good idea, as it would increase the complexity and the dependencies among the teams. Adding another team would also require more coordination and communication, which would consume more time and resources. Moreover, adding another team would not necessarily increase the value or the quality of the product Increment 22.

Moving away from component teams toward feature teams is a significant change that should be considered carefully. Here are some of the factors that should be taken into account:

• Feature teams have less communication overhead than component teams, as they are able to deliver end-to-end customer features without relying on other teams or components 11. This reduces the complexity and the dependencies among the teams, and improves the transparency and the feedback loop. Feature teams also foster more collaboration and cross-functional learning among the team members, as they have to work on different aspects of the product 22.
• When making this change, it helps to have support from the organization, as it may require a shift in the culture, the structure, and the processes of the company 33. The organization should provide the necessary resources, training, and coaching to the teams to help them adopt the feature team model. The organization should also align its goals, incentives, and metrics with the feature team approach, and remove any barriers or impediments that may hinder the teams’ performance 44.
• Productivity may decrease when making this kind of change, as the teams may face some challenges and difficulties in the transition period 55. For example, the teams may have to learn new skills, technologies, or domains that they are not familiar with. The teams may also have to deal with legacy code, technical debt, or integration issues that may slow down their delivery. The teams may also experience some resistance or conflict from the existing component teams or stakeholders. Therefore, the teams should expect some temporary setbacks and losses in productivity, and focus on continuous improvement and adaptation.

The other options are not correct for the following reasons:

• With feature teams, it is not easier to calculate the productivity per team, as productivity is not a simple or straightforward metric to measure in software development [6]. Productivity depends on various factors, such as the quality, the value, the complexity, and the customer satisfaction of the product. Moreover, focusing on the productivity per team may create a competitive or individualistic mindset among the teams, rather than a collaborative or collective one. The teams should focus on delivering the best possible product Increment that meets the Product Goal and the Definition of Done, rather than on maximizing their productivity [7].
• You can do Scrum without feature teams, as Scrum does not prescribe any specific team structure or organization [8]. Scrum only requires that the Scrum Team is cross-functional, self-organizing, and accountable for delivering a potentially releasable product Increment every Sprint [9]. However, feature teams are generally more aligned with the Scrum values and principles, as they enable the teams to deliver customer-centric features faster and more frequently, and to respond to changes more effectively [10]. Therefore, feature teams are recommended, but not mandatory, for Scrum.

The answer is false because not all Scrum Team members are required to attend the Nexus Daily Scrum. According to the Online Nexus Guide1, the Nexus Daily Scrum is an event for appropriate representatives from individual Scrum Teams to inspect the current state of the Integrated Increment and to identify integration issues or newly discovered cross-team dependencies. The appropriate representatives are those who can best collaborate and communicate the progress and impediments of their Scrum Teams, and who can make and influence decisions regarding the integration and delivery of the product. The number and selection of the representatives may vary depending on the context and needs of the Nexus 234. The Nexus Daily Scrum does not replace the Daily Scrum of each Scrum Team, which is still held by all the Developers of the team to plan their work for the day 5.

The best option for how Product Ownership might be structured in a company with five products is to have one Product Owner responsible for each product or one Product Owner responsible for all five products. Both of these options are consistent with the Scrum Guide, which states that the Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team 11. The Product Owner may delegate work as needed, but they remain accountable for the value delivered. The Product Owner also provides clarity to the team about the product vision, goal, and backlog 11.

The other options are not advisable for the following reasons:

• Assigning as many Product Owners as needed to communicate expectations and requirements to the Scrum Team is not a good idea, as it would create confusion, inconsistency, and conflict among the Product Owners and the Scrum Team. The Scrum Guide states that the Product Owner is one person, not a committee 11. Having multiple Product Owners for one product would compromise the transparency, the alignment, and the decision-making of the Scrum Team.
• Having one primary Product Owner and one Product Owner for each product is also not a good idea, as it would create a hierarchy and a dependency among the Product Owners. The primary Product Owner would have too much authority and responsibility, while the Product Owners for each product would have too little. This would undermine the accountability, the collaboration, and the empowerment of the Product Owners and the Scrum Teams.

The Nexus framework is a way of scaling Scrum for multiple teams working on a single product. The Nexus framework uses Scrum as its building block and extends it only where necessary to minimize and manage dependencies between teams 11. The Nexus framework defines the accountabilities, events, and artifacts that bind and weave together the work of the teams in a Nexus 11. One of the key events in the Nexus framework is the Nexus Sprint Planning, which is used to coordinate the activities of all teams in the Nexus for a single Sprint 11.

In Scenario C, the Nexus Sprint Planning is not conducted effectively. The representatives from each of the 9-member Scrum Teams identify many dependencies, which makes it hard for them to choose the work they could pull into their individual teams for the next Sprint. No matter how they reorganize the Product Backlog items, they continually find more or new dependencies. Dependencies are the relationships between the work items that affect the order, timing, or outcome of the work 22. Dependencies can cause delays, rework, waste, and lower quality 22. Therefore, it is important to identify and resolve dependencies as early and as often as possible 22.

What should the Scrum Teams do to effectively deal with their dependencies is:

• Increase the frequency of Cross-Team Refinement to reduce dependencies. This is answer A. This is a valid answer because Cross-Team Refinement is an activity where representatives from each team in the Nexus meet to decompose and refine the Product Backlog items into smaller pieces of work that can be delivered by a single team or multiple teams 11. By doing this, the teams can reduce the dependencies by breaking down the work into more manageable and independent units 11. The teams can also identify and resolve the dependencies before the Nexus Sprint Planning, which will make the planning easier and more effective 11. By increasing the frequency of Cross-Team Refinement, the teams can ensure that the Product Backlog items are ready and clear for the Nexus Sprint Planning 11.

The other three answers are not correct because:

• Merge the two Scrum Teams together that have the most dependencies with each other. This is answer B. This is not a valid answer because merging the two Scrum Teams together that have the most dependencies with each other is not a good solution. It implies that the teams are not able to collaborate and coordinate effectively with each other, and that they need to be in the same team to work on the same product 11. It also increases the size and complexity of the merged team, which can reduce its agility and productivity 11. It also does not address the root cause of the dependencies, which may be related to the product or communication structure 22.
• Institute quarterly meetings for planning out all dependencies between teams. This is answer C. This is not a valid answer because instituting quarterly meetings for planning out all dependencies between teams is not consistent with Scrum or Nexus. Scrum and Nexus require that the teams plan and deliver a potentially releasable Increment of product value in each Sprint, which is usually a few weeks long 11. Instituting quarterly meetings for planning out all dependencies between teams means that the teams are not planning or delivering any value or receiving any feedback in the Sprints 11. It also means that the teams are not able to adapt to the changing needs and expectations of the customers and users, which are essential for empiricism and agility 11.
• All of the above. This is answer D. This is not a valid answer because none of the above answers are valid. Therefore, choosing all of them is not a valid answer either.

The best way for multiple Scrum Teams to deliver a valuable and useful Increment in a Sprint is to complete work that integrates with all of the other work from other Scrum Teams on the initiative. This means that the Scrum Teams collaborate and coordinate their work to produce a single Integrated Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Product Goal. The Integrated Increment is the combined work of all the Scrum Teams that is potentially releasable and provides value to the customers and stakeholders 11.

The other options are not correct for the following reasons:

• Each Scrum Team delivering done Increments of its own area of responsibility and integrating them into a whole product during stabilization prior to release is not a good idea, as it violates the Scrum principles and values. The Scrum Guide states that the Scrum Team delivers a product Increment that is usable and valuable at the end of every Sprint, not at the end of the release 22. Delaying the integration until the stabilization phase would compromise the transparency, the feedback, and the adaptability of the Scrum Teams.
• Each Scrum Team providing a unique done Increment that includes the team’s added functionality is not a good idea, as it does not ensure that the product Increment is integrated and consistent across the initiative. The Scrum Guide states that the product Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and all previous Sprints 22. If each Scrum Team provides a unique Increment, they may not be aligned with the Product Goal and the Definition of Done, and they may create conflicts or dependencies with other Scrum Teams.
• Functionality not integrated with the work of other Scrum Teams being delivered as unintegrated Increments to demonstrate the value created by the Scrum Teams unable to completely integrate their Increments is not a good idea, as it does not ensure that the product Increment is done and valuable. The Scrum Guide states that the product Increment must be usable and meet the Definition of Done 22. If some functionality is not integrated with the work of other Scrum Teams, it may not be usable or valuable to the customers and stakeholders, and it may introduce technical debt or quality issues.

The Nexus framework is a way of scaling Scrum for multiple teams working on a single product. The Nexus framework uses Scrum as its building block and extends it only where necessary to minimize and manage dependencies between teams 11. The Nexus framework defines the accountabilities, events, and artifacts that bind and weave together the work of the teams in a Nexus 11. One of the key events in the Nexus framework is the Nexus Sprint Planning, which is used to coordinate the activities of all teams in the Nexus for a single Sprint 11.

The purpose of Nexus Sprint Planning is to:

• Coordinate the activities of all the Scrum Teams in a Nexus. This is answer A. This is a valid answer because the Nexus Sprint Planning is an event where the Nexus, consisting of the Product Owner and appropriate representatives from each team, meet to plan the Sprint 11. The purpose of Nexus Sprint Planning is to coordinate the activities of all teams in the Nexus for a single Sprint 11. The Nexus Sprint Planning helps the teams to align their work with the Product Goal, identify and resolve dependencies, and create a common understanding of the Sprint 11.
• Create a plan for the Sprint. This is answer D. This is a valid answer because the Nexus Sprint Planning is an event where the Nexus creates a plan for the Sprint 11. The result of Nexus Sprint Planning is a Nexus Sprint Goal that aligns with the Product Goal and a Nexus Sprint Backlog that contains the work to be done by the teams to achieve the Nexus Sprint Goal 11. The Nexus Sprint Backlog is a visualization of the work across the Nexus that has dependencies 11. The Nexus Sprint Goal and the Nexus Sprint Backlog guide the teams throughout the Sprint 11.

The other two answers are not correct because:

• Discover all the dependencies between Product Backlog items. This is answer B. This is not a valid answer because the Nexus Sprint Planning is not the only time to discover all the dependencies between Product Backlog items. Dependencies are the relationships between the work items that affect the order, timing, or outcome of the work 22. Dependencies can cause delays, rework, waste, and lower quality 22. Therefore, it is important to identify and resolve dependencies as early and as often as possible 22. The Nexus Sprint Planning is a time to coordinate the activities of the teams for the upcoming Sprint and to create a Nexus Sprint Goal and a Nexus Sprint Backlog 11. The discovery of dependencies should be done continuously throughout the Sprint, not only during the Nexus Sprint Planning 11. One of the activities that can help the teams to discover dependencies before the Nexus Sprint Planning is the Cross-Team Refinement, where representatives from each team in the Nexus meet to decompose and refine the Product Backlog items into smaller pieces of work that can be delivered by a single team or multiple teams 1[1][6].
• Ensure all teams are committing to the right work. This is answer C. This is not a valid answer because the Nexus Sprint Planning is not a time to ensure all teams are committing to the right work. The Nexus Sprint Planning is a time to coordinate the activities of the teams for the upcoming Sprint and to create a Nexus Sprint Goal and a Nexus Sprint Backlog 11. The Nexus Sprint Planning is not a time to impose or dictate the work to the teams, but rather to collaborate and align the work with the Product Goal 11. The teams are self-organizing and autonomous, which means they decide how to do their work and what work to do 1[1][7]. The teams do not commit to the work, but rather forecast the work based on their capacity and understanding 1[1][7].

When multiple Scrum Teams work from the same Product Backlog, they should choose the Product Backlog items that they can deliver as part of an Integrated Increment, which is the combined work of all the Scrum Teams that meets the Nexus Sprint Goal 11. The Developers, who are the people in the Scrum Teams who are accountable for creating and delivering the Increment, should pull work in agreement with the Product Owner, who is the person who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and the work performed and integrated by the Scrum Teams 11. The Developers and the Product Owner should collaborate to select the Product Backlog items that are most valuable, feasible, and aligned with the Nexus Sprint Goal 2233. Therefore, statement B is the correct answer.

Statement A is incorrect because it implies that the Scrum Teams choose the Weighted Shortest Job First, which is a prioritization technique that ranks Product Backlog items based on their value and cost 44. However, the Scrum Guide does not prescribe any specific technique for ordering the Product Backlog, and the Product Owner is the sole person responsible for managing the Product Backlog [5]. Statement C is incorrect because it suggests that each Scrum Team takes an equal number of items, which may not reflect the value, complexity, or dependencies of the items 1122. Statement D is incorrect because it assumes that the Scrum Team with the highest velocity pulls Product Backlog items first, which may not be the best way to optimize the value delivery and integration across the Nexus 1122. Statement E is incorrect because it proposes that the Product Owner should provide each team with its own Product Backlog, which would create confusion, inconsistency, and duplication of work. Having multiple Product Backlogs would also undermine the transparency and alignment that are essential for scaling Scrum 1122.