Scaled Agile SAFe-SASM Exam - Topic 2 Question 26 Discussion

Actual exam question for Scaled Agile's SAFe-SASM exam

Question #: 26
Topic #: 2

If the distance between the arrival and departure curves on a team's cumulative flow diagram is growing apart, what is likely happening?

ALead time is increasing

BUnplanned work is pushed into the backlog

CWIP is decreasing

DThe backlog is being reprioritized

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: A

Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD): A CFD is a visual tool used in Kanban and Scrum to show the progress of work items through different stages of the workflow over time.

Arrival and Departure Curves: These curves represent the work items entering (arrival) and leaving (departure) the system.

Growing Distance: If the distance between the arrival and departure curves on the CFD is growing apart, it indicates that work items are taking longer to move through the system.

Lead Time: This term refers to the total time from when a work item is created until it is completed. An increasing distance between the curves means that work items are spending more time in the system, thus increasing the lead time.

SAFe Scrum Master Reference:

SAFe materials on flow metrics and Kanban principles highlight the importance of monitoring lead time and using CFDs to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the workflow.

by Wai at Jul 13, 2025, 12:20 AM

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Margo

1 month ago

Not so sure about D, that doesn't seem to fit here.

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Julieta

2 months ago

Wait, is it really C? WIP decreasing seems odd.

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Charolette

2 months ago

Reprioritizing the backlog could also cause some delays, but I don't recall it being directly linked to the distance between those curves.

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Jarod

2 months ago

I'm not entirely sure, but I feel like if WIP is decreasing, the curves would be closer together, right? So that option seems off to me.

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Novella

2 months ago

Hmm, the backlog being reprioritized is an interesting possibility too. I'll need to think through the implications of each choice.

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Leontine

2 months ago

I think I saw a similar question where unplanned work affected the flow. Could it be that unplanned work is being pushed into the backlog?

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Sabra

2 months ago

I think it's more like B, unplanned work is piling up.

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Nieves

3 months ago

I remember that if the arrival and departure curves are growing apart, it usually indicates that work is piling up, so maybe lead time is increasing?

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Gracia

3 months ago

Definitely A, lead time is going up.

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Tawanna

3 months ago

Totally agree with A, the gap means delays.

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Nida

3 months ago

Interesting. I'm wondering if the growing distance could also mean that the WIP is decreasing. I'll have to weigh the options carefully.

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Leonardo

3 months ago

Wait, I'm not sure about that. Could it also mean that unplanned work is being pushed into the backlog? I'll need to double-check that.

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Carmelina

4 months ago

Okay, let's see. If the distance between the curves is increasing, that likely means lead time is going up, so I'll go with option A.

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Precious

4 months ago

Hmm, this looks like a tricky one. I'll need to think through the implications of the arrival and departure curves growing apart on the cumulative flow diagram.

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Glory

4 months ago

I think I've got it. If the distance is increasing, that means WIP is decreasing, which could indicate the team is improving their flow. I'll mark that as my answer.

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Glory

4 months ago

Wait, I'm a bit confused. Could the growing distance also mean unplanned work is being pushed into the backlog? I'll need to double-check that one.

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Lai

4 months ago

Okay, I've got this. If the distance is increasing, that means lead time is likely increasing. The work is taking longer to flow through the process.

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Glen

5 months ago

Hmm, the distance between the curves growing apart - that could mean a few different things. I'll need to carefully consider each option and see which one makes the most sense.

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Armanda

5 months ago

This looks like a tricky one. I'll need to think through the relationship between the arrival and departure curves to figure out what's likely happening.

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Albina

7 months ago

Wait, wait, wait... If the curves are drifting apart, that means WIP is decreasing, right? Option C is the way to go, my friends. Gotta love it when the process streamlines itself!

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Janella

7 months ago

I think it's more likely that lead time is increasing because the team might be taking longer to complete tasks.

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Luis

7 months ago

That's a good point, Dulce. It could be either lead time increasing or WIP decreasing.

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Dulce

7 months ago

But could it also mean that WIP is decreasing instead?

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Tamesha

7 months ago

Ooh, this one's tricky. I'm gonna have to go with option D - the backlog is being reprioritized. Maybe the team's focusing on the wrong things, eh? Time to get the priorities straight!

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Dominque

5 months ago

I see where you're coming from, but I think option C - WIP is decreasing, might be the reason for the growing distance.

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Phil

6 months ago

Hmm, interesting point. I actually believe it could be option B - unplanned work is pushed into the backlog.

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Berry

7 months ago

I think you might be onto something there. But I'm leaning towards option A - lead time is increasing.

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Aracelis

7 months ago

Hmm, growing distance between the curves... Sounds like a recipe for a backlog explosion to me. I'd go with option B - unplanned work is being pushed into the backlog. That's the kind of thing that keeps project managers up at night.

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Roy

5 months ago

I think it could also be option A. If lead time is increasing, that could be causing the distance between the curves to grow.

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Keneth

7 months ago

I agree, option B seems like the most likely scenario. Unplanned work can really throw off a team's flow.

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Janella

7 months ago

I agree with Luis, it makes sense that lead time is increasing in that scenario.

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Lashawna

8 months ago

Definitely option A. When the arrival and departure curves start drifting apart, it's a telltale sign that your lead time is going up. Better get that under control before your customers start complaining!

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Luis

8 months ago

I think if the distance between the arrival and departure curves is growing apart, lead time is increasing.

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Markus

8 months ago

If the distance between the arrival and departure curves is growing, that's a clear sign that lead time is increasing. Option A is the way to go here.

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Ernest

7 months ago

That makes sense, the distance between the arrival and departure curves on the cumulative flow diagram is a good indicator of lead time.

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Yvonne

7 months ago

Lead time is increasing.

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