Inspect and Adapt (I&A) Event

03/04/2025

🔹 What is Inspect & Adapt (I&A)?

The Inspect & Adapt (I&A) event is a mandatory session held at the end of each Program Increment (PI) in SAFe. It enables teams to review results, identify improvements, and adapt their processes to enhance performance in the next PI.

📌 The goal of I&A is Continuous Improvement through:
✔ Inspecting the current state (System Demo)
✔ Measuring progress using metrics
✔ Identifying and solving problems

🔹 Key Components of the Inspect & Adapt (I&A) Event

1️⃣ PI System Demo (Inspecting the Solution) – 1 Hour

A live demonstration of all features completed in the PI
Presented by the Agile Teams to Business Owners and stakeholders
Focuses on the value delivered, not just functionality

🔹 Outcome: Business Owners evaluate the solution and provide feedback

2️⃣ Quantitative & Qualitative Metrics Review – 30 Minutes

Business Metrics: Customer satisfaction, revenue impact, cost savings
Program Metrics: Predictability, velocity, quality (defects, cycle time)
Team Metrics: Burndown charts, flow efficiency, deployment frequency

🔹 Outcome: Identify patterns, bottlenecks, and improvement areas

3️⃣ Problem-Solving Workshop – 2 Hours

A structured root cause analysis session using Lean problem-solving techniques

📌 Steps in the Problem-Solving Workshop:

Identify the biggest problem – Teams vote on the most critical issue
Root Cause Analysis – Use techniques like 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram
Identify Improvement Actions – Define concrete steps to fix the problem
Prioritize Actions – Based on business impact and feasibility
Assign Ownership – Ensure follow-up in the next PI

🔹 Outcome: A set of actionable improvements to implement in the next PI

🔹 Outputs of the I&A Event

✅ Improvement Backlog Items – Actionable tasks to address issues
✅ Business Owner Feedback – Helps prioritize future work
✅ Commitment to Continuous Improvement – Teams commit to changes

🔹 Benefits of Inspect & Adapt in SAFe

✔ Increases transparency and collaboration
✔ Helps identify systemic issues early
✔ Encourages a data-driven approach to improvements
✔ Builds a culture of continuous learning

🔹 Best Practices for a Successful I&A Event

✅ Schedule the event immediately after the last iteration
✅ Ensure participation from all ART stakeholders
✅ Use data and metrics to guide discussions
✅ Keep the problem-solving workshop focused and time-boxed
✅ Ensure follow-up actions are included in the next PI

🎯 Summary

The Inspect & Adapt (I&A) event is a critical continuous improvement mechanism in SAFe. It helps teams review, learn, and improve based on real data and feedback.

MCQs -Inspect and Adapt (I&A) Event

1. What is the primary purpose of the Inspect & Adapt (I&A) event in SAFe?

A) To celebrate team success and move on to the next PI
B) To inspect the results of the PI and adapt for continuous improvement
C) To conduct PI Planning for the next iteration
D) To assign blame for missed objectives

✅ Answer: B) To inspect the results of the PI and adapt for continuous improvement

2. When does the Inspect & Adapt event occur in SAFe?

A) At the end of every sprint
B) At the start of every PI
C) At the end of every PI
D) During backlog refinement sessions

✅ Answer: C) At the end of every PI

3. Which of the following is NOT a component of the I&A event?

A) PI System Demo
B) Quantitative and Qualitative Metrics Review
C) Sprint Retrospective
D) Problem-Solving Workshop

✅ Answer: C) Sprint Retrospective

4. Who participates in the Inspect & Adapt event?

A) Only Agile Teams
B) Only Product Owners and Scrum Masters
C) The entire Agile Release Train (ART), including Business Owners
D) Only the Release Train Engineer (RTE) and System Architect

✅ Answer: C) The entire Agile Release Train (ART), including Business Owners

5. What is the main purpose of the PI System Demo in the I&A event?

A) To showcase completed features and gather stakeholder feedback
B) To review team velocity and burndown charts
C) To refine backlog items for the next PI
D) To approve all pending user stories

✅ Answer: A) To showcase completed features and gather stakeholder feedback

6. How are problems identified during the Inspect & Adapt event?

A) Through backlog refinement
B) By conducting a root cause analysis in the Problem-Solving Workshop
C) By reviewing the SAFe House of Lean
D) By assigning blame to underperforming teams

✅ Answer: B) By conducting a root cause analysis in the Problem-Solving Workshop

7. Which Lean tool is commonly used to analyze root causes in the Problem-Solving Workshop?

A) MoSCoW prioritization
B) 5 Whys analysis
C) Fibonacci estimation
D) Kanban board

✅ Answer: B) 5 Whys analysis

8. What is the outcome of the Problem-Solving Workshop?

A) A backlog of features for the next PI
B) A set of improvement items for the next PI
C) A final project report
D) A release plan for upcoming iterations

✅ Answer: B) A set of improvement items for the next PI

9. Which metric is commonly reviewed during the I&A event?

A) Sprint Burndown Chart
B) Program Predictability Measure
C) Market Share Growth
D) Team Standup Attendance

✅ Answer: B) Program Predictability Measure

10. What is the primary role of the Business Owners in the I&A event?

A) To approve all backlog items for the next PI
B) To review the PI System Demo and provide feedback
C) To facilitate the Problem-Solving Workshop
D) To assign work to teams for the next PI

✅ Answer: B) To review the PI System Demo and provide feedback

11. What is the first step in the Problem-Solving Workshop?

A) Define the biggest problem
B) Conduct root cause analysis
C) Assign action items
D) Implement changes immediately

✅ Answer: A) Define the biggest problem

12. Which of the following is a key benefit of the Inspect & Adapt event?

A) Ensures teams work longer hours to meet PI objectives
B) Helps teams learn from past mistakes and continuously improve
C) Eliminates the need for backlog refinement
D) Replaces the need for daily stand-ups

✅ Answer: B) Helps teams learn from past mistakes and continuously improve

13. Why is it important to review both Quantitative and Qualitative Metrics in I&A?

A) To track all employee activities
B) To understand overall ART performance beyond just numbers
C) To assign blame for performance gaps
D) To prepare a report for executive management

✅ Answer: B) To understand overall ART performance beyond just numbers

14. What is a common root cause analysis tool besides 5 Whys?

A) Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa)
B) Scrum Board
C) Gantt Chart
D) Fibonacci Sequence

✅ Answer: A) Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa)

15. How does I&A contribute to business agility?

A) By ensuring faster delivery without feedback loops
B) By allowing teams to work in silos
C) By enabling continuous learning and adaptation based on performance
D) By eliminating the need for PI Planning

✅ Answer: C) By enabling continuous learning and adaptation based on performance

16. What happens to the improvement items identified in the I&A event?

A) They are tracked and implemented in the next PI
B) They are reviewed but never implemented
C) They are assigned only to the Scrum Masters
D) They are added to the product backlog for future consideration

✅ Answer: A) They are tracked and implemented in the next PI

17. Who facilitates the Inspect & Adapt event?

A) Release Train Engineer (RTE)
B) Product Manager
C) Scrum Master
D) System Architect

✅ Answer: A) Release Train Engineer (RTE)

18. What is the key purpose of the Program Predictability Measure?

A) To track team attendance
B) To measure how well teams met their planned objectives
C) To determine the number of releases completed
D) To identify which teams need more coaching

✅ Answer: B) To measure how well teams met their planned objectives

19. Which of the following is NOT an expected outcome of an effective Inspect & Adapt event?

A) Increased alignment across ART teams
B) Identification of areas for continuous improvement
C) Finalization of user stories for the next PI
D) Feedback from Business Owners and stakeholders

✅ Answer: C) Finalization of user stories for the next PI

20. What is a common mistake teams make during the Inspect & Adapt event?

A) Focusing only on past problems without proposing solutions
B) Using data to drive discussions
C) Including all ART members in the event
D) Engaging Business Owners in the process

✅ Answer: A) Focusing only on past problems without proposing solutions

21. What is the primary purpose of the PI System Demo?

A) To review individual team contributions separately
B) To showcase the integrated work of all teams in the Agile Release Train (ART)
C) To present a PowerPoint summary of the PI's progress
D) To plan the next PI

✅ Answer: B) To showcase the integrated work of all teams in the Agile Release Train (ART)

22. How often does the PI System Demo take place?

A) At the end of each sprint
B) At the end of each iteration
C) At the end of each Program Increment (PI)
D) Before every daily stand-up

✅ Answer: C) At the end of each Program Increment (PI)

23. Who typically presents the PI System Demo?

A) The Product Owner only
B) The Agile Teams that built the solution
C) The Release Train Engineer (RTE)
D) The Business Owners

✅ Answer: B) The Agile Teams that built the solution

24. What should the PI System Demo focus on?

A) Technical details and code reviews
B) The overall business value delivered to customers and stakeholders
C) Internal team challenges and retrospective discussions
D) The number of story points completed

✅ Answer: B) The overall business value delivered to customers and stakeholders

25. How does the PI System Demo contribute to continuous improvement?

A) It allows teams to compare their work with competitors
B) It provides feedback that can influence the next Program Increment (PI)
C) It replaces the need for the Inspect & Adapt event
D) It ensures all teams have the same velocity

✅ Answer: B) It provides feedback that can influence the next Program Increment (PI)