VMA Exam Dumps : Value Methodology Associate

The Value Methodology (VM) Job Plan, as outlined in the VMF 1 course and SAVE International’s Value Methodology Standard, consists of six phases: Information, Function Analysis, Creative, Evaluation, Development, and Presentation. This was established in Question 1, where the VM Job Plan was confirmed to have six phases. The last four phases, therefore, are: Creative, Evaluation, Development, and Presentation. However, the options include “Implementation,” which is not a formal phase in the standard VM Job Plan but is often considered a post-study activity (e.g., in the post-study phase, where recommendations are implemented). For the purposes of the VMA exam, which focuses on the VMF 1 curriculum, Implementation is sometimes treated as an extension of the Presentation Phase, where the team ensures stakeholder buy-in and facilitates the transition to implementation.

Thus, the correct sequence of the last four phases, interpreting Implementation as the post-Presentation activity, is:

Creative(third phase, but the first of the last four).

Evaluation(fourth phase): Assess ideas for feasibility and value improvement.

Development(fifth phase): Refine selected ideas into actionable proposals.

Presentation(sixth phase): Present recommendations to stakeholders for approval and implementation.

Implementation: Follows Presentation as a post-study activity to execute the recommendations.

Option A (Development, Presentation, Evaluation, and Implementation) is incorrect because Evaluation must precede Development—ideas are evaluated before being developed into proposals.

Option B (Evaluation, Development, Presentation, and Implementation) is correct, as it follows the VM Job Plan’s sequence and includes Implementation as the post-study step.

Option C (Evaluation, Development, Implementation, and Presentation) is incorrect because Presentation (delivering recommendations) must occur before Implementation.

Option D (Development, Evaluation, Presentation, and Implementation) is incorrect because Development cannot precede Evaluation in the VM Job Plan.

In Value Methodology’s Function Analysis, functions are classified based on their characteristics, as taught in the VMF 1 course (Core Competency #2: Function Analysis). According to SAVE International’s Value Methodology Standard, “all-the-time functions are those that occur continuously or are always active during the operation of the system.” In a FAST diagram, all-the-time functions are often shown vertically (e.g., “when” direction) alongside the critical path, indicating they are ongoing while the main functions are performed. For example, in a car, “provide safety” (e.g., through seatbelts) is an all-the-time function because it is always active when the car is in use. This aligns with the FAST diagramming convention of showing simultaneous functions.

Option A (Outside the study scope) is incorrect because all-the-time functions are within the scope if they are part of the system’s operation, though they may be supporting functions.

Option B (A drain on resources) is incorrect because all-the-time functions are not necessarily resource-intensive; they are simply continuous.

Option C (Continuous) is correct, as it matches the definition of all-the-time functions in VM.

Option D (Undesirable) is incorrect because all-the-time functions are not inherently undesirable; they may be essential (e.g., “provide safety”).

In Value Methodology (VM), gathering input from customers and stakeholders is a key activity, particularly during the Information Phase of the VM Job Plan, as taught in the VMF 1 course (Core Competency #3: Value Methodology Job Plan). According to SAVE International’s Value Methodology Standard, various techniques are used to collect stakeholder input, including interviews, questionnaires, surveys, and focus panels. The standard defines these as follows:

Interviews: One-on-one discussions with individual stakeholders to gather detailed insights.

Questionnaires: Written sets of questions distributed to stakeholders, typically completed individually.

Surveys: Similar to questionnaires, often distributed to a larger group, with responses collected individually.

Focus panels: Group discussions involving multiple customers and stakeholders simultaneously, designed to capture collective input and foster dialogue.

The question specifies a technique that involves capturing input “at the same time” from multiple customers and stakeholders, which aligns with the definition offocus panels. Focus panels (or focus groups) bring together diverse stakeholders in a single session to discuss needs, preferences, and concerns, allowing for real-time interaction and consensus-building, which is particularly useful in VM studies to understand project objectives and constraints.

Option A (Interviews) is incorrect because interviews are typically conducted one-on-one, not with multiple stakeholders simultaneously.

Option B (Questionnaires) is incorrect because questionnaires are completed individually, not in a group setting at the same time.

Option C (Surveys) is incorrect because surveys are also completed individually, often asynchronously, not at the same time.

Option D (Focus panels) is correct, as it involves capturing input from multiple stakeholders simultaneously in a group setting.