SAVE International VMA Exam With Confidence Using Practice Dumps

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.

Value Methodology (VM), as defined by SAVE International in the Value Methodology Fundamentals 1 (VMF 1) course, is a systematic, step-by-step approach to improve the value of a project, product, or process by optimizing the function-to-cost ratio. According to SAVE International’s Value Methodology Standard, VM is described as “a systematic and structured approach for improving projects, products, and processes… to achieve the optimum balance between function, performance, quality, safety, and cost.” The VM Job Plan, a core component of VM, involves a step-by-step process (six phases: Information, Function Analysis, Creative, Evaluation, Development, and Presentation) that can be likened to a design review because it evaluates and enhances the design or process to improve value.

Option A (suggestion program) is incorrect because VM is not merely about collecting suggestions; it is a structured methodology with defined phases and tools like function analysis.

Option B (cost reduction exercise) is incorrect because VM focuses on improving value, not just reducing costs—cost reduction may occur, but only if it does not compromise essential functions.

Option C (step-by-step design review) aligns with VM’s systematic nature, as the Job Plan reviews and improves designs or processes through structured phases, making it the best fit.

Option D (eight-phase process) is incorrect because the VM Job Plan has six phases, not eight, as established in SAVE International’s standards.

In Value Methodology’s Function Analysis, functions and activities are distinct concepts, as taught in the VMF 1 course (Core Competency #2: Function Analysis). According to SAVE International’s Value Methodology Standard, “functions are what a product, process, or system does, expressed in a verb-noun format (e.g., ‘restrict access’), while activities are tasks, actions, or operations that describe how a function is performed (e.g., ‘install screws’)” (as noted in Question 43). The question asks for the option that does not contain activities, meaning it should only include functions (verb-noun combinations) and no activities (specific tasks).

For a residential door:

Option A (Restrict access, improve safety, transmit force):

Restrict access (function: the door limits entry).

Improve safety (function: the door enhances security).

Transmit force (function: the handle or hinges transfer force to open/close).All are functions in verb-noun format, with no activities (specific tasks).

Option B (Connect spaces, construct frame, attract user):

Connect spaces (function: the door links rooms).

Construct frame (activity: the task of building the frame).

Attract user (function: the door’s aesthetics draw attention).Contains an activity (construct frame).

Option C (Rotate door, support load, grasp handle):

Rotate door (function: the hinges enable rotation).

Support load (function: the frame bears the door’s weight).

Grasp handle (activity: the action of holding the handle).Contains an activity (grasp handle).

Option D (Install screws, separate spaces, secure space):

Install screws (activity: the task of fastening screws).

Separate spaces (function: the door divides rooms).

Secure space (function: the lock protects the area).Contains an activity (install screws).

Option A (Restrict access, improve safety, transmit force) is correct, as it contains only functions, with no activities.

Option B is incorrect because “construct frame” is an activity.

Option C is incorrect because “grasp handle” is an activity.

Option D is incorrect because “install screws” is an activity.