SSM Supporting Team Events Practice Question
During a Team Increment Planning event, a Agile Team realizes their draft plan relies heavily on an external supplier team that has not committed to providing the needed API by iteration two. What should the SAFe Scrum Master facilitate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates frequently choose to silently work around dependencies or handle them locally, forgetting the vital SAFe practice of transparently visualizing risks on the program board.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Facilitate a direct conversation with the supplier team, highlight the risk on the program board, and adjust team objectives accordingly.
The Scrum Master must facilitate transparent collaboration during PI Planning by ensuring the dependency is formally documented on the program board and discussed with the dependent team. Escalating early to management and product management helps resolve bottlenecks before final commitments are made, maintaining alignment across the Agile Release Train.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ignore the dependency and assume the supplier will magically deliver on time.
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring dependencies introduces severe risks to the Agile Release Train and undermines the integrity of PI objectives. Teams must proactively address risks rather than hoping external suppliers will somehow miraculously meet uncommitted deadlines without prior communication or formal agreement.
- ✗
Have the team commit to the original plan and blame the supplier if failure occurs later.
Why it's wrong here
Blaming external suppliers fosters a toxic cross-organizational culture and violates SAFe principles of shared responsibility. Teams should focus on collaborative problem-solving and proactive risk mitigation instead of assigning fault after a failure has already impacted the release train.
- ✓
Facilitate a direct conversation with the supplier team, highlight the risk on the program board, and adjust team objectives accordingly.
Why this is correct
Collaborating directly with suppliers and visualizing risks on the program board aligns with SAFe best practices for managing cross-team dependencies. Adjusting objectives ensures that team commitments remain realistic and achievable despite external constraints or delayed deliverables from third-party partners.
- ✗
Cancel the PI Planning event immediately until the supplier signs a legally binding contract.
Why it's wrong here
Canceling PI Planning halts the entire Agile Release Train and disrupts cadence, which contradicts fundamental SAFe synchronization rhythms. Complex dependencies should be managed through programmatic coordination mechanisms like ROAMing risks rather than stopping vital planning ceremonies completely.
Visual reference
About these practice questions
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Scaled Agile exam blueprint
This SSM practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scaled Agile certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SSM exam.