Pass the SAVE International Value Methodology CVS Questions and answers with Dumpstech

1. Review information → 2. Create matrix or table → 3. List elements or components → 4. Brainstorm functions → 5. Identify basic function(s)

The correct sequence follows the Function Analysis Phase logic used in Value Methodology. The team must first review information so that the subject under study is understood before any function statements are generated. SAVE’s VMF curriculum places Random Function Identification directly within the Function Analysis Phase, after defining functions and before FAST diagramming and function-resource matrices. ( SAVE International Online Courses )

After reviewing the available data, the facilitator creates a matrix or table to organize the analysis. The team then lists the physical or process elements/components being examined. Once the elements are visible, the team can brainstorm functions using the required active verb and measurable noun format. SAVE’s Value Methodology Standard states that the Function Analysis Phase begins by identifying and defining work and sell functions using active verbs and measurable nouns, and notes that this is often called Random Function Definition . ( courses.washington.edu )

The final step is to identify the basic function(s) because basic-function classification can only be done after candidate functions have been generated. This aligns with the Standard’s sequence: define functions first, then classify them as basic or secondary. ( courses.washington.edu )

References/topics: Function Analysis Phase; Random Function Identification; Function Definition; Basic Function Classification.

The correct answer is C . Function Analysis is not an optional administrative exercise. SAVE’s VM Standard states that, for a study to qualify as a Value Study, the team must follow an organized Job Plan and perform Function Analysis as defined in the standard. It also states that the team defines functions using active verb/measurable noun language and analyzes them to determine which need improvement, elimination, or creation.

Option A is wrong because expert confidence does not replace the VM process. Experts are valuable, but they often carry design bias. Option B destroys the logic of the Job Plan because Development should refine selected ideas, not bypass function understanding. Option D may provide useful cost intelligence, but benchmarking does not identify required functions or function relationships. The disciplined CVS answer is that Function Analysis protects the team from solution fixation. It reveals what must be accomplished, which functions consume resources, and where value mismatches exist. Skipping it reduces VM to ordinary design review.

References/topics: Function Analysis Phase; Valid Value Study; VM Job Plan Discipline.

The correct answer is D. Recognition of VM study contributors . The Presentation Phase is intended to communicate the developed VM recommendations to decision makers in a way that supports approval, concurrence, and movement toward implementation. SAVE’s Value Methodology Standard states that the team leader develops a report and/or presentation that documents the adequacy of the developed alternatives and the associated value improvement opportunity.

Therefore, recommended proposals are central to the presentation. The VM study scope and goals are also appropriate because decision makers need to understand the boundaries, objectives, assumptions, and basis of the study. Expected implementation decisions are also relevant because the presentation should help management determine whether alternatives should proceed, require more information, or be rejected. The Presentation Phase is specifically tied to obtaining concurrence and commitment to proceed with implementation recommendations.

Recognition of contributors may be professionally courteous and can appear in a report appendix, closing remarks, or acknowledgments section, but it is not essential technical content for decision making. Compared with scope, goals, recommendations, and implementation decisions, it is the least appropriate core information for the VM presentation.

References/topics: Presentation Phase; VM Report; Recommended Proposals; Implementation Commitment; Decision-Maker Communication.

The correct answer is D. Describe the project . During the Information Phase, the VM team must gain a shared and factual understanding of the project before performing function analysis or generating alternatives. The designer’s role is to explain the current design, project background, design intent, major assumptions, technical criteria, constraints, drawings, specifications, cost basis, and reasons behind key design decisions. This helps the VM team understand what has been proposed, why it has been proposed, and what limits or requirements must be respected during the study.

Option A is not the best answer because defining expectations is usually led by the sponsor, owner, or VM facilitator during planning and study setup. Option B belongs primarily to the Preparation Phase, where the study scope, participants, agenda, and logistics are established. Option C is incorrect because identifying functions is the responsibility of the VM team during the Function Analysis Phase, not the designer’s primary role in the Information Phase.

The designer provides the technical baseline; the VM team then analyzes that baseline objectively. Without a clear project description, later phases may address the wrong problem or challenge valid requirements incorrectly.

References/topics: Information Phase; Designer Role; Project Background; Design Intent; VM Job Plan.

The correct answer is D. Identify how to modify behaviors in the context of the new situation . This question is testing the facilitator’s understanding of resistance to change during VM implementation or decision acceptance. When decision makers cling to familiar methods and reject all VM proposals, the problem is not necessarily the technical quality of the proposals. It is usually behavioral resistance caused by uncertainty, loss of comfort, perceived risk, or attachment to existing practices.

A VM facilitator should not simply repeat the study or replace the team. The facilitator should help decision makers understand how the recommended change can be adopted in practical terms. This includes showing what behaviors, processes, responsibilities, and decision patterns need to change under the new situation.

Option A is incorrect because identifying instability may increase concern rather than reduce resistance. Option B is inefficient and does not address the root cause. Option C is also weak because withholding information can reduce trust. The better VM facilitation strategy is to guide decision makers through the behavioral transition required for successful acceptance.

References/topics: VM Facilitation and Team Dynamics; Change Management; Resistance to Change; Decision-Maker Acceptance; Implementation Phase.

The correct answers are A and B . A VM program can fail when it is placed too narrowly inside one department because Value Methodology must operate as an organization-wide management process, not as the property of a single functional group. When VM is positioned inside one department, other departments may view it as that department’s agenda rather than as a neutral, cross-functional decision-support process. This weakens participation, reduces ownership of recommendations, and limits executive visibility.

An undefined implementation and change management process is also a major failure factor. VM studies produce recommendations, but the program succeeds only when those recommendations are reviewed, approved, assigned, tracked, and integrated into normal project or business controls. Without a defined implementation path, even technically strong VM proposals can remain unused. Change management is necessary because VM recommendations often alter scope, design, delivery approach, cost allocation, or stakeholder expectations.

By contrast, management support and tracking VM study results are success factors, not failure factors. Executive support gives authority and resources, while tracking verifies savings, value improvement, and accountability.

References/topics: VM Programs; Program Organization; Management Support; Implementation Process; Change Management; Tracking VM Results.

A conditionally accepted VM proposal is not fully approved yet. It means the decision makers see value in the proposal, but acceptance depends on certain changes, clarifications, added data, or further review. Therefore, the facilitator should first identify the modifications required for acceptance . This creates a clear action path and prevents the proposal from being wrongly recorded as fully approved.

The facilitator should also ask decision makers for the timing of the final decision . In VM reporting and implementation follow-up, unresolved proposals must have ownership, required actions, and a decision schedule. Without a timing commitment, conditionally accepted proposals can remain open and lose implementation momentum.

Option B is incorrect because a conditionally accepted proposal is not the same as an accepted proposal. Listing it as accepted would misrepresent the decision status. Option D is weaker because the facilitator should not merely list deficiencies; the correct VM approach is to convert concerns into specific required modifications and next steps.

References/topics: Presentation Phase; Decision Documentation; Proposal Disposition; Implementation Planning; VM Facilitator Responsibilities.

The correct answer is C. Position lenses . In FAST diagramming, functions are expressed in a disciplined active verb / measurable noun format, and the purpose of the diagram is to show how project, product, or process functions logically relate to each other. The SAVE certification study material identifies FAST as a graphical mapping tool that helps team members understand how functions relate, while preserving the basic function and analyzing supporting functions. ( )

An “all-the-time” function is a supporting or simultaneous function that must occur continuously while the product performs its basic function. FAST construction tests this by asking: when this function is being performed, what other function must also occur? This “when” relationship identifies functions that occur together, not necessarily functions timed by a clock.

For prescription eyeglasses, the lenses must be held in the correct optical position relative to the wearer’s eyes at all times. Therefore, Position lenses is the best all-the-time function. Improve focus and Access vision describe higher-order or basic-path purposes, while Display information is not a normal function of prescription eyeglasses.

References/topics: Function Analysis Phase; FAST Diagramming; All-the-Time Functions; Basic and Secondary Functions; Function Logic.

Need → Function → Specific Requirement → Product

The correct order is Need → Function → Specific Requirement → Product . This is the exact logic of the Function Performance Specification process. The VM Guide figure for Function Performance Specification shows the sequence as “Need Function Specific Requirement Product” , where a user need is translated into a function, then into measurable requirements, and finally into a product solution.

The sequence is important because Value Methodology begins with the user’s need or desire , not with a predetermined product. After the need is understood, the VM team defines the function that satisfies that need, normally in active verb/measurable noun format. SAVE’s study-guide material explains that work functions are quantitative and stated using an active verb and measurable noun. The next step is the specific requirement , where the function is converted into measurable performance or quality criteria, such as assessment criteria, level, and flexibility. Only after the need, function, and requirement are clear should the team identify the product , which is the solution provided to satisfy the defined need. Starting with “Product” would be a classic VM error because it locks the team into a solution before understanding function.

References/topics: Function Analysis Phase; Function Performance Specification; Need; Function; Specific Requirement; Product; Performance Criteria.

The correct answer is D. To prioritize functions . The Function Analysis Phase includes several important activities: identifying functions, defining them in active verb/measurable noun form, classifying them as basic or secondary, organizing their relationships, and relating cost or worth where required. However, these activities are not the final purpose by themselves. Their purpose is to determine which functions deserve the team’s focused attention for value improvement.

SAVE’s Value Methodology guidance explains that during Function Analysis, the team defines project functions and reviews them to determine which need improvement, elimination, or creation to meet study goals. ( WSDOT ) The Study Guide also states that functions performed inefficiently or at more than expected cost become the focus of the VM team’s improvement effort. ( ) This means the ultimate output is a prioritized understanding of where value improvement opportunities exist.

Option A may occur in advanced function-cost analysis, but it is not the ultimate objective. Options B and C are necessary intermediate steps, but they support the larger goal of prioritizing functions for creativity, evaluation, and development.

References/topics: Function Analysis Phase; Function Definition; Function Classification; Function Organization; Function Prioritization; Value Improvement Opportunities.