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

The correct answers are A. Review VM proposals and C. Rewrite VM proposals . During the Development Phase, selected ideas are converted into formal VM proposals with enough documentation for decision makers to determine whether implementation is justified. SAVE’s VM Standard Reference states that, in this phase, the VM study team develops selected ideas into VM proposals with sufficient documentation for implementation decisions.

The facilitator’s role is not to become the technical author or researcher for each proposal. Instead, the facilitator manages the process, maintains consistency, reviews proposal quality, checks clarity, confirms that required elements are included, and helps revise or rewrite proposal narratives so they are understandable, complete, and decision-ready. This aligns with the facilitator’s broader duty to lead the multidisciplinary VM process, keep the team disciplined within the Job Plan, and ensure outputs support value-based decisions. SAVE describes VM as a systematic process used by a multidisciplinary team led by a qualified VM facilitator.

Option B is incorrect because proposal preparation is primarily the responsibility of assigned team members or technical specialists. Option D is incorrect because background research is normally performed by the proposal owner or subject-matter experts, not by the facilitator as a primary role.

References/topics: Development Phase; VM Proposal Development; VM Facilitator Role; Proposal Review and Revision; VM Job Plan.

The correct answer is A . Brainwriting is an idea-generation technique in which participants first develop ideas individually and silently in written form before the ideas are shared, reviewed, or expanded by the group. This fits the Creativity Phase because the purpose of that phase is to generate a quantity of ideas related to alternative ways of performing required functions. The SAVE Study Guide identifies the Creative Phase purpose as generating “a quantity of ideas” and asks the fundamental question: “How else may the functions be performed?” It also emphasizes establishing rules that protect the creative environment and using group idea-stimulation techniques. ( )

Option B describes verbal brainstorming, not brainwriting. Option C is incorrect because feasibility screening belongs later in the Evaluation Phase; limiting ideas during creativity suppresses innovation. Option D contains a partial brainwriting concept, because some brainwriting methods allow participants to build on others’ ideas, but the wording “instead of developing their own” is too restrictive and does not represent the core method. Brainwriting begins with silent individual idea capture.

References/topics: Creativity Phase; Idea Generation; Creativity Ground Rules; Group Idea-Stimulation Techniques; Brainwriting.

The correct answers are B and D . Increasing the duration of a VM study gives the team more working time inside the structured Job Plan. SAVE describes Value Methodology as a structured process following defined phases such as Information, Function Analysis, Creativity, Evaluation, Development, and Presentation. ( Value Engineering ) When more time is available, the team can apply additional creative techniques during the Creativity Phase rather than relying only on basic brainstorming. This may include checklists, attribute listing, analogy, morphological methods, or other structured idea-generation approaches.

A longer study also allows evaluation techniques to be more thoughtful . In the Evaluation Phase, ideas from the Creativity Phase are screened, grouped, compared, ranked, and selected for further development. With more time, the team can apply better criteria, discuss advantages and disadvantages more carefully, consider cost, performance, risk, constructability, operations, and maintenance impacts, and reach stronger consensus.

Option A is incorrect because site-visit time may change depending on study scope and complexity. Option C is incorrect because more duration does not mean numerous FAST diagrams must be produced. Option E is not guaranteed because implementation depends on management approval, feasibility, funding, and follow-through after the study.

References/topics: VM Programs; Study Duration; Creativity Phase; Evaluation Phase; VM Job Plan Planning.

The correct answers are A, C, and E . A VM Facilitator creates a collaborative client relationship by first diagnosing client needs and then tailoring the VM Job Plan to produce the intended outcomes. Value Methodology is not a rigid checklist; it is a systematic, function-oriented team process led by a qualified facilitator to improve value. ( Value Engineering ) Therefore, the facilitator must understand the client’s objectives, constraints, decision environment, and expected deliverables before structuring the study.

Analyzing organizational involvement is also essential because successful VM depends on the correct sponsor, decision-makers, technical experts, users, and stakeholders being involved at the right level. The SAVE certification study material identifies Pre-Workshop responsibilities such as identifying team members, obtaining commitment, and preparing the study structure. ( )

Clarifying mutual involvement completes the collaborative relationship by defining how the facilitator, client, sponsor, team, and management will participate. This builds shared ownership and prevents misunderstanding. Option B is too narrow because structure alone does not create collaboration. Option D is incorrect because “dictating” tasks and responsibilities is directive, not collaborative.

References/topics: VM Facilitation; Client Relationship; Preparation Phase; Team Dynamics; VM Job Plan Planning.

Step 1 — Identify the major deliverables

Step 2 — Identify major supporting activities and tasks

Step 3 — Organize and structure the deliverables

Step 4 — Assign responsibility for deliverables

Step 5 — Verify the work breakdown structure

The correct sequence begins with identifying the major deliverables because a Work Breakdown Structure is deliverable-oriented. The team must first define what must be produced before it can break the work into manageable parts. After the major deliverables are clear, the next step is to identify the major supporting activities and tasks required to complete each deliverable.

The third step is to organize and structure the deliverables into a logical hierarchy. This converts the project scope into a structured framework that can be planned, estimated, tracked, and controlled. The fourth step is to assign responsibility for deliverables , because the WBS must support accountability. Each work element should have clear ownership so that implementation actions do not remain vague or unmanaged.

The final step is to verify the work breakdown structure . Verification confirms that the WBS is complete, logical, non-duplicative, and aligned with the intended scope. In VM practice, this supports implementation planning by connecting proposals, deliverables, responsibilities, and follow-up control.

References/topics: VM Programs; Implementation Planning; Work Breakdown Structure; Deliverable Breakdown; Responsibility Assignment; Project Control.

The correct answer is D. Annualized costs . In VM cost analysis, when a study item has a known unit cost and a known annual production quantity , multiplying the two gives the cost impact over one year. That makes the result an annualized cost , because the calculation converts a per-unit value into a yearly cost basis.

This distinction is important in manufacturing or repetitive-process VM studies. A component may appear inexpensive on a unit basis, but if it is used thousands or millions of times per year, its annualized cost may become a major value-improvement target. SAVE’s VM Glossary defines cost as the monetary valuation of resources consumed in the production or delivery of a project, product, or process, and it also recognizes annualized cost as a cost expression used in life-cycle cost measurement. ( )

Option A, total costs , is too broad because it may include many cost categories and periods. Option B, life-cycle costs , covers acquisition, operation, maintenance, replacement, and disposal over time. Option C, incremental unit costs , concerns the cost of an additional unit, not annual volume impact.

References/topics: Information Phase; Cost Data; Cost Modeling; Annualized Costs; Manufacturing Study Items.

The correct answers are Reverse brainstorming, Hitchhiking, and Mind-mapping . In the Creativity Phase , the VM facilitator leads the team in generating many possible alternatives for performing the required functions identified during Function Analysis. The objective is divergent thinking: produce a broad range of ideas without judging them too early. SAVE’s certification study material identifies creativity as a distinct VM Job Plan area and emphasizes idea generation before moving into Evaluation. ( )

Reverse brainstorming is appropriate because it helps the team approach a function or problem from the opposite direction, often revealing hidden assumptions and new solution paths. Hitchhiking is also a valid creativity technique because one team member builds on another person’s idea, improving participation and expanding idea quantity. Mind-mapping supports creativity by visually organizing related thoughts around a central function or issue, helping the team see connections and generate additional alternatives.

SWOT analysis is not primarily a Creativity Phase tool; it is more commonly used for strategic assessment. RACI matrix is also incorrect because it assigns responsibilities and accountabilities, which fits planning or implementation control, not creative idea generation.

References/topics: Creativity Phase; Idea Generation; Brainstorming Techniques; Divergent Thinking; VM Facilitation.

The correct answer is D. ask questions of the quiet members . In a VM workshop, the facilitator must maintain balanced participation so the team benefits from the full range of technical, operational, customer, and stakeholder perspectives. A dominating participant can unintentionally suppress alternative viewpoints, reduce creativity, and weaken the quality of evaluation and consensus. The facilitator’s response should therefore be corrective but professional, not punitive.

SAVE International guidance identifies the team leader’s responsibilities as keeping the team focused, keeping team members involved in the discussion and work, keeping the team together, and acting as a catalyst while being diplomatic rather than dictatorial. ( ) Asking quiet members targeted, neutral questions directly supports these responsibilities because it redistributes participation without embarrassing the dominant person or disrupting team cohesion.

Option A is too extreme and damages trust. Option B worsens the imbalance by allowing quieter members to remain disengaged. Option C may distract the group but does not solve the participation problem. The best facilitation technique is to invite quieter members into the conversation through open-ended questions, round-robin input, or direct prompts tied to their expertise.

References/topics: VM Facilitation and Team Dynamics; Team Leader Responsibilities; Balanced Participation; Group Engagement; Workshop Control.

The correct answer is B. Maintain position . In FAST diagramming, the horizontal logic path normally answers How and Why . The vertical “When” direction is used for supporting or secondary functions that occur in relation to a function on the critical function logic path. SAVE’s VM Glossary defines a FAST diagram as a graphical representation of dependent function relationships and specifically identifies the labeled How, Why, and When arrows as FAST components. It also explains that vertical lines connect secondary functions to required secondary functions through their “When” relationships . ( )

For prescription eyeglasses, Modify vision is the core/basic function because the lenses correct or adjust the user’s vision. Facilitate sight is a higher-order purpose explaining why the basic function exists. Maintain position is a supporting function because the frame, bridge, temples, and nose pads keep the lenses properly located in front of the eyes while the eyeglasses modify vision. This function happens concurrently with the basic function, making it appropriate in the When direction. Fold eyeglasses is only a convenience/storage function, not the functional support required during vision correction.

References/topics: Function Analysis Phase; FAST Diagramming; When Relationship; Secondary Function; Prescription Eyeglasses Function Model.

The correct answers are A, D, and E . A Function Performance Specification is used to define performance requirements in terms of the functions that must be achieved, not in terms of a predetermined design solution. In VM, value is linked to functions measured by the customer’s performance requirements, and the methodology seeks alternate ways to accomplish a function while meeting customer performance expectations. ( )

Therefore, it accurately identifies requirements specific to functions . FPS characterizes each function through criteria, expected performance levels, and flexibility, which makes the requirement measurable and traceable. ( Value Analysis ) It also communicates customer performance wants and needs because it documents what the user or customer expects the solution to accomplish. The FPS approach expresses needs and expected performance without reference to a specific solution, allowing broader innovation while maintaining customer requirements. ( Value Analysis )

It also helps uncover hidden assumptions because vague wants must be translated into explicit criteria, levels, and flexibility. Option B is incorrect because FPS does not evaluate or limit VM team options; it defines functional performance expectations. Option C is incorrect because FPS should avoid constraining designers to a specific design.

References/topics: Function Analysis Phase; Function Performance Specification; Customer Requirements; Performance Criteria; Functional Requirements.