When you rate the severity of technical constraints, which action should you take for an unexpected obstacle?

Question

Options

• AResolve the obstacle as soon as possible to reduce the likelihood that a customer uncovers
• BAssess the impact on the solution implementation and benefits to the customer, and then
• CNote the obstacle for attention in the next phase of work.
• DIdentify ways to address the problem and choose the lowest cost, fastest option available.

• A
  4% (1)
• B
  79% (19)
• C
  4% (1)
• D
  13% (3)

Explanation

When rating the severity of technical constraints, the correct approach is to first assess the impact before deciding how to respond - which is exactly what option B prescribes. Without understanding how an obstacle affects both the implementation path and the customer's expected benefits, any response risks being misdirected or disproportionate to the actual severity.

Why the distractors fail:

• A is reactive and skips the assessment step entirely; rushing to resolve something without understanding its scope can waste resources or address the wrong problem - and hiding issues from customers is poor practice.
• C is too passive; deferring an obstacle to the next phase without evaluating its severity can let a manageable problem compound into a critical one.
• D jumps straight to solution-selection (lowest cost, fastest) before the impact is understood, which is premature optimization - you may solve the wrong thing cheaply.

Memory tip: Think of B as the "diagnose before you prescribe" rule. Just as a doctor assesses symptoms before choosing a treatment, a good solution designer assesses impact on implementation and customer value before acting on any constraint.

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