PMP · Question #1401
A project manager is managing the development of a dental wire bending machine. The machine is compatible with the three most popular dental wires in the market, which covers 90% of the market. The…
The correct answer is C. Investigate the impact of this issue with the team and survey the market for alternative wires with. The project manager should investigate the impact of the newly announced incompatible wire with the team and survey the market for alternative compatible wires to mitigate the predicted 25% loss in market coverage.
Question
A project manager is managing the development of a dental wire bending machine. The machine is compatible with the three most popular dental wires in the market, which covers 90% of the market. The prototype is now under testing for certification. The manufacturer of one of the three wires announced they will be producing a different wire that will be incompatible with the machine. This will result in a 25% loss of market coverage from the initially predicted 90% coverage. What should the project manager do?
Options
- AMeet with the sales and marketing representatives and ask them to convince the wire
- BMeet with the wire manufacturer to secure enough of the existing stock for the machine
- CInvestigate the impact of this issue with the team and survey the market for alternative wires with
- DStop the project and kick off another project to apply alternative wires for the machine
How the community answered
(48 responses)- A23% (11)
- B13% (6)
- C58% (28)
- D6% (3)
Why each option
The project manager should investigate the impact of the newly announced incompatible wire with the team and survey the market for alternative compatible wires to mitigate the predicted 25% loss in market coverage.
Meeting with sales and marketing to convince the wire manufacturer is outside the typical scope of a project manager's immediate action and is unlikely to resolve a manufacturer's strategic product change.
Securing existing stock is a temporary workaround and does not address the long-term strategic problem of incompatibility with future wire production.
When a significant external change impacts a project's market viability, the project manager's immediate step is to assess the full impact with the project team. This includes understanding the technical implications and proactively seeking alternative solutions, such as surveying the market for new compatible wires, before making drastic decisions.
Stopping the project and kicking off a new one is a premature and drastic decision before fully understanding the impact and exploring potential mitigation strategies for the current project.
Concept tested: Project risk response and impact analysis
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/risk-management
Topics
Community Discussion
4
Dervla O.Jul 5, 2026C is the answer here. The stem is about scope and market coverage, so before you chase stock or restart anything you need to assess the actual impact with the team. A and D are reactive jumps, and B sounds safe but locks you into a short-term supply fix without understanding whether an alternative wire is even viable. Investigate first, then decide - that is the PMP way.
Bao N.Jul 2, 2026C is the right call here, same logic as the earned value questions where you assess impact before acting. The trap in D is jumping to kill the project when the machine still covers 65% of the market, and B sounds proactive but locks you into a dwindling supply instead of finding a real fix. Anyone else notice these "external dependency changes" questions always want you to investigate first, even when the answer feels too slow for the situation?
Ingrid P.Jul 5, 2026C is correct but the truncated option text is annoying. D is the trap, you assess impact before killing anything.
Yuki V.Jul 5, 2026I first leaned toward B because securing existing stock sounded like a quick fix, but then I realized thats just a band-aid and the real move is to assess the full impact with the team and look for alternative wires, which is C.