PMP · Question #324
A project manager is responsible for building a bridge. The high-level elements of the project are handled using a predictive approach. The software responsible for retracting the bridge has been deve
The correct answer is B. Make work visible using Kanban boards.. To address workflow interruptions and delays due to a lack of information in an agile software development, the project manager should use Kanban boards to make the work visible.
Question
A project manager is responsible for building a bridge. The high-level elements of the project are handled using a predictive approach. The software responsible for retracting the bridge has been developed based on agile principles. During software development, the workflow is often interrupted by various delays or impediments due to lack of information. How should the project manager handle this situation?
Options
- AIncrease retrospectives to deliver results fast.
- BMake work visible using Kanban boards.
- CIncorporate small batches of work into the project.
- DApply lean manufacturing to limit the team's work.
How the community answered
(52 responses)- A12% (6)
- B79% (41)
- C4% (2)
- D6% (3)
Why each option
To address workflow interruptions and delays due to a lack of information in an agile software development, the project manager should use Kanban boards to make the work visible.
Increasing retrospectives primarily focuses on process improvement after an iteration, not directly on making current impediments visible and resolvable in real-time.
Kanban boards provide a visual representation of the workflow, allowing the project manager and team to clearly see bottlenecks, work in progress, and impediments (like lack of information) that are causing delays, enabling faster identification and resolution.
Incorporating small batches of work is a good agile practice, but it doesn't directly address the issue of making existing workflow impediments visible due to lack of information.
Applying lean manufacturing principles to limit work in progress (WIP) is related to flow, but the direct solution to making "delays or impediments due to lack of information" visible is a Kanban board.
Concept tested: Agile impediment management with Kanban
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/kanban/kanban-basics?view=azure-devops
Topics
Community Discussion
3B is the right call here. When an agile team keeps getting stuck on blockers and missing information, the first fix is making the work and the impediments visible to everyone, which is exactly what a Kanban board does. On my own projects I have seen teams stall out silently until we put up a board and the bottlenecks became obvious to stakeholders walking by. Options C and D sound lean and efficient but they do not solve the core problem of hidden blockers, and more retrospectives just means more talking about the same stuck work.
Had this exact bridge question on my exam, B is right, Kanban makes blockers visible.
Picked B on exam. Anyone seen Kanban actually unblock a hybrid build like this?