Agile Kanban Principles and Practices Questions and Answers

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of implementing Work in Progress (WIP) limits in a Kanban system?

Accepted Answer

To create a pull system and improve the flow of value by preventing bottlenecks.

Answer

To ensure every team member is 100% utilized at all times.

Answer

To provide senior management with precise delivery date forecasts for all items.

Answer

To eliminate the need for a prioritized backlog of work.

Question 2

A team observes on their Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) that the band for the 'In Progress' stage is widening significantly over time, while the 'Done' band is growing very slowly. What does this pattern most likely indicate?

Accepted Answer

Work is arriving into the 'In Progress' stage much faster than it is being completed, indicating a bottleneck.

Answer

The team's overall throughput is increasing rapidly.

Answer

The policies for entering the 'Done' state are too lenient.

Answer

The team needs to immediately add more people to the 'In Progress' stage.

Question 3

Which of the following statements best describes the Kanban principle of 'Start with what you do now'?

Accepted Answer

It encourages understanding the current process and respecting existing roles as the initial step for evolutionary change.

Answer

It requires a complete reorganization of teams and roles before implementation.

Answer

It mandates the immediate adoption of specific roles like Product Owner and Scrum Master.

Answer

It suggests that the current process is perfect and should not be changed.

Question 4

A Kanban team notices that work items are frequently getting stuck waiting for code review. According to Kanban practices for managing flow, what would be the most effective first action to take?

Accepted Answer

Make the entry and exit policies for the 'Code Review' stage explicit and consider applying a specific WIP limit to it.

Answer

Ask the developers to work faster to produce more code for the reviewers.

Answer

Cancel the code review step entirely to speed up the process.

Answer

Immediately hire more code reviewers to handle the increased load.

Question 5

In the context of Kanban flow metrics, what is the key difference between Lead Time and Cycle Time?

Accepted Answer

Lead Time is the total time from a customer request to delivery, while Cycle Time is the time from when work actively begins on that request until it is completed.

Answer

Lead Time measures the time from when work is completed to when it is delivered, while Cycle Time is the time from start to finish.

Answer

There is no practical difference; the terms are used interchangeably.

Answer

Cycle Time measures the total calendar days a task takes, while Lead Time only measures the working days.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a primary goal of implementing feedback loops (Kanban cadences)?

Accepted Answer

To compare individual team member performance for annual reviews and compensation.

Answer

To review and adapt the workflow and policies at regular intervals.

Answer

To provide opportunities for the customer to give input and steer the product.

Answer

To coordinate dependencies and manage the flow of work between different process stages.