Certified Agile Service Manager Kanban, Lean, and DevOps 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Lean value stream mapping, a 'push' system is characterized by:
- Work being pulled based on downstream demand
- Work being pushed forward based on a schedule regardless of downstream capacity (Correct answer)
- Customers directly requesting features from developers
- Automated deployment to production
Correct answer: Work being pushed forward based on a schedule regardless of downstream capacity
In a push system, work is forwarded to the next stage on a schedule or when complete, regardless of whether downstream has capacity to handle it.
Question 2: A DevOps team implements feature flags (feature toggles). What primary benefit does this provide?
- Faster code compilation times
- Ability to deploy code to production while keeping features disabled until ready (Correct answer)
- Automated test generation
- Reduced infrastructure costs
Correct answer: Ability to deploy code to production while keeping features disabled until ready
Feature flags decouple deployment from release, allowing code to be in production but inactive until deliberately enabled.
Question 3: Which Kanban practice involves regularly reviewing and adjusting the policies governing how work flows through the system?
- Retrospective
- Service delivery review (Correct answer)
- Operations review
- Replenishment meeting
Correct answer: Service delivery review
The service delivery review focuses on evaluating and improving the policies, flow metrics, and service delivery performance of the Kanban system.
Question 4: In the context of DevOps and ITSM integration, how should change management adapt to support frequent small deployments?
- Require full CAB approval for every automated deployment
- Establish pre-approved standard changes for low-risk automated deployments (Correct answer)
- Eliminate change management entirely in DevOps environments
- Increase the change freeze periods to reduce risk
Correct answer: Establish pre-approved standard changes for low-risk automated deployments
Pre-approved standard changes allow routine, low-risk automated deployments to proceed without individual CAB review, balancing speed and governance.
Question 5: The Lean principle 'seek perfection' (continuous improvement) is most closely aligned with which Agile ceremony?
- Sprint planning
- Daily standup
- Sprint retrospective (Correct answer)
- Backlog refinement
Correct answer: Sprint retrospective
The retrospective is dedicated to reflecting on the process and identifying improvements, directly embodying the Lean pursuit of perfection.
Question 6: In Kanban, what is the purpose of limiting WIP at the 'Doing' sub-column rather than across the entire column?
- To allow unlimited work in progress overall
- To distinguish between actively worked items and queued items within a stage, giving clearer flow visibility (Correct answer)
- To satisfy regulatory compliance requirements
- To allow managers to track individual performance
Correct answer: To distinguish between actively worked items and queued items within a stage, giving clearer flow visibility
Splitting columns into 'Doing' and 'Done' sub-states reveals true WIP (actively being worked) versus items waiting to be pulled, improving bottleneck visibility.
Question 7: Which of the four DORA key metrics indicates how often a team successfully deploys to production?
- Lead time for changes
- Deployment frequency (Correct answer)
- Mean time to recovery
- Change failure rate
Correct answer: Deployment frequency
Deployment frequency measures how often an organization successfully releases to production, reflecting delivery capability and team agility.
Certified Agile Service Manager Kanban, Lean, and DevOps 5
In Lean value stream mapping, a 'push' system is characterized by: