DOL Value Stream Mapping 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which metric in a VSM directly reflects the proportion of time work is actively being processed versus waiting?
- Cycle time
- Lead time
- Process cycle efficiency (PCE) (Correct answer)
- Takt time
Correct answer: Process cycle efficiency (PCE)
Process cycle efficiency is calculated as value-added time divided by total lead time, showing the percentage of time work is actually being worked on.
Question 2: In a value stream map, a 'push' system is represented by which symbol?
- A kanban card icon
- A striped arrow pointing right (Correct answer)
- A curved arrow looping back
- A lightning bolt
Correct answer: A striped arrow pointing right
A striped (push) arrow indicates that work is pushed downstream regardless of the downstream process's capacity or readiness.
Question 3: When mapping the current state, a team discovers a queue of 200 items between two steps. What does this queue primarily indicate?
- High demand from customers
- A bottleneck or capacity mismatch upstream (Correct answer)
- Efficient batch processing
- A pull system in operation
Correct answer: A bottleneck or capacity mismatch upstream
Large queues between steps signal that the upstream process produces faster than the downstream can consume, revealing a capacity mismatch or bottleneck.
Question 4: A DevOps team wants to reduce lead time by 40%. Which VSM analysis step should they perform first?
- Redesign the deployment pipeline
- Identify the step with the longest wait time (Correct answer)
- Add more people to the slowest step
- Automate all manual steps simultaneously
Correct answer: Identify the step with the longest wait time
Identifying the longest wait time pinpoints where the most lead time is lost, making it the highest-leverage target for improvement.
Question 5: What does 'takt time' represent in value stream mapping?
- The time to complete one unit from start to finish
- The available production time divided by customer demand rate (Correct answer)
- The time a unit spends waiting in a queue
- The maximum cycle time of any single step
Correct answer: The available production time divided by customer demand rate
Takt time is the pace of customer demand — how frequently one unit must be completed to meet demand within available working time.
Question 6: In a software delivery VSM, 'rework loops' are drawn when:
- A feature is deployed to production
- A defect causes work to return to a previous step (Correct answer)
- A pull signal is sent to the team
- Automated tests pass successfully
Correct answer: A defect causes work to return to a previous step
Rework loops illustrate that defective output must be returned upstream for correction, adding non-value-added time to the stream.
Question 7: Which of the following is a 'Type 1 Muda' (necessary but non-value-adding) waste in VSM terms?
- Duplicate data entry
- Regulatory compliance documentation required by law (Correct answer)
- Waiting for an approval that could be eliminated
- Overproduction of unused reports
Correct answer: Regulatory compliance documentation required by law
Type 1 Muda refers to activities that do not add customer value but cannot currently be eliminated due to constraints like regulation or technology.
DOL Value Stream Mapping 2
Which metric in a VSM directly reflects the proportion of time work is actively being processed versus waiting?