DOL Value Stream Mapping 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A future-state VSM differs from a current-state VSM primarily in that it:
- Documents all existing process steps in detail
- Depicts the ideal flow after targeted improvements are applied (Correct answer)
- Lists all team members involved in the process
- Measures the current lead time baseline
Correct answer: Depicts the ideal flow after targeted improvements are applied
The future-state map is a design artifact showing how the value stream should operate after removing identified wastes and implementing improvements.
Question 2: In a DevOps context, which activity is most commonly identified as non-value-adding in a software delivery VSM?
- Writing unit tests
- Manual approval gates with long wait times (Correct answer)
- Code review by a peer
- Automated integration testing
Correct answer: Manual approval gates with long wait times
Manual approvals that introduce days of waiting without adding quality or value are a classic non-value-adding waste in software delivery streams.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of drawing information flows on a value stream map?
- To show how physical materials move
- To illustrate how work is triggered and communicated between steps (Correct answer)
- To calculate the total headcount required
- To identify which tools are used in each step
Correct answer: To illustrate how work is triggered and communicated between steps
Information flows show the signals — schedules, tickets, requests — that trigger work at each step, revealing coordination overhead and communication waste.
Question 4: A team maps their pipeline and finds PCE is 4%. This means:
- 96% of lead time is value-added activity
- 4% of lead time is spent on value-adding work, and 96% is waste (Correct answer)
- The team is operating at 4% below target capacity
- 4% of features are delivered with defects
Correct answer: 4% of lead time is spent on value-adding work, and 96% is waste
A 4% PCE means only 4% of the total lead time is spent on work that transforms the product toward customer value; the rest is waiting or waste.
Question 5: Which VSM technique is used to visualize the delivery of software features from concept to production across multiple teams?
- Single-piece flow map
- Program-level (portfolio) VSM (Correct answer)
- Swimlane BPMN diagram
- Cumulative flow diagram
Correct answer: Program-level (portfolio) VSM
A program-level or portfolio VSM spans multiple teams and systems to show end-to-end flow of value from idea to production deployment.
Question 6: When a VSM kaizen burst is placed on a current-state map, it signals:
- A completed improvement already in place
- An area targeted for rapid improvement in the future state (Correct answer)
- A regulatory compliance checkpoint
- A step that must never be changed
Correct answer: An area targeted for rapid improvement in the future state
Kaizen bursts (starburst symbols) on the current-state map highlight specific areas where improvement events are planned to close the gap to the future state.
Question 7: In software VSM, 'batch size' reduction is valuable because it:
- Increases the number of approval steps needed
- Reduces queue sizes and shortens feedback loops (Correct answer)
- Ensures all features are released simultaneously
- Maximizes resource utilization at each step
Correct answer: Reduces queue sizes and shortens feedback loops
Smaller batches flow faster through the pipeline, reduce work-in-progress inventory, and surface defects sooner, shortening the overall feedback cycle.
DOL Value Stream Mapping 3
A future-state VSM differs from a current-state VSM primarily in that it: