DPI Continual Improvement Practice Question
An enterprise service desk manager is analyzing improvement opportunities using Lean principles and value stream mapping. Which THREE of the following practices should the manager apply to identify and eliminate waste in the service request value stream? (Choose three)
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Identify and remove non-value-adding activities such as redundant data entry and excessive handoffs.
Lean waste elimination involves identifying non-value-adding activities (muda), reducing variation (mura), and balancing workloads (muri). Value stream mapping helps visualize these wastes, and eliminating unnecessary handoffs and approvals streamlines flow.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Add three additional managerial approval gates to every standard service request to increase control.
Why it's wrong here
Adding approval gates increases waiting waste and slows flow, contrary to Lean principles.
- ✓
Identify and remove non-value-adding activities such as redundant data entry and excessive handoffs.
Why this is correct
Removing non-value-adding steps directly eliminates Lean waste.
- ✓
Optimize flow by establishing Work-In-Progress (WIP) limits and reducing multitasking bottlenecks.
Why this is correct
WIP limits and reduced multitasking improve flow and reduce cycle times.
- ✓
Map the current value stream to visualize every step, delay, and handoff in the workflow.
Why this is correct
Value stream mapping is foundational in Lean to visualize and identify waste.
- ✗
Increase batch sizes of service requests to maximize administrative processing efficiency.
Why it's wrong here
Lean advocates for single-piece flow rather than large batch sizes, which create delays.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official AXELOS / PeopleCert exam blueprint
This DPI practice question is part of Courseiva's free AXELOS / PeopleCert certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DPI exam.