ITIL4-DPI Direct, Plan and Improve Practice Question
A financial services firm has completed a value stream mapping exercise for its loan approval process. The map reveals that 60% of the total lead time is spent waiting for manual credit checks, and that three different departments each perform a redundant verification step. The improvement team wants to prioritize actions that will most directly reduce the end-to-end lead time. Which approach should the team take first?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is jumping to automation or adding resources before removing waste, when the value stream map clearly shows that redundant steps and waiting are the main issues.
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
✓
Eliminate the redundant verification steps and streamline the manual credit check process to reduce waiting time
The value stream map highlights redundant verification and waiting for manual credit checks as the primary causes of long lead times. Eliminating redundancy and streamlining the credit check process directly removes non-value-adding work and reduces delays, which is the most impactful first step to improve 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 additional staff to the credit check team so that manual checks can be completed more quickly
Why it's wrong here
Adding staff may reduce the time for the manual credit check, but it does not address the redundant verification steps, which are a separate and significant source of delay. It also increases cost without eliminating waste. The team should first remove non-value-adding activities.
- ✗
Automate the redundant verification steps in each department to speed up their individual processing
Why it's wrong here
Automating redundant steps would make the waste faster, not eliminate it. The value stream map already shows that the steps are duplicative, so automating them would not address the root cause of the extended lead time. The team should first remove the redundancy before considering automation.
- ✓
Eliminate the redundant verification steps and streamline the manual credit check process to reduce waiting time
Why this is correct
The value stream map identifies two clear sources of waste: redundant verification and waiting for manual credit checks. Eliminating redundancy and streamlining the credit check directly targets the largest contributors to lead time, which is the most effective first step to improve flow.
- ✗
Implement a new workflow tool to track the loan approval process and provide visibility to all departments
Why it's wrong here
A workflow tool can improve visibility, but it does not remove the redundant verification or reduce the waiting time for manual credit checks. It may even codify the current inefficient process. The priority should be to eliminate waste before introducing new technology.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PeopleCert/AXELOS exam blueprint
This ITIL4-DPI practice question is part of Courseiva's free PeopleCert/AXELOS 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 ITIL4-DPI exam.