ITIL4-DPI Direct, Plan and Improve Practice Question
An organization is using 'Value Stream Mapping' to improve its change management process. They notice a large delay at the 'CAB approval' stage. What should they do next to apply the DPI principle 'Start where you are'?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often immediately propose 'removing the CAB' or 'automating approvals,' failing to first measure the delay to confirm the root cause as required by 'Start where you are.'
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
✓
Measure the duration of the delay and identify the reasons for the bottleneck.
Applying 'Start where you are' means first analyzing the current process without bias before proposing changes. By investigating the root cause of the CAB approval delay, the team can determine if the delay is caused by poor information, unnecessary bureaucracy, or scheduling conflicts. This evidence-based approach prevents hasty changes that might create new problems and ensures that the improvement target is truly addressing the bottleneck.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Automate the CAB approval process to eliminate the human element entirely.
Why it's wrong here
Automating before understanding the cause of the delay is risky. If the delay is caused by poor data in the change request, automation will just process bad data faster. Understanding the 'why' behind the delay is essential before deciding whether automation is the appropriate solution for the problem.
- ✓
Measure the duration of the delay and identify the reasons for the bottleneck.
Why this is correct
This is the essence of 'Start where you are'. Before making changes, the organization must accurately measure the current state and understand the root causes of the bottleneck. This provides the data needed to make an informed, effective improvement decision rather than relying on guesswork or assumptions.
- ✗
Remove the CAB approval stage completely to speed up the process.
Why it's wrong here
Removing the CAB approval stage without understanding its purpose or why it is causing delays could introduce significant risk to the organization. Governance requires that changes are reviewed; if the process is broken, it must be fixed or redesigned, not simply removed without careful consideration of the consequences.
- ✗
Replace the existing CAB members with new staff who may be more efficient.
Why it's wrong here
Assuming the bottleneck is caused by the individuals involved is rarely the correct conclusion. The problem is usually systemic, related to the process, the information provided, or the frequency of meetings. Replacing staff without addressing the underlying process issues will not resolve the delay and may create new problems.
About these practice questions
This ITIL4-DPI question is part of Courseiva's 102-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.