ITIL4-DPI Direct, Plan and Improve Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are essential components of an effective 'Operating Model' as defined in DPI?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often select answers focused solely on tool automation or financial budgets, ignoring structural elements like cross-departmental value streams and clear decision-making authorities.
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
✓
The identification of value streams that cross departmental or functional boundaries.
An operating model must define both the flow of value and the governing structures that enable it. By ensuring that the value streams are clearly mapped and the decision-making authority is appropriately distributed, an organization can balance efficiency with the agility needed for continuous improvement. These components provide the structural foundation required for leaders to direct, plan, and improve service delivery effectively across the organization's entire service value system.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The detailed technical specifications for all hardware and software vendors.
Why it's wrong here
Technical specifications belong in operational documentation, not the high-level operating model. The operating model focuses on how value is created and how governance is applied, rather than the specific configurations of individual tools. Including such detail would clutter the model and make it difficult to maintain.
- ✓
The identification of value streams that cross departmental or functional boundaries.
Why this is correct
Value streams represent the sequence of activities that deliver value. Identifying these cross-functional flows is vital for an effective operating model because it breaks down silos and ensures the organization is focused on the end-to-end delivery of products and services to its customers and stakeholders.
- ✓
The clear definition of decision-making authority and governance structures.
Why this is correct
Governance defines the rules and policies, while decision-making authority ensures there is clarity on who is empowered to act. Without these defined structures, an operating model lacks the direction and control necessary to steer the organization toward its strategic objectives while maintaining compliance with internal and external requirements.
- ✗
A list of all individual employee job descriptions and salary bands.
Why it's wrong here
Job descriptions and salary bands are HR functions that exist beneath the level of the operating model. An operating model focuses on roles, responsibilities, and the flow of work, not individual personnel records. Including such granular human resources data would distract from the strategic purpose of the model.
- ✗
A comprehensive database of every ticket generated by the service desk.
Why it's wrong here
Operational data, such as ticket databases, is used to manage day-to-day work, but it is not a structural component of an operating model. While this data informs improvements, the model itself is concerned with the design of the system, not the ongoing maintenance and logging of specific incidents.
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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.