ITIL4F ITIL Guiding Principles Practice Question
A service owner is reviewing a process and removes several approval steps that were identified as not contributing to customer value. Which ITIL 4 guiding principle is being applied?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'Focus on value' (which is about defining value from the customer's perspective) with the act of removing non-value-adding steps, which is a direct application of 'Keep it simple and practical'.
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
✓
Keep it simple and practical
The 'Keep it simple and practical' guiding principle emphasizes eliminating unnecessary complexity, such as approval steps that do not contribute to customer value. By removing these steps, the service owner streamlines the process, reducing waste and improving efficiency without sacrificing quality or control.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Keep it simple and practical
Why this is correct
The 'Keep it simple and practical' guiding principle directly advocates for eliminating unnecessary complexity and steps that do not contribute value. A service owner reviewing a process and removing several activities perfectly embodies this principle by streamlining operations, reducing waste, and making the process more efficient and easier to understand. This ensures that only essential steps remain, leading to more effective and sustainable service management practices.
- ✗
Progress iteratively with feedback
Why it's wrong here
The 'Progress iteratively with feedback' principle focuses on delivering value in small, manageable steps, gathering feedback, and adapting throughout the development or improvement lifecycle. While removing steps might be part of an iterative improvement, the principle itself describes the *method of delivery and learning*, not the specific *act of simplification* by removing redundant elements. The action described is a direct simplification, not necessarily an iterative delivery approach.
- ✗
Focus on value
Why it's wrong here
The 'Focus on value' principle is fundamental as it guides all activities towards creating value for stakeholders. While removing non-value-adding steps ultimately contributes to value, the principle primarily defines *what* should be done based on value, rather than *how* to achieve it through simplification. The act of removing steps to reduce complexity is more directly aligned with the practical application of streamlining, which is the essence of 'Keep it simple and practical'.
- ✗
Optimise and automate
Why it's wrong here
The 'Optimise and automate' principle emphasizes making processes as efficient as possible and leveraging technology to reduce manual effort. While removing unnecessary steps can be a precursor to optimization, the principle itself is more about enhancing the efficiency of *existing* or *remaining* steps, or automating them. The initial act of identifying and removing redundant elements to simplify a process is a distinct activity from subsequent optimization or automation efforts.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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