The answer is the Focus on value principle. This principle is violated because the service owner prioritizes a custom solution for control over an off-the-shelf product that delivers 90% of requirements at half the cost and with faster deployment, directly contradicting the core tenet that all decisions must maximize stakeholder value rather than technical preferences. On the ITIL 4 Foundation exam, this scenario tests your ability to identify when a focus on value principle violation occurs, often disguised as a conflict between control and cost-efficiency. A common trap is mistaking this for “Keep it simple and practical,” but the key distinction is that the custom solution introduces unnecessary cost, delay, and complexity without proportional benefit, which is a value-driven failure. Remember the memory tip: “If it costs more and delivers less value, it’s a focus on value violation.”
ITIL4F ITIL Guiding Principles Practice Question
This ITIL4F practice question tests your understanding of itil guiding principles. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An organization is migrating its CRM system to the cloud. The service owner insists on using a custom-designed solution to maintain full control, even though an off-the-shelf product would meet 90% of requirements at half the cost and with faster deployment. Which ITIL guiding principle is being violated?
Why wrong: While the custom solution adds complexity, the core issue is that it does not maximize value for the organization.
B
Progress iteratively with feedback
Why wrong: This principle is about using iterative approaches and feedback, which is not directly related to choosing between custom and off-the-shelf solutions.
C
Collaborate and promote visibility
Why wrong: The scenario does not indicate lack of collaboration or transparency.
D
Focus on value
The organization is not maximizing value because the custom solution costs more and takes longer, while an off-the-shelf product would deliver sufficient functionality at lower cost and faster.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Focus on value
The service owner is prioritizing a custom solution for control, ignoring that the off-the-shelf product delivers 90% of requirements at half the cost and faster deployment. This violates the 'Focus on value' principle, which requires all decisions to maximize value for stakeholders, not technical preferences. The custom approach introduces unnecessary cost, delay, and complexity without proportional benefit, directly contradicting value-driven outcomes.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 it's wrong here
While the custom solution adds complexity, the core issue is that it does not maximize value for the organization.
✗
Progress iteratively with feedback
Why it's wrong here
This principle is about using iterative approaches and feedback, which is not directly related to choosing between custom and off-the-shelf solutions.
✗
Collaborate and promote visibility
Why it's wrong here
The scenario does not indicate lack of collaboration or transparency.
✓
Focus on value
Why this is correct
The organization is not maximizing value because the custom solution costs more and takes longer, while an off-the-shelf product would deliver sufficient functionality at lower cost and faster.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'Focus on value' with 'Keep it simple and practical,' but the question emphasizes cost and deployment speed as value metrics, not just complexity reduction.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
The scenario does not indicate lack of collaboration or transparency.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In ITIL 4, 'Focus on value' is the first guiding principle, requiring every activity to map directly to stakeholder value, often measured via cost-benefit analysis and outcome-based metrics. A custom CRM solution typically involves higher total cost of ownership (TCO) due to development, maintenance, and integration overhead, whereas an off-the-shelf SaaS product leverages shared infrastructure and standardized APIs (e.g., RESTful endpoints) to reduce operational risk. Real-world scenarios show that ignoring this principle leads to budget overruns and delayed time-to-value, as seen in failed cloud migration projects where bespoke builds were chosen over proven COTS products.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the ITIL4F exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
ITIL Guiding Principles — This question tests ITIL Guiding Principles — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Focus on value — The service owner is prioritizing a custom solution for control, ignoring that the off-the-shelf product delivers 90% of requirements at half the cost and faster deployment. This violates the 'Focus on value' principle, which requires all decisions to maximize value for stakeholders, not technical preferences. The custom approach introduces unnecessary cost, delay, and complexity without proportional benefit, directly contradicting value-driven outcomes.
What should I do if I get this ITIL4F question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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