PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
In a Kanban project, the team notices that the work-in-progress (WIP) limit is frequently exceeded, causing bottlenecks. What is the BEST action for the project manager to take?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common misconception is to increase WIP limits or remove them to alleviate bottlenecks. However, in Kanban, the correct approach is to analyze the constraint and adjust limits collaboratively as part of continuous improvement, not to arbitrarily raise limits.
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
✓
Facilitate a team discussion to analyze the bottlenecks and adjust WIP limits accordingly
In a Kanban system, WIP limits are not static; they should be adjusted based on empirical data and team feedback. By facilitating a team discussion, the project manager enables root cause analysis of the bottlenecks, allowing the team to collaboratively recalibrate WIP limits to match actual throughput and flow efficiency. This aligns with the Kanban principle of 'start with what you do now' and 'agree to pursue incremental, evolutionary change.'
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Facilitate a team discussion to analyze the bottlenecks and adjust WIP limits accordingly
Why this is correct
In Kanban, the team's ability to identify and address bottlenecks is crucial for continuous improvement. Facilitating a discussion allows the team to collaboratively analyze the root causes of the bottlenecks, leveraging their collective understanding of the workflow. Adjusting WIP limits based on this analysis is a data-driven approach to optimize flow, ensuring the limits accurately reflect the system's current capacity and help manage the flow of work effectively, rather than arbitrarily restricting it.
- ✗
Increase the WIP limits to reduce bottlenecks
Why it's wrong here
Increasing Work In Progress (WIP) limits without first analyzing the underlying causes of bottlenecks is a superficial solution that often exacerbates problems. Higher WIP limits merely allow more items to enter the system, potentially overwhelming the bottleneck further and increasing lead times. This action contradicts Kanban principles, which advocate for limiting WIP to expose system constraints and improve flow, not to mask them by allowing more work to pile up.
- ✗
Enforce the existing WIP limits strictly
Why it's wrong here
Strictly enforcing existing WIP limits when they are consistently exceeded overlooks critical feedback about the process's actual capacity or the limits' suitability. Kanban emphasizes adaptability and continuous improvement; therefore, if limits are frequently breached, it indicates a systemic issue requiring investigation and potential adjustment, not just rigid adherence. Blind enforcement without analysis can lead to frustration and a failure to address the true impediments to flow.
- ✗
Remove WIP limits to allow more flexibility
Why it's wrong here
Removing Work In Progress (WIP) limits fundamentally undermines the core principles and benefits of the Kanban method. WIP limits are essential for visualizing flow, exposing bottlenecks, reducing multitasking, and preventing the system from becoming overloaded. Eliminating them would lead to an uncontrolled influx of work, increased lead times, and a loss of the critical feedback mechanism that helps teams identify and resolve process inefficiencies, thereby defeating Kanban's purpose of improving flow and predictability.
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