Pass the Scrum Professional Scrum with Kanban PSK-I Questions and answers with ExamsMirror

While refining the Product Backlog is essential in Scrum, it is not an essential component specifically for achieving flow in Kanban practices. Achieving flow requires visualizing the workflow, limiting WIP, actively managing WIP, and continuously inspecting and adapting the workflow. Frequent Product Backlog refinement helps with the overall Scrum framework but is not directly tied to the initial goal of achieving flow in a Kanban system

A probabilistic forecast is intended to communicate a prediction based on historical data, showing the likelihood of completing a certain amount of work within a given time frame. It helps the team and stakeholders understand the probability of meeting certain goals or deadlines based on past performance, supporting more informed decision-making

While WIP is a crucial metric for Kanban teams, it is not a flow metric. Flow metrics measure the movement of work through the system, while WIP measures the amount of work currently in progress.

Here's a breakdown of the other options:

Cycle Time:The time it takes to complete a piece of work from start to finish.

Throughput:The rate at which work is completed.

Work item age:The amount of time a work item has spent in the system.

All of these metrics provide insights into the flow of work and can be used to identify bottlenecks and optimize the workflow.

Therefore, option B, "Work in Progress (WIP)," is the correct answer.

During a flow-based Daily Scrum, the team is likely to review metrics such as Work Item Age and Work in Progress (WIP):

•Work Item Age: Helps to identify items that have been in progress for a longer time than expected, signaling possible impediments or the need for swarming to complete those items.

•Work in Progress (WIP): Indicates the number of items currently being worked on, ensuring that the team is not exceeding the agreed WIP limits, which is crucial for maintaining a steady flow

Work in Progress (WIP) and Work Item Aging are considered leading indicator metrics in Scrum with Kanban. Leading indicators are metrics that provide information that can help predict future outcomes or performance.

•Work in Progress (WIP): This metric indicates the number of work items currently being worked on and can provide early signals about potential bottlenecks or issues in the workflow. Managing WIP effectively can help teams optimize their flow and predict how work might proceed in the future.

•Work Item Aging: This metric shows how long work items have been in progress without being completed. It provides an early indication of delays and can help teams identify items that might need attention to maintain a steady flow

The Definition of Workflow in Kanban should include key elements that help manage the flow of work through the process. These elements typically include:

•WIP Limits (Option B), which help to manage flow and prevent overburdening the team.

•Start of the Workflow (Option D) and End of the Workflow (Option C), which define when work begins and when it is considered complete.

However, Option A (Agreed owner of Workflow lane) is not usually part of the Definition of Workflow. The workflow definition focuses on the stages, policies, and rules that govern workitems, rather than on individual ownership of workflow lanes(

Even when using Kanban, Scrum Teams still follow the Scrum framework, which mandates crafting a Sprint Goal during Sprint Planning. The Sprint Goal provides focus and alignment for the team, ensuring that all work contributes toward a common objective, rather than being taken on as needed. References: The Scrum Guide​.

1.The Kanban Board Provides Transparency (Option A):

A Kanban board visualizes the flow of work, making it easy for the Scrum Team to see the status of work items, identify bottlenecks, and inspect and adapt their processes. This visual transparency is a fundamental aspect of both Scrum and Kanban and supports the empirical process control central to Scrum(

2.Kanban Helps Achieve Faster, Healthier Flow (Option D):

By focusing on optimizing flow (e.g., reducing Cycle Time and managing Work in Progress), Kanban helps Scrum Teams achieve a faster, more predictable flow of work. This improvement in flow brings more rapid transparency, allowing for more effective inspection and adaptation during Scrum events such as the Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective(

Option B (Kanban metrics are used in the Sprint Review to allow the Product Owner to inspect Throughput and adapt the Scrum Team's Cycle Time) is not necessarily accurate, as the Sprint Review focuses on the product increment and stakeholder feedback, not directly on Kanban metrics.

Option C (Kanban helps Scrum Teams deal with simple and complicated work where empiricism is not necessary) is incorrect because both Kanban and Scrum rely on empiricism (transparency, inspection, and adaptation) to deal with work complexity

Scrum Teams using Kanban can start to increase predictability by reducing the amount of work in progress (WIP) through WIP limits. This approach helps to limit the number of items being worked on at any given time, thus reducing multitasking and context switching. It allows the team to focus on completing a few items before starting new ones, which directly impacts the flow of work and helps to predict when items will be completed. By controlling the WIP, teams can achieve a steadyflow of work, improve cycle times, and make more reliable forecasts about future deliveries

The Definition of Workflow should include policies that dictate how work flows through the system, such as Visualization policies, Pull policies, WIP Limits, Service Level Expectations, Work Item types, and the Definition of Done. These elements help the Scrum Team maintain transparency and consistency in their process, enhancing predictability and facilitating continuous improvement. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.