PMI-ACP Practice Questions #95
A software company has launched an updated version of its customer-facing platform, introducing several new features. The Product Owner is monitoring product performance and user experience post-release.
Since the update, the team has observed the following challenges:
- Customers are reporting frustration with slow feature rollouts and delayed improvements.
- There is uncertainty about whether feature delivery speed is impacting overall customer satisfaction.
To address these concerns, the Product Owner needs to track the most relevant metric that will provide insights into how quickly features are being delivered and whether delays are occurring in the development process.
Which of the following metrics would be the most effective in addressing this issue?
A. Burndown Chart
B. Feature Cycle Time
C. Net Promoter Score (NPS)
D. Sprint Velocity
Analysis
The question focuses on identifying the most relevant metric to track how quickly features are being delivered and whether delays are occurring in the development process. The primary concern is customer frustration with slow feature rollouts and delayed improvements, which means the Product Owner needs a metric that measures feature delivery speed and helps identify bottlenecks in development.
Some metrics, such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Sprint Velocity, measure customer satisfaction or team performance, but they do not directly track how long it takes for a feature to move from development to release. The best metric should provide insights into how quickly features are being completed and whether development is a bottleneck.
Analysis of Options
A: Burndown Chart
A burndown chart helps track progress toward completing a release or sprint goal by showing the remaining work over time. While it provides an overall view of whether the team is on track, it does not measure the speed of individual feature delivery or identify where bottlenecks occur. Since the question is about feature delivery time, a burndown chart is not the best choice.
B: Feature Cycle Time
This is the best option because feature cycle time measures how long a feature takes to move through the development process, from when work begins until it is completed. By tracking feature cycle time, the Product Owner can analyze delays, identify inefficiencies, and optimize development speed. If cycle time is too long, it indicates bottlenecks that need to be addressed. This metric directly answers the concern about feature rollout delays and provides insights into where improvements are needed.
C: Net Promoter Score (NPS)
NPS measures customer satisfaction by asking users how likely they are to recommend the product to others. While slow feature rollouts may indirectly impact NPS, this metric does not track delivery speed or identify bottlenecks. It focuses on overall user sentiment rather than the efficiency of the development process, making it an irrelevant choice for this specific problem.
D: Sprint Velocity
Sprint velocity measures how much work a team completes per sprint (usually in terms of story points). While velocity is useful for forecasting team capacity, it does not track the time required to develop individual features. A team might have a consistent velocity, but individual features may still take too long due to dependencies, technical issues, or prioritization challenges. Since velocity does not directly measure feature rollout delays, it is not the best metric for this scenario.
Conclusion
The best choice is Option B (Feature Cycle Time) because it directly measures how long features take to move through development and helps identify delays. By tracking cycle time, the Product Owner can pinpoint bottlenecks and inefficiencies, ensuring that feature rollouts align with customer expectations and reduce frustration. This aligns with Agile principles of continuous improvement and fast feedback loops.
PMI – ACP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
| Product | Visualize Work |
Topics Covered:
- Tracking feature cycle time to measure delivery speed
- Identifying bottlenecks in the development process
- Optimizing feature rollout based on data-driven insights
- Aligning Agile principles with continuous improvement
- Ensuring faster feedback loops for better customer experience
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