PMP Q #23- Determining Rate of Delivery
Q23. Which of the following can help determine the rate at which deliverables are produced, validated, and accepted?
A. Throughput
B. Burndown Chart
C. Burnup Chart
D. Cost Performance Index (CPI)
Let’s see first which option we can eliminate as the wrong option easily –
Option D – “Cost Performance Index (CPI)” – This option is easy to rule out because the cost performance index is the ratio between the earned value and the actual cost. It gives information on how well you adhere to the budget and use the money.
This option does not help determine the rate you are producing, validating, and testing deliverables.
Let’s look at the remaining options –
Throughput, Burndown chart, and burnup chart are directly or indirectly related to the progress of deliverables. So let’s see which is best in determining the rate at which deliverables are produced, validated, and accepted.
Option A – “Throughput” – Throughput is a measure of how many deliverables have been produced and validated in a given time box. So with that definition, throughput seems to be the candidate option for the correct choice.
Option B – “Burndown Chart” – The Burndown chart shows how much work remains in the iteration. It also shows how the remaining work is getting reduced. The slope of the burndown chart does help us identify a possible rate at which deliverables are produced, validated, and accepted.
Option C – “Burnup Chart” – The burnup chart shows the total completed work. The burnup chart’s slope also helps you identify a possible rate at which deliverables are produced, validated, and accepted.
After looking at the definitions of throughput, burndown chart, and burnup chart – throughput is the more appropriate answer because the objective of throughput is primarily to tell about the delivery rate. On the other hand, the primary purpose of the burndown and burnup chart is to show what is left and what is completed, respectively. Therefore, these are trend-oriented metrics rather than showing progression at a particular rate.
For example. If you’re a pizza store and you tell that on average, you dispatch 1000 pizzas, and that’s your throughput for the day. It shows the number of pizzas that produce, validate, and accept on a particular day, and that helps you plan for your upcoming capacity and days.
In the PMP exam, you need to choose the best option, and option A is the winning option In this particular situation because that’s primarily about the delivery rate.
