PMP Practice Exam Question

In an adaptive environment, your team is working on a project that requires procuring a specialized software tool. What should be your primary focus when managing this procurement?

A) Ensuring the lowest cost for procurement to keep the project within budget.

B) Selecting a vendor who can provide a comprehensive, fully-featured software tool.

C) Choosing a vendor that can work flexibly and adapt to changes in project requirements.

D) Procuring the software tool as quickly as possible to avoid delays in the project timeline.

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Best Answer: C) Choosing a vendor that can work flexibly and adapt to changes in project requirements.

Explanation:

The correct answer is C because one of the key principles of Agile is the ability to respond to change over following a fixed plan. In an Agile environment, project requirements can evolve over time, and it’s crucial that external vendors can adapt to these changes. This adaptability ensures that the procured products or services remain aligned with the project's evolving needs and goals.

Option A, focusing on the lowest cost, while important, does not necessarily align with Agile principles. Agile emphasizes delivering value, and sometimes the lowest cost option may not be the most valuable or the most adaptable to changing requirements.

Option B, selecting a vendor who can provide a comprehensive, fully-featured tool, seems like a reasonable choice. However, in Agile projects, the emphasis is often on incremental development and delivery. A fully-featured tool might not be necessary from the start and could even complicate the project with unnecessary features.

Option D, procuring the tool quickly, addresses the Agile emphasis on time efficiency. However, speed should not come at the expense of flexibility and adaptability to change, which are more critical in Agile environments.

Therefore, the best option is C, as it aligns with the Agile principle of responding to change and ensures that the procurement adds value to the project in an evolving context. This approach allows for adjustments in the procurement as the project progresses, maintaining alignment with the project's goals and ensuring effective utilization of the procured software tool.