Pull System

5 minutes 5 Questions

The Pull System is a cornerstone of Kanban. In contrast to traditional push systems where tasks are assigned to team members, in a pull system, team members ‘pull’ tasks as they are ready to handle them. This results in a smooth workflow, reduces the risk of overloading, and ensures team members ar…

Guide to Understanding the Pull System in PMI-ACP Kanban Methodology

The Pull System is a fundamental concept in the Kanban Methodology under the PMI-ACP certification.

Importance: It is critical because it advocates for the production based on demand, ensuring that resources are not wasted, and is key in managing the flow of work and limiting work in progress. Overproduction is thus minimized, and efficiency is improved.

What it is: In the Pull System, tasks are 'pulled' to the next station only when that station is ready. This is in contrast to the 'push' approach where tasks are simply pushed to the next stage without considering whether or not they are ready for it.

How it works: A Pull System uses signals to notify a producer to make a product. The system starts at the demand stage and ends at the supply stage. Only when demand is present is the product supplied, resulting in highly visible, effective communication all through demand chain backlog.

Exam Tips – Answering Questions on the Pull System: When answering questions related to the Pull system:
1. Understand the difference between Pull and Push Systems.
2. Remember that Pull System is about just-in-time production and inventory control system
3. Emphasize how Pull Systems can minimize waste and improve efficiency.

Most importantly, apply the principle in practical scenarios when answering situational questions on the exam.

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PMI-ACP - Pull System Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Pull System

Question 1

Due to delays from a key supplier, the Agile team receives updated stories three days before sprint closure. What can the development team do to maintain their WIP limits?

Continue completing ongoing tasks and start new tasks within WIP limits after completing tasks in progress Ask the supplier to delay the updates until the next sprint Cancel the current sprint retrospective Increase the WIP limit to accommodate incoming work Abandon the current sprint and start a new sprint with the updated stories Postpone the upcoming sprint planning meeting

Correct Answer: Continue completing ongoing tasks and start new tasks within WIP limits after completing tasks in progress

Sticking to the WIP limits ensures work is completed before starting new tasks. Raising WIP limits or changing sprint plans would create additional issues and potentially undermine the efficiency of the pull system.

Question 2

During an Agile project, the team is experiencing low morale due to an overwhelming volume of unfinished tasks in the backlog. The Product Owner is approached for guidance. Which solution would best address the situation?

Implement a pull system to limit work-in-progress and focus on completing tasks before pulling new tasks Introduce a reward system for quick task completion Allow stakeholders to assign work directly to the team rather than through the backlog Increase the sprint length to give the team more time Ask the team to work additional hours Schedule more frequent backlog refinement meetings

Correct Answer: Implement a pull system to limit work-in-progress and focus on completing tasks before pulling new tasks

A pull system helps in limiting work-in-progress and maintaining focus on in-progress tasks, leading to better workflow management, reduced stress, and increased morale. Other answers don't address the root cause of the issue or propose inefficient or counterproductive solutions.

Question 3

The team has been completing tasks efficiently but the Product Owner notices that his priority tasks are often left alone until the end which frequently delays deliverables. Which pull system strategy can be the best solution for this problem?

Use a Class of Service system in which tasks are given a certain level of priority and pulled accordingly. Product Owner should wait until the end of the sprint to address his concerns. Product owner should take over some of the tasks and complete them himself. Increase the number of tasks the team handles to ensure all tasks are completed in time.

Correct Answer: Use a Class of Service system in which tasks are given a certain level of priority and pulled accordingly.

The appropriate option to solve this problem is to use a Class of Service system. It prioritizes tasks given their urgency or business value. The less urgent or less value tasks, even if they are completed efficiently, won't benefit the business if higher value tasks are delayed. Hence, to ensure that higher priority tasks are not left till the end, using a Class of Service system can ensure these tasks are pulled first to meet the Product Owners requirements. Other solutions suggested are not feasible. First, the Product Owner waiting until the end of the sprint to address his concerns could further exacerbate the problem, as the problematic tasks of prioritization would remain unaddressed. Increasing the number of tasks the team handles won't solve the issue either, as the problem lies in the Product Owner's tasks remaining till the end, hence adding more tasks could possibly add to the chaos rather than solving the problem. Finally, the Product Owner taking over some tasks himself is not recommended. The Product Owner's responsibilities are to prioritize the backlog and communicate with stakeholders, not to complete tasks on behalf of the team, which dilutes team responsibility and can lead to confusion. These answers are not aligned to Agile principles.

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