Lead Time

5 minutes 5 Questions

Lead Time, in Scrum metrics, refers to the total time taken from the moment a new task is added to the backlog to the moment it is finished. In a broader context, it can also include the time spent waiting to be pulled into a sprint. This metric is especially useful in estimating the time that will…

Lead Time in Scrum Metrics

Lead time is a critical metric used in scrum and agile methodologies. It represents the amount of time from the moment a product backlog item (PBI) is added to the backlog until it is fully implemented.
Importance: It helps in predicting how long it will take for a product or feature to be delivered. This can be useful for planning, resource allocation, and improving efficiency.
How it Works: Lead time starts from the moment a new work item is logged until it's delivered. It includes both the working time and the queue time (time spent waiting).
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Lead Time: 1. Understand that lead time includes both processing time and waiting time. 2. In Scrum, reducing lead time should be seen as a way to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction. 3. Remember that lead time can be used as a measure of the team's efficiency. 4. If asked to calculate, remember that lead time is cumulative. Note: Always read the entire question. Sometimes the question may require you to consider extra factors such as blockers or dependencies which could increase the lead time.

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PSM I - Lead Time Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Lead Time

Question 1

Your team recently experienced a slowdown in their work due to an increase in meetings, negatively affecting the lead time. As a Scrum Master, what should you do?

Implement a strict policy that limits all meetings to a maximum duration, regardless of their importance or content. Suggest the team to adopt a more flexible working schedule where they can choose their work hours, thinking that it might compensate for the meeting times. This suggestion is longer and introduces an entirely different approach, which doesn't directly address the issue of the meetings but offers a way to work around the symptoms by providing flexibility in working hours. It is crucial, however, to tackle the root cause of the problem, which is the excessive number of meetings, rather than adjusting working hours to accommodate them. Introduce a new meeting to discuss how to have fewer meetings without first consulting with the team about the issue. Work with the Product Owner to refine the backlog, ensuring that meeting times are focused and deliver value.

Correct Answer: Work with the Product Owner to refine the backlog, ensuring that meeting times are focused and deliver value.

The most effective way to address the slowdown in work due to an increase in meetings is to ensure that meetings are valuable and necessary. Working with the Product Owner to refine the backlog can help make certain that meetings are productive and contribute to the team’s progress. Limiting meeting times or introducing more meetings without addressing the root cause can exacerbate the problem. Offering flexible working hours does not address the fundamental issue of excessive meetings and might not be feasible for all team members.

Question 2

As a Scrum Master, you noticed that the tech debt has been increasing with each sprint. How can this affect the lead time?

The lead time will remain unaffected, tech debt is not relevant to the process time. The lead time would actually be reduced due to the delayed work being quicker. The lead time will decrease since tackling tech debt can be done quickly. The lead time will likely increase, assuming addressing tech debt adds to the total cycle time.

Correct Answer: The lead time will likely increase, assuming addressing tech debt adds to the total cycle time.

Lead time is the total amount of time from the moment a task is put in the pipeline to the moment it is fully completed. If the tech debt increases, that indicates that there is more work that needs to be done to fix, refactor, or improve the existing codebase. This additional work adds onto the overall cycle time because it requires resources and time to address. Thus, the lead time is likely to increase with increasing tech debt. The other answers are incorrect because if anything, tech debt would add to the process time rather than decrease it or have no effect. It's also not correct to assume that tackling tech debt can be done quickly or that the delayed work would be quicker as tech debt itself represents the extra work that one needs to do in the future as a trade-off for short-term gains.

Question 3

During a recent sprint, your team had to wait for an external service provider to fix bugs before proceeding with their tasks, leading to an increased Lead Time. What should be your course of action as a Scrum Master?

Work with the product owner to reassess the priority of tasks and adapt the sprint backlog accordingly. Advocate for hiring more team members to expedite work on other tasks while waiting on external fixes, thus reducing the impact of similar delays in the future. Increase the sprint duration to compensate for the extra time needed when waiting on external services. Implement a policy of only using internal services to avoid external dependencies and related delays.

Correct Answer: Work with the product owner to reassess the priority of tasks and adapt the sprint backlog accordingly.

The correct answer involves adapting to challenges and re-prioritizing work, a key aspect of Scrum's flexibility and responsiveness to change. Increasing sprint duration or avoiding external services entirely can disrupt the rhythm and potentially introduce more inefficiencies. Hiring more team members does not address the root cause of the delay and is not a sustainable or immediate solution. The role of the Scrum Master involves facilitating adaptive planning and ensuring the team can maintain its pace despite external blockers, not making unilateral decisions about team composition or sprint structure.

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