PMP Practice Question 626 - People
A new project manager has been hired at a company that has suffered many project failures. The project manager has been tasked with delivering a software product for the company's biggest customer. The customer has not been able to articulate how a major piece of functionality should work. The project manager wants to deliver value immediately. How should the project manager approach the software development life cycle with this customer?
- A.Raise a risk that scoping and estimating will be delayed if the customer cannot approve requirements
- ✓ Correct B.Explain that the team will build a production prototype model to help the customer visualize how the features should work
- C.Assign a business analyst to build detailed requirements so the project manager can estimate the project duration
- D.Add extra time and resources to the estimating phase to accommodate the lack of requirements
Correct answer: B
Explanation
When a customer cannot clearly articulate how a major piece of functionality should work, the best approach is to build a production prototype model to help the customer visualize how the features should work. Prototyping makes requirements tangible, accelerates learning through rapid feedback, and reduces ambiguity by showing working behavior rather than relying on written specifications. This aligns with iterative delivery and progressive elaboration. Raising a scoping risk (A) documents uncertainty but does not solve the problem or create momentum. Assigning a business analyst for detailed requirements (C) still depends on the customer's ability to articulate needs. Adding extra time and resources to the estimating phase (D) delays value delivery without addressing the root cause.
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