Which would be the desired outcome of using an agile approach?

• A. Increasing governance overhead
• B. Maximizing backlog size
• C. Increasing non-value-added waste
• D. Decreasing non-value-added waste

Answer: (D)

Agile aims to deliver value quickly by focusing on what the customer needs and trimming away anything that doesn’t contribute to that value. The best outcome is decreasing non-value-added waste, which means removing unnecessary steps, delays, handoffs, and rework that don’t improve the product. By shrinking waste, teams shorten feedback loops, improve flow, and can adapt priorities based on real results. Increasing governance overhead would add bureaucracy and slow progress, a larger backlog isn’t inherently valuable without proper prioritization, and increasing non-value-added waste contradicts the goal of delivering fast, high-quality value. So, decreasing non-value-added waste is the goal.