Which statement most accurately describes the relationship between the service value chain activities and value streams?
ITIL 4 Foundation, objective 5. The service value chain hard
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The options
Correct Value streams are specific combinations of value chain activities, and different value streams combine the same activities in different sequences
Correct. The value chain is an operating model, not a pipeline. Each value stream selects and orders activities to suit its scenario, and an activity may be visited more than once or omitted.
Not correct The six activities always execute in the fixed order plan, improve, engage, design and transition, obtain/build, deliver and support
No such fixed order exists. Listing the activities is not the same as sequencing them; the flexibility to recombine them is the whole point of the model.
Not correct Each value stream maps to exactly one value chain activity, so the organization has six value streams
An organization can define many value streams, each drawing on several activities. There is no one-to-one mapping and no fixed count.
Not correct ITIL defines a standard set of value streams that every organization adopts unchanged
ITIL defines the six value chain activities, not the value streams. Each organization designs its own value streams for its own scenarios, which is exactly why the same activities appear in different combinations.
Why
The service value chain is a flexible operating model. Its six activities are combined into value streams — specific sequences of activities for a given scenario, such as handling a user request or developing a new product — and different streams use different combinations and orders. This is why the model is drawn as interconnected activities rather than a linear chain of stages.
Where this comes from
- Cited
- ITIL 4 syllabus clause 5.1
Practise this
Reading one question is not practice. The trainer will draw a short set from objective 5 and space the ones you get wrong.
More questions on this objective
- A newly appointed service owner finds that different departments have contradictory views of where the organization's services stand today and where they are heading. Which service value chain activity is intended to resolve this? machine-checked
- Which value chain activity has the purpose of ensuring a good understanding of stakeholder needs, together with transparency and continual engagement and good relationships with all stakeholders? machine-checked
- Which value chain activity is responsible for ensuring that service components are available when and where they are needed, and that they meet agreed specifications? machine-checked
- A review of user satisfaction data leads a team to change how a service is monitored and to refine the practice used to handle recurring faults. Which value chain activity does this work belong to, and how does it differ from its nearest neighbour? machine-checked
- A provider is changing an existing service so that it will continue to meet agreed expectations for quality, cost and time to market, and is preparing to move the changed service into live use. Which value chain activity best describes this? machine-checked