Food-pantry eligibility stories jump from Ready to Done whenever staff say they already know, skipping verification columns. What should the SM/TC do with the board?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Skipping columns is taking the fire exit every time and still calling it the main hall. If pantry stories bypass verification, the board should show that shortcut. Honesty beats a pretty path nobody uses.
Full Explanation
When pantry, benefits, or similar stories skip policy steps on the board, the SM/TC should make the board match how work actually moves, including skipped policy steps that hide gaps. Skipping columns is taking the fire exit every time and still calling it the main hall. If verification or eligibility steps are bypassed, visualization must expose that gap so quality and compliance risks are inspectable.
Allowing skipping because experienced staff do not need visualization fails because experience does not remove the need for transparency. Hiding skipped columns so leadership cannot see shortcuts fails because concealing process gaps is anti-transparency. Converting skipped columns into story-point bonuses fails because rewarding bypasses corrupts both quality and metrics.
Exam caveat: honest boards sometimes look worse before they get better; that visibility is the point. Operational check: observe real movement versus the board, either enforce exit policies for skipped states or redesign states to match reality deliberately, stop point bonuses for shortcuts, and inspect whether required civic checks actually occur. Honest skipped-step visibility is especially important in benefits and food assistance where policy steps protect equity.