Case context: A software group reviews recent bug reports and finds two major patterns: users cannot finish checkout on phones, and invoice totals are sometimes calculated incorrectly. The engineering manager must decide how to use the available staff.

Question: According to the guidance, what is the best plan if the team has enough engineers, and what should be done if the team is too small to handle both problems at once?

Sample answer: If there are enough engineers, the manager can separate the team into two working groups so each defect pattern is investigated at the same time. If the team is too small to support two groups, the manager should choose one problem to address first instead of trying to divide the staff, because splitting only makes sense when there are enough people to support both efforts.

Key points:

• Adequate staffing allows the team to be divided into two efforts
• The two defect patterns can be investigated at the same time when staffing is sufficient
• Limited staffing means the team should not be split
• The manager should check headcount before choosing the plan

Rubric: Full credit for stating that splitting the team is appropriate only when there are enough engineers and for explaining that limited staffing requires prioritization; partial credit for mentioning only the split-team option.