Work in Progress (WIP) Limits
Work in Progress (WIP) Limits are constraints placed on the number of work items allowed in each stage of a workflow at any given time, designed to improve flow and reduce multitasking.
Explanation
WIP limits are a core Kanban practice that prevent teams from overloading any stage of their workflow. By limiting the number of items in progress at each column on the Kanban board, teams focus on completing work rather than starting new work. This reduces context switching, reveals bottlenecks, and improves overall throughput.
When a WIP limit is reached, the team cannot pull new work into that stage until an existing item moves forward. This forces the team to address whatever is blocking progress, whether it is a dependency, a skills gap, or a capacity issue. Over time, this focus on flow leads to shorter cycle times and more predictable delivery.
Setting the right WIP limits requires experimentation. If limits are too high, they have no effect. If too low, they may starve downstream stages. Teams typically start with a limit roughly equal to the number of people working at that stage, then adjust based on data and retrospective discussions.
Key Points
- •Limit the number of items in each workflow stage
- •Reduce multitasking and improve focus on completing work
- •Reveal bottlenecks by forcing the team to address blocked items
- •Should be adjusted over time based on data and team experience
Exam Tip
WIP limits help improve flow and reduce cycle time. If a question describes a team with many items started but few completed, introducing WIP limits is the best answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Kanban
Kanban is a lean method for managing and improving work across systems that emphasizes visualizing the workflow, limiting work in progress, managing flow, and making process policies explicit.
Kanban Board
A Kanban Board is a visual management tool that displays work items as cards moving through columns representing stages of the workflow, making the current state of work transparent to everyone.
Cumulative Flow Diagram
A Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) is a stacked area chart that shows the number of work items in each workflow stage over time, used to monitor flow, identify bottlenecks, and track work in progress.
Lean Principles
Lean Principles are a set of practices derived from the Toyota Production System that focus on maximizing customer value while minimizing waste, forming a foundation for agile and Kanban practices.
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