Total WIP
23
Limit: 28
Recommended WIP
8
for 5 team members
Over Limit
1
stages need attention
Weekly Throughput
7.5
items/week
Team Configuration
Recommendation
Based on your team of 5 members, we recommend a WIP limit of 8 items per stage (roughly 1-2 per person).
Predicted Optimal WIP
Based on throughput of 7.5 items/week and average cycle time of 2.5 days, optimal WIP is approximately 38 items.
WIP vs Limit by Stage
Workflow Stages
WIP Trend
Guide
WIP Limits (Work In Progress Limits) are a core practice in Lean and Agile methodologies that help teams focus, reduce context switching, and identify bottlenecks in their workflow.
Why Use WIP Limits?
Reduced Context Switching: When team members work on fewer items simultaneously, they complete work faster.
Bottleneck Detection: When items pile up in a stage, it signals a bottleneck that needs attention.
Better Quality: Fewer items in progress means more focus and fewer defects.
Faster Delivery: Counter-intuitively, limiting WIP actually speeds up delivery by improving flow.
How to Calculate WIP Limits
By Team Size: A common rule is 1-2 items per team member. For a 5-person team, start with WIP of 5-10.
By Throughput: WIP = Throughput × Lead Time. If you complete 5 items/week with 2-week lead time, WIP ≈ 10.
By Stage Capacity: Limit based on what each stage can handle without becoming a bottleneck.
How to Use This Tool
- Add team members with their availability
- Define workflow stages with initial WIP limits
- Track current items in each stage
- Monitor for bottlenecks (stage over limit)
- Review historical WIP trends
- Adjust limits based on data
Glossary
- WIP Limit
- The maximum number of work items allowed in a specific stage or for a team member at any given time.
- Bottleneck
- A stage in the workflow where work accumulates faster than it can be processed, limiting overall throughput.
- Throughput
- The number of work items completed in a given time period. Used to calculate optimal WIP limits.
- Little's Law
- A formula: WIP = Throughput × Lead Time. Helps predict optimal WIP limits based on historical data.
- Flow Efficiency
- The ratio of value-adding time to total lead time. Low flow efficiency indicates too much wait time.
- Context Switching
- The overhead cost when team members switch between multiple tasks, reducing productivity.
- Pull System
- A workflow where work is pulled into a stage only when there's capacity, rather than being pushed ahead.
- Kanban
- A visual method for managing work that emphasizes WIP limits and continuous delivery.