Setting A Work In Progress Limit
Setting Work In Progress limit is a counterintuitive tool that facilitates flow, reduces waste, shines a light on potential improvement areas, make value delivery more predictable, and encourages sustainable working practice. How can this be? Surly the more work I have in progress, the more work I get done? Not really.
On average, the more work you have in progress the longer it takes for all of that work to get done. Lets look at Pub example. When you last ordered a drink at the pub, did you order the number of drinks you were intending to drink that night or just one? Excluding happy hour or buying around, my guess is that you just ordered the one drink, even if there was a line and a bulk purchase would help avoid.
The difference is summarised below
WIP Limit One at a time All at a time Trade-Off
One Beer Drink remains cold until the end NA Need to go back to the bar after each beer but every beer is enjoyed
Three Beers One beer remains cold.
| WIP Limit | One at a time | All at a time | Trade-Off | |
| Pic of beer | One Beer | Drink remains cold until the end | NA | Need to go back to the bar after each beer but every beer is enjoyed |
| Pic of three beers | Three Beers | One beer remains cold. Beers two and three are warm | All beers start cold but are all warm | No need to go to the bar, but 2 out of 3 beers cannot be enjoyed. Worse the they are actively bad |
Beers two and three are warm All beers start cold but are all warm No need to go to the bar, but 2 out of 3 beers cannot be enjoyed. Worse they are actively bad
Setting a WIP Limit
Attendees
The Team. Often a Reto or other cadence
Tools
A view of the work. This could be represented in a visual board, Kanban board, it my be some other queue.
Duration
45 Minutes
Agenda
Welcome
Explain WIP limits. It’s an advantage if this can be experienced with an activity. [link to activity workshop ideas]
Discuss types of WIP limit
• Per Activity – e.g. 10 cards in the ‘In Progress Column’
• Per Person – 2 cards per person
• Work Type – WIP limit can be +1 for special urgent work
• Number of cards in an iteration – e.g. a Sprint
• Others – There a many more
• Combination of the above
Set the WIP Limit – avoid being too ambitious. A WIP limit equal to the current number minus one, or a historical average is a good start.
Make the WIP limit Policy Explicit – Write it down where everyone can access it.
Discuss at the next improvement cadences
