Task

Watch the video “Setting a WIP limit”. We’ll explore an approach used by Kanban teams to control the flow of work. This is an effective way to maintain focus and encourages teams to deliver work more efficiently.

Transcript of video

In this video, we'll look at a method used by Kanban teams to plan. In Kanban, teams focus on maintaining a continuous flow of work. Because of this, they don’t usually have dedicated planning sessions. But that doesn’t mean there’s no planning involved. One of the most important planning tools in Kanban is the Work in Progress limit. 

A Work in Progress limit (or WIP limit), is the greatest number of items that can be present in each part of the workflow. It’s like setting a cap on how much work can be in progress at any given time. 

Setting a WIP limit helps you stay focused. Instead of juggling too many tasks, you focus on a manageable number. The idea is that working on fewer items at once, can help you complete them faster. 

It encourages you to finish tasks before starting new ones. You can’t pull new work until something is complete. If a task gets stuck, it’s easier to spot blockers in your workflow and address them. 

There’s no strict rule for setting a WIP limit. But a good guideline is to multiply the number of people on your team by either 1.5 or 2. For example, if you have a team of 3, you might set a WIP limit of 4 or 6. This gives your team enough capacity to work, whilst also enabling them to work at a sustainable pace. 

Once you’ve set your WIP limit, try to avoid changing it too often. You’ll need time to adjust to the flow of work with the limit in place. 

Let’s walk through a quick example. Imagine you’re a 1-person team, and you set your WIP limit at 2. This means you can only have 2 tasks in the ‘Doing’ column at any time. 

You pull the two highest priority tasks from your ‘To Do’ column into ‘Doing.’ Now you’re at your WIP limit. This means you cannot pull any more work into this column. 

As you complete one of those tasks, you move it into ‘Done.’  

This opens up capacity for you to pull the next highest priority item into ‘Doing.’  

By working within your WIP limit, you ensure that you stay focused and efficient. 

Setting a WIP limit is a simple but effective way to deliver at a sustainable pace. It helps you focus on completing tasks and highlights any blockers in your workflow.