WIP limits

5 minutes 5 Questions

Work in Progress (WIP) limits are a key element of the Kanban methodology. They mandate that only a specific number of work items can exist within a particular stage of the workflow at any given time. The primary goal of implementing WIP limits is to prevent overloading team members and to ensure that tasks are evenly distributed across the team. By constraining work in this manner, teams can focus on completing tasks instead of constantly juggling multiple tasks. It also promotes a smoother, faster flow of work by reducing bottlenecks and encouraging continuous delivery. WIP limits enable teams to identify issues early on, prioritize effectively, and continually improve their processes.

Guide to Understanding Work-in-Progress (WIP) Limits in Kanban Methodology

What is WIP Limit?
WIP stands for Work in Progress. In the context of Agile Project Management and Kanban methodology, WIP limits restrict the maximum amount of work items in the different stages of the workflow. The primary goal of a WIP limit is to ensure that a team doesn’t start and commit to too much work at once.

Why it is Important?
WIP limits encourage balance, prioritize focused work, help team to identify inefficiencies, and reduce context shifting. This approach minimizes the waste of semi-done work and maximizes the flow of productive and value-creating efforts.

How it works?
In practice, if a limit has been hit for a certain phase in the workflow, team members cannot move more tasks into that phase. They must first complete (and move) some of the current work items before taking on new ones. This approach helps ensure that work doesn’t pile up in any single phase of the process, keeping things flowing smoothly.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on WIP limits
1. Understand the principal of WIP limits and its importance. Don't merely memorize the definition.
2. Use real-life examples involving Agile projects to elaborate your answers and increase credibility.
3. Questions may be presented as problem-solving or decision-making scenarios. In such cases, demonstrate your understanding of how WIP limits can help resolve or make decisions.

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Question 1

In a development team of five members using Kanban, they're currently experiencing a bottleneck in the 'In Progress' stage. What would be the best solution to alleviate this?

Ignore the problem and hope the team can catch up Increase the team size to expedite the process Decrease the quality standards to finish tasks faster Increase the number of tasks in the 'In Progress' stage Reduce the WIP limit on other stages Implement a WIP limit on the 'In Progress' stage

Correct Answer: Implement a WIP limit on the 'In Progress' stage

By adding a WIP limit on the 'In Progress' stage, the team can focus on completing their current tasks before adding more work. It helps prevent further bottlenecks and maintain a healthy workflow.

Question 2

A newly formed team is doing their first Kanban board setup. Which WIP limit setting approach would be the most practical?

Choose an arbitrary WIP limit and stick to it without adjustments Copy the WIP limits from another team that seems successful Start without WIP limits and add them when problems arise Ask the team members what they think the WIP limit should be without data-driven observations Start with an estimated WIP limit and adjust it based on ongoing observations and data Set the WIP limits extremely low to force efficiency

Correct Answer: Start with an estimated WIP limit and adjust it based on ongoing observations and data

Starting with an estimated WIP limit and adjusting it based on observations and data allows for flexibility and continuous improvement in the workflow.

Question 3

A team member is on vacation, and others are struggling to pick up the additional workload. What WIP limit adjustment should be made?

Permanently lower the WIP limit even after the team member returns Hire a temporary team member to cover the workload Increase the WIP limit to force the team to handle more tasks Assign tasks to non-development team members to distribute the workload Do not change the WIP limit and expect the team to catch up Temporarily lower the WIP limit and then restore it when the team member returns

Correct Answer: Temporarily lower the WIP limit and then restore it when the team member returns

Temporarily lowering the WIP limit and restoring it once the team member returns helps the remaining team members maintain a manageable workload and avoids overburdening them.

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