WIP limit: find the sweet spot by playing
Throughput does not improve when you start more things. It improves when you finish. Adjust the WIP limit below, run the simulation and watch the flow react in real time.
A team gets steady demand and can focus on ~4 items at the same time. How many items do you keep in progress (WIP) at once? Pick a value, run 90 days and watch the flow react.
What the WIP limit is
WIP (Work in Progress) is how many items are in progress at once. The WIP limit is an explicit policy that caps that number, and it is what turns a visual board into a real pull system: new work is only pulled when there is room.
Why limit work in progress
Intuition misleads. Starting more items feels more productive, but throughput is capped by the team’s capacity, not by how much you start. Beyond the focus capacity, context-switching eats time and delivery drops.
The opposite is a trap too: too little WIP leaves capacity idle (starving), and the queue grows anyway. Between the extremes there is a sweet spot: that is what the simulation reveals.
Little's Law, in one line
WIP ≈ Throughput × Lead Time
With stable throughput, raising WIP raises lead time proportionally. Limiting WIP is the most direct lever to cut delivery time and raise predictability: the essence of “stop starting, start finishing”.
Frequently asked questions about WIP limits
What is a WIP limit in Kanban?
WIP is how many items are in progress at once. The WIP limit is an explicit policy that caps it: the heart of Kanban’s pull system.
Why limit work in progress?
Because throughput is capped by capacity, not by how much you start. Without a limit, excess raises lead time and context-switching, delivering less.
What is the ideal WIP limit?
There is no magic number. The ideal sits near the team’s real focus capacity: neither too low (starving) nor too high (overloaded). The simulation helps you see it.
How are WIP and lead time related?
Little's Law: WIP ≈ Throughput × Lead Time. With stable throughput, more WIP directly means more lead time.
Enjoyed learning by doing?
Take flow to the next level: manage a squad in the Kanban Game.
