WIP & FlowA squad drowning in WIP
A squad drowning in WIP
You just took over a squad. Eighteen items are in progress at once, Lead Time has risen 35% over the past weeks, and three items are blocked by external dependencies. And the client just asked for an urgent request.
In 5 rounds, pull the squad out of the flood: cut WIP, unblock the flow, and bring Lead Time down without sacrificing predictability.
The concept behind this mission
Limiting work in progress is the first explicit policy of any Kanban system, and also the least popular: it forces the team to finish before starting. Little’s Law explains the effect. With stable throughput, cycle time grows along with WIP, so a crowded board does not deliver faster, it delivers later. Here you decide how much work stays in progress, what to do about blockers, and how to absorb an urgent request without wrecking the flow.
Starting point and target
The mission opens with these numbers. Closing within the target depends on the decisions you make each round.
- WIP18 items
- Lead Time22 days
- Blocked3
- Predictability40%
- Lead Time up to 14 days
- WIP up to 10 items
- Predictability at least 70%
- LevelPractitioner
Go deeper into the concept
Interactive experiences that unpack what this mission asks you to do.
Enjoyed the mission?
Learn the concepts behind it by doing and earn XP.
