Maximizing Team Efficiency with WIP Limits

Some teams may need to pay more attention to WIP limits to forecast progress per project.

Any task started but not finished is considered a Work In Progress (WIP) when working on a project.

“Work In Progress” or WIP is an abbreviation for the number of tasks a team is currently working on. Development teams can use WIP limits to help complete their work. Yet, it is crucial to set realistic limits to avoid discouragement, frustration, or anxiety among team members.

A good starting point is to set a limit of two tasks per person/role. For example, if a team has two testers, the WIP limit on a board’s testing column would be four.

[¹]: Kanban in Action