This chapter covers
- Principles for finding suitable WIP limits
- Common ways that teams limit WIP
- Common ways to visualize WIP limits
- Answers to some frequently asked questions regarding WIP limits
From the previous chapter, we hope we have now convinced you that a lot of good things come from limiting your work in process (WIP). By now you’re probably full of questions: What is the right limit for you? How do you go about finding the WIP limit? Are there some good starting points that can guide you?
As you soon will find, there are no hard rules here. Finding a suitable WIP limit is not only contextual and dependent on what you want to achieve, but also like hitting a moving target. The WIP limits can and should change. At the outset of this chapter, we can already reveal a secret: the goal is not to limit WIP. WIP limits are only a means to drive you to improve. Improve to achieve a better flow, which is the theme of the next chapter.
That’s why you’ll see a lot of “It depends” and “You can do this, that, or the other” in this chapter. It’s not a sign of us not knowing; it’s that you need to find what works best for you and your team.
No need to worry, though; we have packed this chapter full of guidance and principles for finding a suitable WIP limit, as well as practical ways many teams go about visualizing and setting their WIP limits. Let’s dive in and see how you can reason your way to finding a WIP limit for your team.