Learn why limiting work in progress is the single most powerful lever a team has over flow, and how a WIP limit forces you to finish before you start. Set limits from real capacity rather than a comfortable round number, enforce them so they surface problems, and build a WIP Limit Calculator your team will actually respect.
Watch the free preview
Why busy teams still deliver slowly — free to watch, no account needed.
What you'll learn
- Explain why limiting work in progress improves flow and shortens cycle time
- Set a WIP limit derived from real team capacity rather than an arbitrary round number
- Enforce a WIP limit so that reaching it triggers finishing work, not starting more
- Diagnose an ignored WIP limit and recalculate one the team will actually respect
- Produce a WIP Limit Calculator that ties limits to capacity and flow data
Syllabus
Why Work-in-Progress Is the Hidden Killer of Flow
Why busy teams still deliver slowlyFree preview
What a WIP limit actually is
Setting and Enforcing WIP Limits
Setting a WIP limit from capacity, not a round number
Enforcing the limit when you reach it
WIP Limits on a Real IT Board
Placing WIP limits across the whole board
Case study — the WIP limit of five that everyone ignores
Making WIP Limits Stick
Building your WIP Limit Calculator
Common traps and how to avoid them