What is a WIP limit?
A work-in-progress limit (WIP limit) caps how many tasks a person, team or board column can have in progress at once. New work only starts when something already started is finished.
Why WIP limits increase throughput
It sounds backwards that doing fewer things at once gets more done, but it follows from how work flows. Every extra task in progress adds context switching and waiting, and Little’s Law ties the numbers together: average cycle time equals work in progress divided by throughput. Keep throughput steady, halve the work in progress, and each task finishes in roughly half the time.
WIP limits in Kanban
On a Kanban board the limit is usually written on a column, for example “In progress (4)”. When the column is full, the team helps finish or unblock something already there instead of pulling a new card. That pressure is the point: it shows where work is getting stuck.
How to set WIP limits
Start with the number of people working the column plus one, then lower it until it feels slightly uncomfortable. If the limit is never reached, it is too high to change anything; if work is constantly stuck, look at what it is waiting on before raising the limit.
A WIP limit example
A four-person team has eleven tasks in progress and a median cycle time of nine days. They set a limit of five. Fewer tasks are open at once, reviews happen sooner because nobody is juggling, and work finishes faster without anyone working longer hours.
Last reviewed 2026-11-01.