WIP

WIP stands for work in progress. It refers to items that have begun processing but are not yet finished. The term is widely used in manufacturing, software development, and project management to describe the portion of work currently in flight.

In manufacturing, WIP inventory sits between production steps and represents capital and space tied up in unfinished goods. In software and knowledge work, WIP describes tasks that are started but not completed.

WIP management often uses limits, especially in Kanban systems. WIP limits cap how many items can occupy a given stage at once, aiming to balance demand with capacity and to expose bottlenecks.

Related metrics include cycle time (time from work start to completion) and lead time (delivery time to the customer). Reducing WIP can shorten these times and improve flow, but requires clear definitions of done and reliable upstream inputs.

Applications: in a factory, raw materials move through steps with bounded queues; in software, features progress from backlog through analysis, development, testing, and release, constrained by WIP limits.

Risks: excessive WIP ties up capital and space, hides defects, and increases wait times. Too little WIP can underutilize capacity. WIP should be integrated with lean or agile practices and quality gates.

Reduction strategies: visualize work with boards, set per-stage limits, shorten batch sizes, improve process times, and empower cross-functional teams to finish items before starting new ones.