WIPniveaus

WIPniveaus, or WIP levels, describe the amount of work in progress in a production or service process at a given moment. They quantify unfinished items that are not yet completed, including partially manufactured products, partially processed services, or tasks across different stages of a value stream.

Purpose and use: WIPniveaus are managed to balance capacity with demand, shorten lead times, reduce queueing and overproduction, and improve flow. In lean and pull-based systems, WIP limits help identify bottlenecks and prevent excessive work in the system.

Measurement and relation to other metrics: WIP can be counted by the number of items in process or by the value of work-in-progress inventory. A common theoretical relation is Little’s Law: WIP equals Throughput times Cycle Time, informing how changes in cycle time or throughput affect WIP. WIP limits are often implemented per work center or per value stream, using signals such as Kanban cards to authorize new work.

Applications and variations: In manufacturing, WIP levels are used to coordinate queues between machines. In software development and IT operations, WIP limits constrain the number of active tasks on a board or in a project to reduce context switching and improve flow.

Implications and challenges: Properly chosen WIPniveaus improve predictability and reduce waste, but overly strict limits can cause downtime or rush jobs; overly loose limits increase carrying costs and lead times. Regular review and adjustment based on performance data is common.