workinprogress

Work in progress, often abbreviated as WIP, is a term used to describe items that are in an intermediate stage of completion and are not yet finished. It is applied across multiple domains, including manufacturing, software development, art, and project management, to distinguish ongoing work from completed outputs.

In manufacturing and operations, WIP inventory refers to partially finished goods present in production lines. It includes materials, components, and allocated overhead tied to units that are not yet complete. WIP is carried as inventory on the balance sheet and affects measurements such as throughput, lead time, and capacity planning. Lean manufacturing and Kanban approaches use WIP limits to control how much work enters the system at once, helping reduce bottlenecks and improve flow.

In software and product development, work in progress denotes tasks or user stories currently being implemented. WIP limits help teams manage capacity, minimize context switching, and maintain a steady pace of delivery. WIP is reflected on agile boards with stages like To Do, In Progress, and Done, and it signals the current state of development activity.

In art, media, and creative domains, a work in progress refers to an unfinished piece, such as a painting, manuscript, film, or music track. Artists may share WIP versions to gather feedback or preview upcoming work, while still indicating that the project is not complete.

Etymology and usage: The concept originated in manufacturing and project management and has broadened to various fields. The acronym WIP is widely used in reports, dashboards, and discussions to denote ongoing items and to distinguish them from completed work. See also: inventory, Kanban, lean manufacturing, agile software development.