What are the best practices for setting WIP limits to improve feedback quality and frequency?

True "Lean" is compliance to pull, WIP limits should only be applied when physical/capacity bottle necks exist, it should be applied on each side of the bottleneck to increase replenishment lead time thus leveling the constraint to a consistent replenishment expectation. Otherwise the standard Kanbans should be established based on daily consumption rate x replenishment lead time, and should only be adjusted when daily consumption rates change

La retroalimentación es un elemento crucial en Kanban y, en general, en cualquier entorno de trabajo del conocimiento. La importancia de esta retroalimentación radica en su papel esencial para entender y satisfacer las necesidades del cliente. El valor de cualquier trabajo o producto es determinado finalmente por el cliente, por lo que obtener sus opiniones y respuestas de manera rápida y continua es fundamental. Esto permite a los equipos adaptarse y realizar cambios basados en datos reales y actuales, asegurando que el esfuerzo invertido esté alineado con las expectativas y requerimientos del cliente.

Feedback includes self-reflection not just the views of others. Be honest in your review of outcomes even if it stings to admit you would have done something differently.

Understand Team Capacity: Determine the team’s capacity for tasks based on past performance and current workload. Start Small: Before adjusting, begin with conservative WIP limits to observe their impact. Focus on Flow: Monitor the flow of tasks through stages to identify bottlenecks and adjust limits accordingly. Collaborative Decision-Making: Involve the team in setting WIP limits to ensure buy-in and commitment. Review and Adapt: Regularly review WIP limits during retrospectives and adjust based on team dynamics and project needs. Measure Impact: Track metrics like cycle time and throughput to gauge the effectiveness of WIP limits in improving feedback loops.

Promove o Aprendizado Contínuo ?? O feedback fornece informa??es valiosas sobre o que está funcionando bem e o que precisa ser melhorado. Isso permite que indivíduos e equipes identifiquem áreas de crescimento, aprendam com erros e aprimorem suas habilidades.

WIP limits can enhance feedback in kanban, but in my experience only when paired with clear policies on how work is allowed to travel between columns. Whether feedback is included in policies for intermediate columns or 'Done' only, limiting WIP in this way will change one's behaviour with others- and therefore change the relationship. Use WIP limits and local policies to drive a closer relationship with those who can provide feedback. Especially where the one to provide feedback is an organisational superior. I have seen on many occasions that, as long as work is In-Process, it can become a blind spot for senior leaders providing feedback for complex and varied reasons.

Si reducimos el WIP, nuestro Tiempo de Ciclo se reducirá; y el Tiempo de Ciclo representa la cantidad de tiempo que tardamos en obtener retroalimentación del cliente. La retroalimentación del cliente es de vital importancia en el trabajo de conocimiento. El valor en sí es finalmente determinado por el cliente, lo que significa que nuestro equipo va a querer asegurarse de obtener esa retroalimentación lo más rápido posible. Lo último que queremos es desarrollar algo que el cliente no necesita.

Melhor Visibilidade e Transparência do Trabalho ?? Limites de WIP organizam o trabalho em um fluxo visual claro, facilitando a comunica??o e o acompanhamento do progresso. Isso permite que o feedback seja dado de forma mais precisa, pois todos têm uma vis?o compartilhada do que está sendo feito.

Inicialmente, definir o limite de WIP é um trabalho empírico, ou seja, é baseado na experiência e na observa??o de como o sistema se comportará a partir de cada interven??o. Mas uma boa estratégia para come?armos em ambientes com grande sobrecarga (WIP alto), é estabelecendo que o limite seja o próprio WIP atual, fazendo com que todos foquem no que já está em andamento antes de puxar novas demandas. E conforme as entregas forem sendo feitas, vamos gradativamente reduzindo o limite e observando como o sistema responde a isso.

"Start where you are" is one of Kanban principles. So, you can start your WIP Limits to be whatever is existing currently on your Kanban board as an initial WIP Limit and modify as you go along. WIP Limits are not static and if the team is exceeding them or if the team finds that they have capacity, the WIP Limits can be decreased or increased to suit the team's need. Also, there are many techniques for limiting work in progress - there can be WIP Limits based on per person, per status/column, per swimlane or work item, and even a WIP Limit placed on the entire board/system.

At the beginning, it's an art not a science. Agree with starting small and then using available data to increase or decrease your limits

Don’t overthink it. First have a baseline of current flow metrics, particularly lead time. How far is that from where you want to be? The farther, probably the more focus you want to create (so reduce more WIP). There’s no magic formula. Constrain it meaningfully, see what happens in the flow metrics, keep iterating until you find a good balance. It’s one of those cases where you will have a sense of what good looks like when you experienced it.

Cuando trabajamos con Kanban debemos evitar que los elementos de trabajo envejezcan innecesariamente, y para ello es fundamental limitar el trabajo en curso. Existen varias estrategias para implementar esta limitación: establecer límites de WIP para cada etapa del proceso, aplicar un límite global de WIP en todo el sistema o ajustar el WIP según el tama?o del equipo. Esto nos permitirá controlar el flujo de trabajo y reducir los tiempos de ciclo, asegurando que cada tarea reciba la atención adecuada sin retrasos innecesarios.

AI-generated text still has room for improvement, as evident here. Let's streamline this mess. Some metrics evaluate the delivery system itself, such as WIP, WIP limits, throughput, lead time, and flow efficiency. Others assess the product itself, providing insights beyond delivery. Examples include AARRR, NPS, quality, and others. You'll need to collect these yourself through instrumentation. Adjusting WIP limits doesn't alter the quality or quantity of feedback received. However, lowering WIP limits expedites lead time, allowing for faster market feedback, which may be crucial at times.

Frequência do Feedback ?? Número de Sess?es de Feedback por Período: Acompanhe quantas sess?es de feedback formais e informais est?o acontecendo semanalmente ou mensalmente. Qualidade do Feedback ?? Clareza e Objetividade: Avalie se o feedback é claro, direto e fácil de entender. Feedback de qualidade deve evitar ambiguidades e ser específico sobre o que precisa ser melhorado ou mantido.

Actually, I disagree in associate feedback quality with WiP limit. WiP limit will raise your throughput rate, or the quantity of items delivered. It means that your feedback frequency could be higher, It doesn't mean that will generate better feedback or it will change customer satisfaction.

En Kanban, medir la calidad y frecuencia de la retroalimentación del cliente es vital para asegurar que los productos y servicios estén alineados con sus necesidades. Para medir la calidad de la retroalimentación, es importante enfocarse en su relevancia, claridad y acción. Esto implica evaluar si la retroalimentación proporciona insights claros y útiles sobre el producto o servicio, y si puede ser convertida en acciones concretas para la mejora. La frecuencia de la retroalimentación se mide por la regularidad con la que se recoge y revisa. En Kanban, esto puede ser facilitado mediante ciclos de revisión regulares y puntos de control establecidos en el flujo de trabajo.

1. Understand the context and team needs. 2. Start with few limits and adjust as necessary. 3. Continuously monitor workflow and bottlenecks. 4. Involve the team in defining WIP limits. 5. Set realistic limits based on team capacity and task complexity. 6. Prioritize quality over quantity when setting WIP limits. 7. Use metrics and empirical data to inform limit definition. 8. Maintain open and transparent communication about WIP limits and team goals. 9. Experiment and iterate with different limits to find the optimal balance between efficiency and quality. 10. Periodically reassess WIP limits to ensure they continue to meet team and project needs.

Utilizar la retroalimentación del cliente para la mejora implica integrarla activamente en el flujo de trabajo. Primero, debemos establecer un proceso para recopilar y analizar la retroalimentación, utilizando herramientas como encuestas o análisis de datos. Luego, utilizaremos esta información para identificar áreas de mejora y se traducirlas en tareas específicas en nuestro tablero Kanban. Es fundamental medir el impacto de los cambios realizados en base a la retroalimentación, utilizando indicadores clave de rendimiento y seguimiento de la satisfacción del cliente.

Analise e Filtre o Feedback ?? Diferencie Feedback Construtivo e Críticas Simples: Nem todo feedback será útil. Analise o feedback recebido e identifique o que realmente é construtivo e pode gerar melhorias. Considere a Fonte: Leve em conta quem está fornecendo o feedback. Feedback de colegas, clientes e superiores pode ter diferentes perspectivas, mas todos podem oferecer insights relevantes.