Suggest an editImprove this articleRefine the answer for “What is WIP in Kanban? Why is it important to limit the number of tasks in progress?”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.Approval requiredContentWhat you’re changing🇺🇸EN🇺🇦UAPreviewTitle (EN)Short answer (EN)**WIP (Work In Progress)** is the number of tasks a team works on simultaneously across different stages of the process, a key parameter of the team's workload and flow stability in Kanban. **Key point:** limiting WIP is the foundation of a stable flow, helping the team finish what's started and maintain a predictable delivery rhythm.Shown above the full answer for quick recall.Answer (EN)Image**WIP (Work In Progress)** is the number of tasks a team is working on **simultaneously** across different stages of the process. In Kanban, WIP is a key parameter that shows the team's workload and the stability of the flow. --- ### Why it's important to limit WIP 1. **Avoiding overload** The more tasks in progress, the less focus and the slower the movement. Limiting WIP forces the team to finish what's started instead of piling up unfinished tasks. 2. **Reducing execution time (Cycle Time)** When the team works on fewer tasks, each one moves through the process faster. 3. **Spotting bottlenecks** If a column hits its limit, that stage has become overloaded. This helps the team quickly redistribute effort and remove blockers. 4. **Improving quality** Less parallel work means more attention to each task and fewer mistakes. 5. **Process transparency** Limits make the state of the flow obvious: if tasks are stuck, you can see where the problem is. --- ### Conclusion **Limiting WIP** is the foundation of a stable flow in Kanban. It helps the team work deliberately, finish what's started, and maintain a **steady, predictable delivery rhythm**.For the reviewerNote to the moderator (optional)Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.