How do work-in-progress limits on a Kanban board help prevent bottlenecks in a project?

Work-in-progress (WIP) limits on a Kanban board help prevent bottlenecks in a project by limiting the number of tasks in a given stage or column. This ensures that no single stage gets backlogged, which could slow down the entire project. By setting a maximum number of tasks that can be in progress at any one time, teams can focus on completing current tasks before taking on new ones, thereby maintaining a steady and manageable workflow.

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Digital kanban boards today incorporate colored-coded columns, which represent each separate work stage, and cards, which represent individual tasks or projects to be accomplished. Kanban boards also typically come with what's known as "WIP" limits, which stand for "work-in-progress" limits. These limit the number of tasks in a given column/stage, so no one stage gets backlogged and becomes a bottleneck. Swimlanes can be used to separate tasks across teams, activities, or types of service. (Source)

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