Why is a WIP limit needed?

WIP limit (Work In Progress limit) — is a restriction on the number of tasks that can be simultaneously in a certain stage of the workflow (for example, in the "In Progress" column on a Kanban board).

Main goals of WIP limit:

• Prevent team overload and bottlenecks.
• Increase focus on current tasks and speed up their completion.
• Improve quality by reducing multitasking.
• Ensure a smoother and more predictable workflow.

For example, if the "In Progress" column has a WIP limit of 3, the team cannot start a fourth task until one of the current tasks is completed. This helps avoid the accumulation of unfinished tasks and encourages quick completion of started tasks.