CompTIA Project+ (PK0-005)Project Management ConceptsMedium
A project manager is using a Kanban board to manage the workflow for a marketing campaign. The team notices that tasks are frequently piling up in the 'Review' column, causing delays before they can move to 'Approved'. What basic Kanban principle should the project manager apply to address this bottleneck?
- AManage flow
- BLimit Work In Progress (WIP)
- CImplement feedback loops
- DMake policies explicit
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Limit Work In Progress (WIP)
The scenario describes a bottleneck where tasks are 'piling up' in a specific column. Limiting Work In Progress (WIP) directly addresses this by preventing new tasks from entering the 'Review' stage until capacity is freed up, thus improving flow.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Managing flow is the overarching goal, but 'Limit WIP' is the specific principle applied to achieve better flow in a bottleneck situation.
- C. Implementing feedback loops helps identify issues, but 'Limit WIP' is the action to resolve the identified bottleneck.
- D. While important for clarity, making policies explicit wouldn't directly resolve the physical build-up of tasks.
Kanban Principle: Limit WIP
A core Kanban principle that restricts the number of items in progress at each stage of a workflow, preventing bottlenecks and improving flow.
- Forces completion of current tasks before starting new ones.
- Highlights bottlenecks in the workflow.
- Improves throughput and reduces lead time.
Memory trick: Kanban helps you see the flow, limit the WIP, and improve continuously.