LEARN. PRACTICE. GROW.Concept and mechanism
Before comparing metrics, define when an item starts and finishes. Started unfinished work counts as WIP, including blocked items. Cycle time measures the interval from defined start to finish; age applies to an item still in progress. Throughput counts completions per period. Do not change boundaries to hide waiting. An SLE associates probability with time using relevant history; it does not turn each item into a certain promise. In a workflow whose six-item limit is full, seek unblocking or completion before starting more unless an explicit agreed exception applies.
Guided application
Frequent technical integration also shortens time to discover problems. Small integrated changes with rapid tests help locate incompatibilities while context is fresh. Green tests on isolated branches do not demonstrate that the combined system works. When the pipeline fails, retain the signal and fix the cause; disabling the test may only hide the problem. In reporting, show completion and aging items rather than only individual utilization. Someone busy starting a tenth item can enlarge the queue preventing the first nine from reaching operations.
Requested on day 1, started on day 4, finished on day 10: with calendar-date subtraction, cycle time is 6 days. The 3 days before starting still matter to customer experience.
Common pitfalls
Excluding blocked work from WIP; resetting age; treating SLE as a guarantee; equating a green branch with validated integration.
Related topics: Forecast and deliver with visible risk · Learn through small deliveries
Use metrics and technical feedback to find impediments to completion.
Reference: The Kanban Guide · PMI-ACP ECO March 2026