WIP Run Chart (Old Version)

WIP is the amount of work that has been started but not finished. A run chart is a line graph that shows the changes in a data series over time. So, this chart shows you your daily WIP over time.

What you'll find in this article

1 How do I read this chart?
2 Key Chart Controls
- 2.1 WIP Trend
3 Cursor
- 3.1 Item Filter
4 Additional Chart Controls
- 4.1 Layout
- 4.2 Workflow Stages
5 Related Articles

How do I read this chart?

Each dot represents the amount of work-in-progress for a given day. The placement of the dot tells you two things:

The WIP date. (horizontal axis)
The number of items in progress for the chosen date (vertical axis)

How WIP is calculated
By default, the cumulative count of items in all of your workflow states will be shown. You can look at a smaller section of your workflow using the Workflow Stages controls.

Getting more info on dots and work items
You can hover over any dot to see the WIP Date and ID(s) of the item(s) represented by the dot. When you hover over the dot you will see the list of item IDs.

You can click on the dot to make it stick so that you can hover or click on individual IDs to see more details about work items, including the number of days the item has spent in each workflow state. Clicking anywhere else on the chart makes the information go away.

There’s a relationship between WIP and Cycle Time
In general terms, the more WIP you have, the longer that work takes to complete. So, the WIP Run Chart can help you combat slow delivery by keeping an eye on, and control of, your WIP levels. Want to learn more? Read about Little's Law.

Key Chart Controls

WIP Trend

To see a trend line for your WIP, check the option "Show Trend Line."

Instead of assuming you want to see the trend for your average number of items in progress, we give you the option to choose a confidence interval (or percentile). The default is 85%. The interval affects the time period used for calculating your WIP.

Cursor

When you choose Date and/or WIP, the value on the relevant axis will be highlighted based on your cursor placement

Item Filter

You can filter down the dots shown on this chart by choosing one or more available filters.

If you want to clear your filters so that all dots show up again, you click the Reset button.

Additional Chart Controls

Layout

Select the "Show Date Control" option to make the source data panel visible. Using your mouse, you can select a smaller portion of the data in this panel. When you do that, the chart automatically updates.

Workflow Stages

Deselect undesired workflow states to WIP rates over time for a subset of your workflow.

If you have any questions, please submit them to our help desk.