Agile & Scrum delivery · Core

Work in progress limit

Also called: WIP limit

ELI5

A rule limiting how much work is open at once.

Used in conversation

“The WIP limit forces the team to finish before starting more.”

Definition

A cap on the number of items allowed in a workflow state at one time.

Here “Work in progress limit” means: A cap on the number of items allowed in a workflow state at one time.

Pitch context

You will see “Work in progress limit” in product strategy decks, roadmaps, experiments and architecture reviews when the discussion reaches agile & scrum delivery.

Why it matters: It helps a reader interpret agile & scrum delivery without confusing the measure, decision, role or evidence being discussed.

Sources & evidence · 2

Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.

Scrum Guides — The Scrum Guide — official current versionDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-16
National Institute of Standards and Technology — Computer Security Resource Center GlossarySupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16