Practice Kanban vocabulary: WIP limits, flow metrics, pull systems, cumulative flow diagrams, and throughput.
0 / 5 completed
1 / 5
A team lead says 'The WIP limit is 3 for the In Progress column.' What happens if someone tries to start a 4th item?
WIP (Work in Progress) limits are explicit constraints. When the limit is reached, the team stops starting new work and focuses on finishing existing items before pulling more.
2 / 5
Your colleague says 'We use a pull system, not a push system.' What is the key difference?
In a pull system, team members pull new work only when they have capacity. In a push system, work is assigned to people regardless of their current load, leading to multitasking and longer cycle times.
3 / 5
A Kanban coach says 'The cumulative flow diagram shows queue buildup between Review and Done.' What does queue buildup indicate?
On a Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD), widening bands between stages indicate work is piling up — a bottleneck. The queue between Review and Done means items are waiting for review faster than reviewers can process them.
4 / 5
Your team tracks 'throughput' as a Kanban metric. What does throughput measure?
Throughput in Kanban measures how many work items are completed per time period (e.g., 12 items per week). It is a key flow metric for forecasting and capacity planning.
5 / 5
A colleague says 'The card moves through stages on the board.' In Kanban, what does each column on the board represent?
In Kanban, each column represents a stage in the team's workflow. Cards (work items) move from left to right as they progress through the stages toward completion.