Benjamin's article on controlling WIP with TWIA is inspiring. He made complex ideas easy to understand and apply. His approach is practical and insightful, showing real-world results.

These are my three key takeaways:

1. Combine WIP Limits with Total Work Item Age (TWIA) for Better Control:

Rather than relying solely on WIP limits, combine them with TWIA to get a more accurate picture of your work in progress. This helps manage not just the quantity but also the age of the items, ensuring that older items are addressed promptly.

2. Use Quadrant Charts to Visualize and Act on WIP and TWIA:

Create a chart with TWIA on the X-axis and WIP on the Y-axis, divided into four quadrants by the average values of both metrics. This visualization helps identify whether you need to start new work or focus on completing existing items based on which quadrant your current status falls into.

3. Aim for Above Average WIP and Below Average TWIA:

To balance high throughput and low cycle time, keep your WIP above average while ensuring TWIA stays below average. This approach has been shown to increase throughput and reduce cycle times effectively, as evidenced by the experiments detailed in the document

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and helping teams improve their workflows. Keep up the great work!

PS: In this article, I present an algorithm for assigning cards to each quadrant. I hope you find it useful.