{"id":12306,"date":"2016-10-18T15:04:33","date_gmt":"2016-10-18T20:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/?p=12306"},"modified":"2020-02-21T15:13:16","modified_gmt":"2020-02-21T21:13:16","slug":"the-myth-of-multitasking-why-it-operations-needs-wip-limits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/the-myth-of-multitasking-why-it-operations-needs-wip-limits\/","title":{"rendered":"The Myth of Multitasking: Why IT Operations Needs WIP Limits"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It may sound hard to believe, but multitasking is an effective way to get less done. Juggling multiple tasks at once interrupts your focus, which can cause you to spend more time on each task than if you had completed them one at a time.<\/p>\n

While\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0proves the harmful effects of multitasking on productivity, many of us still approach our work with an attitude of \u201cdo all the things, and do them right now.\u201d It\u2019s especially true for IT Operations teams that are overloaded with handling new requests and keeping production stable. In our experience, that describes every IT Operations team we\u2019ve ever worked with.<\/p>\n

Kanban<\/a>\u00a0seeks to minimize multitasking by employing work-in-process (WIP) limits at strategic points in a team\u2019s process or workflow. True to its name, a WIP limit is a tool for limiting how much work can be in process at one time, thereby helping to expose bottlenecks and improve the flow of work. Here\u2019s what IT Operations teams can learn about using WIP limits to get more of the right work done at the right time.<\/p>\n

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