In Lean software development, there is a chart that shows the number of items in each state of a workflow over time. The information that this type of chart–a Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD)–imparts, is how well work is flowing through a system. Specifically, a CFD shows the quantity of work in a given state, including when the work arrived, how long it was in queue (waiting), how many pieces of work were in the queue, and when the work departed. The CFD also makes it easier to visualize where bottlenecks are occurring, which are constraining the flow of work, so that action can be taken to address the cause(s) of the bottlenecks.
Related Media
Cumulative Flow Diagram Video
Cumulative Flow Diagram Podcasts
Cumulative Flow Diagram Example
Related Subjects
Acknowledgements
Authored by Philip Rogers
Agile World Resources are provided as free resources to anyone seeking to learn more and are shared under a creative commons attribution license. This means if you use a resource elsewhere you must name Agile World Publishing as the source, who the author is, and the photo creator (if used).
