Flow Efficiency

Flow Efficiency is the proportion of time that work is actively being worked on (active time) versus total time it spends in the system (total lead time).
It reflects how smoothly and continuously value flows through a delivery system — and how much waste is caused by waiting, delays, or handoffs.

Level 1 – Initial (Ad Hoc)

Flow efficiency is unknown and not considered in delivery decisions.
Work often stalls, but delays are normalised or go unnoticed.

  • Most time is spent waiting (e.g. for reviews, approvals, dependencies)
  • Teams feel busy, but progress is slow
  • Delivery times vary wildly, with no clear root cause
  • Handoffs between teams cause invisible delays
  • Work piles up in queues without visibility or urgency

Level 2 – Managed (Emerging Practice)

Teams start observing flow delays anecdotally or through retrospectives.
Some start reducing obvious blockers, but measurement is still minimal.

  • Large queues or long wait times are recognised and discussed
  • Teams begin limiting multitasking or excessive WIP
  • Bottlenecks are surfaced reactively during incidents or reviews
  • Work visualisation tools (e.g. boards) start to expose delay patterns
  • Teams begin shifting mindset from resource efficiency to flow thinking

Level 3 – Defined (Standardised)

Flow efficiency is defined, measured, and visualised.
Teams actively manage their process to reduce idle time and improve throughput.

  • Time spent working vs waiting is tracked consistently
  • Boards or tools highlight blocked items, queues, and idle time
  • Teams swarm to unblock stalled work and prevent pileups
  • Process improvements (e.g. smoother handoffs, shorter feedback loops) are trialled
  • Metrics such as flow load, age of WIP, and cycle time distribution are monitored

Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed (Measured & Controlled)

Flow efficiency is a strategic delivery measure.
Workflows are continuously tuned to reduce waste and increase value throughput.

  • Teams use flow efficiency metrics to identify systemic constraints
  • Experiments are run to reduce wait times, batch sizes, and rework
  • Teams manage flow load explicitly based on capacity and work type
  • Flow metrics inform staffing, architecture, and organisational design
  • Leaders optimise the entire system — not just team-level performance

Level 5 – Optimising (Continuous Improvement)

Flow efficiency is part of a continuous feedback loop, enabling teams to adapt delivery systems for speed, stability, and learning.

  • Value streams are designed to maximise flow, minimise interruptions
  • Real-time flow signals trigger dynamic workflow adjustments
  • Work is shaped around flow — not organisational silos
  • Teams embrace continuous delivery practices that maximise flow velocity
  • The organisation views flow efficiency as a competitive advantage and cultural differentiator