The throughput metric measures the delivery rate of a system per time period and it is one of the most used metrics in Kanban. This presentation introduces basic concepts around throughput and gives insights about other things to be considered when trying to collect this metric.

1. Throughput
Identifying the team’s average
work delivery pace
Moisés Armani Ramírez
https://www.linkedin.com/in/moisesarmaniramirez/

2. Throughput
The number of work items exiting from the
system or a given part of it; measured in
work items delivered per time period.
Throughput is often referred to as delivery
rate. (Kanban University)
No matter how many work items
your team has in progress, this
metric ignores anything unfinished.
(getnave)

3. What's the difference between…
Work Item
A deliverable or a component thereof resulting
from the demand placed at the system that
will be worked on by the service.
Class of Service
A specific level of service applied to the
treatment of a work item established through
a defined set of policies. The choice of class
of service may reflect a relative value, risk, or
cost of delay.
https://kanban.university/glossary/
https://kanbanize.com/kanban-resources/getting-started/kanban-classes-of-service
Expedite
Fixed date
Intangible
Standard
Work Item Type
A grouping of work items that behave similarly
and follow the same workflow. Examples of
work item types are information requests,
campaigns, incidents, software bugs, product
features, whole products, or projects.

4. Class of Service
https://kanbanize.com/kanban-resources/getting-started/kanban-classes-of-service

5. Throughput example
You're a Pizzeria owner Pizza is the main
product
Work Item
You offer 4 pizza styles:
● Neapolitan
● Chicago
● New York
● Sicilian
Work Item Type

6. Throughput example
You've hired a new team as the demand is increasing.
Then you decide to check how many pizzas were delivered last week.
Throughput
Histogram

7. How to measure the Throughput?
Throughput = WIP / cycle time
60 + 24 + 30 + 38 + 45 + 53 + 80
7
Throughput = 47.14
The average throughput is 47
pizzas last week
https://kanbanzone.com/resources/lean/littles-law/
Little’s Law

8. Throughput per Work Item Type
What was the most delivered pizza considering that there are 4 styles?
Throughput
● Sicilian = 1
● New York = 21
● Chicago = 10
● Neapolitan = 14

9. Class of Service example
You have the
best New York
Margherita in
the town
The four common
archetypes of class of
service:
Expedite
Fixed date
Intangible
Standard
…established through a
defined set of policies
A customer orders 20
pizzas for next Friday
Work Item Type
A couple go to your shop
and order one pizza
The president calls your
mobile phone and orders
one pizza for now
You want to create a new
Margherita receipt

10. Wrapping up
● What are the most common work
items types in your system?
● Can you identify any class of
service?
● What is your throughput?
● How can you apply these concepts
to your process?

11. Q&A
moisesarmaniramirez