What do work in progress limits do on a Kanban board?

Work in progress limits on a Kanban board are designed to set a maximum amount of work that can be in any given column at one time. This is crucial for managing workflow efficiency and preventing bottlenecks. By limiting the number of tasks that can be in progress simultaneously, teams are encouraged to focus on completing existing work before taking on new tasks. This helps to streamline the process, improve visibility of work status, and ensures that team members are not overwhelmed with too many active tasks. Consequently, work in progress limits facilitate a smoother flow of work through the system and contribute to overall productivity by encouraging timely task completion.