We have a tendency to say yes to any request, regardless of how busy we are. Too much WIP prevents us from completing work on time, causes quality to suffer, increases costs, and irritates staff. Work-in-progress and cycle time have a relationship. High WIP means that other items sit idle, waiting for attention longer. Context switching, which wastes time, is a major consequence of too much WIP. We must learn to say no to additional work when our schedules are full.
