Axiomempiricalv1

Average cycle time equals work-in-progress divided by

Average cycle time equals work-in-progress divided by throughput rate.

Why This Is an Axiom

This is Little's Law (1961), a mathematically proven theorem about queuing systems. It's an empirical law derived from observation and mathematical proof, not from other curriculum axioms. It establishes the fundamental relationship between WIP, throughput, and time.

Source Lessons

L-0809

Workflow bottlenecks

Identify the slowest step in each workflow — that step determines your throughput.

L-0977

Team capacity planning

When working with others collective capacity must be managed as carefully as individual capacity.

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