Evaluate your cycle time distribution. Predict delivery times with more confidence. Assess your performance.
The Cycle Time Histogram for Asana illustrates the frequency distribution of the completion times of the tasks on your board in Asana. The frequency is displayed on the vertical axis, and the horizontal axis shows your cycle times. By evaluating the distribution of your cycle times, you can determine whether there is too much variability within your process.
A Cycle Time Histogram that is shaped with a big hump on the left and a very long tail to the right is indicative of a significantly varying cycle time and an inconsistent process. You can work towards establishing more predictable delivery times by adopting a WIP-limited pull system.
The Cycle Time Histogram for Asana uses your past cycle times data to accurately predict future delivery times. Percentile lines show the probability that a task will be completed within certain cycle time. A higher percentile line denotes that there is a higher likelihood of delivering your work on time.
Use the percentile lines to establish dependable service level agreements. Once you have determined the optimum comfort level of your clients and stakeholders, you can define your SLAs accordingly. We recommend using the 85th percentile line as a starting point.
Use your average cycle time to measure your performance. In the Cycle Time Histogram for Asana, we provide your mean, median and mode average cycle times, along with how their trends build over time. Ideally, the lines should stay close to each other, and either remain at a steady level or go down.
Choose your average and monitor its line profile. If the line goes up, this indicates that your team needs more time, on average, to complete their tasks. In this case, it might be a good idea to reevaluate your WIP limits or alter your process policies. This will enable a faster delivery workflow.