Identify and eliminate common productivity bottlenecks for engineering teams

Engineering managers are increasingly focused on optimizing team productivity, especially in the wake of widespread tech industry layoffs since 2022. Common productivity bottlenecks include workflow inefficiencies, unclear priorities and excessive work-in-progress (WIP), burdensome "keeping the lights on" (KTLO) tasks, manual work, and external decision-making. To address these issues, teams should streamline workflow processes, set clear priorities and WIP limits, reduce KTLO through prioritization and automation, and move decision-making closer to the team. Empowering teams and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and experimentation are essential for sustainable productivity gains. Avoiding fallacies such as over-reliance on detailed upfront planning, simply increasing headcount, or assuming more processes will enhance speed is crucial. Instead, focus on outcomes over outputs and engage stakeholders to support productivity initiatives. This approach aligns with the principles in Donald G. Reinertsen's "The Principles of Product Development Flow" and is supported by tools like Swarmia, which provide visibility and solutions for resolving bottlenecks.