--- title: "Work Item Age Run Chart" canonical: "https://support.55degrees.se/space/SP/4313645083/Work%20Item%20Age%20Run%20Chart" format: markdown --- [Jira Cloud & Data Center] [Azure devops] [standalone] ![Screenshot 2026-05-25 at 13.13.14.png](media://8d52d2dc-6013-4105-8cdf-4ed7c8ae262a) Work Item Age represents the amount of time that has elapsed since a work item started. This chart shows both the average age of work items and the combined age of all work items currently in progress over time. ### Work Item Age Run Chart Controls > Macro (refined-tabs) > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > The controls to toggle the Average Age and Total Age lines on and off are located at the bottom of the chart. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-28 at 11.08.27.png](media://1f5f8302-2159-43f1-9300-16177113c035) > > With those toggles, you can easily switch between viewing both lines or just one, depending on what you wish to analyze. > > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > To activate the Data Control, select the corresponding symbol in the top right-hand corner of the chart. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-28 at 11.11.01.png](media://2b4d2224-aa42-43a5-b58a-74d8a3d2d64a) > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-28 at 11.11.37.png](media://48e5e856-897b-4587-80a8-1a18dec9d5ec) > > You can use the date control chart to zoom in on a specific time period in your data. All you have to do is click and select the desired time period, or use the date selector in the top-right corner. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-28 at 11.16.28.png](media://b816dc7a-6b49-4188-b1ee-06d3c633cf6e) > > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > To display the insights, select the corresponding symbol in the top-right corner of the chart. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-28 at 11.13.32.png](media://4f495206-1b02-4940-bd06-5eb049377b31) > > #### Age Snapshot > > ![Screenshot 2026-06-03 at 09.26.55.png](media://d722be28-02d9-4868-a628-7686f9a748b0) > > This insight shows you how long your work in progress has been active, giving you useful information about your task longevity. > > - **Current WIP** tells you how many items are in progress right* *now. > - **Current Average Age** shows how long, on average, a typical work item has been in progress, so you get an idea of task length. > - **Current Total Age** adds up the time spent on all work currently in progress, giving you the total time invested across tasks. > - **Oldest Item** points out the longest-running tasks, so you can see which ones have been going on the longest. > > #### Aging Pressure [coming soon] > > This insight looks at whether aging is accumulating or clearing over time, helping us understand how the aging process works. > > - **Days when the total age increased** shows times when work is piling up faster than it's getting done. This points to possible slowdowns or issues in the process. > - The **longest streak of increasing age** shows if aging has been building up day after day without much relief, meaning pending work is stacking up continuously. > - The **largest one-day increase** points to times when aging grew quickly, maybe because a lot of new work came in but little was finished that day. > - The **largest one-day decrease** shows moments when a lot of old work got done, clearing the backlog and cutting down the overall aging. > > > ℹ️ If the **total age rises** it means work is stacking up faster than it's getting done, but if the **total age falls,** it shows the system is catching up and clearing out older tasks. > > #### Aging Trend > > ![Screenshot 2026-06-03 at 09.27.04.png](media://78e0f66e-c012-490d-9338-8c273b7e283a) > > This insight gives you a clear picture of how the age of your work changes over time. Examining this data helps you understand how your work flows and spot patterns in aging. > > - **Recent vs earlier average age** compares if WIP is aging faster or getting done quicker than before - it helps you see how the flow of your work is changing over time. > - **Percentage Change** tells you how much the age of work items has gone up or down, giving a sense of how significant a shift is. > - **Trend Direction** shows if your flow health is getting better, with tasks finishing faster, or worse, with tasks taking longer. It's useful for checking if your improvements are working or if new problems are coming up. ### How Do I Read This Chart? #### **Calculation** We use your workflow stage controls to get key information for calculating Work Item Age: 1. **Your first checked workflow stage** – the point when items are considered started 2. **Your last checked workflow stage** – the point when items are considered complete With these points defined, you can identify your WIP as the work items in the workflow stages in the blue. #### **Getting more info on dots and work items** > ℹ️ **Why is work item age so important?** > ℹ️ > ℹ️ Work Item Age is **arguably the most important flow metric for teams focused on improving their delivery**. Why? Because it deals with the **here and now**, it highlights work that is currently in progress and potentially at risk of taking too long. Cycle Time and Throughput are lagging indicators (they look at completed work), but Work Item Age is a **leading indicator**. It gives you an early warning when something is getting stuck or taking longer than expected. > ℹ️ > ℹ️ Controlling age can dramatically improve your predictability. If you manage only one thing, manage the age of your work items. ### How to Analyze the Data? #### When the total age steadily increases A rising Total Age line usually means the system is accumulating aging work faster than it is completing it. > ℹ️ As Total Age grows, predictability tends to decrease. The system carries more unfinished work, making forecasting harder and increasing delivery risk. --- #### When the total age suddenly drops > ℹ️ Recurring spikes and drops often indicate reactive flow management rather than stable delivery practices. --- #### When the average age stays low but the total age grows > ℹ️ The risk comes from volume, not just old items. Large amounts of active work create coordination overhead, context switching, and reduced focus. --- #### When the average age increases significantly > ℹ️ Older work tends to become less predictable over time. Aging items often signal hidden delays, uncertainty, or flow inefficiencies. --- #### When the chart is highly volatile > ℹ️ High volatility makes forecasting less reliable because the system behaves inconsistently over time. --- #### What healthy patterns typically look like > ℹ️ The goal is not necessarily to eliminate aging work entirely. Instead, use the chart to spot when aging risk begins to grow beyond healthy levels. > ℹ️ > ℹ️ Common improvement actions include: > ℹ️ > ℹ️ - Reducing work in progress > ℹ️ - Swarming on older items > ℹ️ - Investigating blockers earlier > ℹ️ - Splitting large work items > ℹ️ - Improving dependency management > ℹ️ - Finishing work before starting new work > ℹ️ > ℹ️ The earlier aging trends are detected, the easier it becomes to maintain predictable and sustainable flow. --- ### The Controls The Work Item Age Run Chart does *not* have controls that are unique to it, so we’ll be covering the basics. If you want a more in-depth dive into each Chart Control, head on over to our [dedicated documentation](https://support.55degrees.se/space/SP/4273635348/Global+Chart+Controls). #### All Charts The Chart Controls listed here are for **All Charts** - that means that they will affect *all* other charts. > ℹ️ Did you know that Jira users can save their carefully crafted data configuration as a **View**? [Here’s how!](https://support.55degrees.se/space/SP/3924886850) > Macro (refined-tabs) > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > This All Charts Control allows you to choose static dates or rolling period of time, so you can see data from a specific date range. Every Flow Insight will adhere to the date range that you choose. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-20 at 15.50.03.png](media://8c1020b8-f0b4-47cc-aad0-15885210b9ce) > > - To get **Static Dates**, select directly on the Visible Period’s calendar or manually enter the dates you want in the designated boxes below. These dates will remain the same, hence the *static*. > - For a **Rolling Period**, pick one of the pre-made options to the right of the Visible Period’s calendar. This period will update to the current day, hence the *rolling*. > > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > This All Charts Control gives you the option to narrow down the data you’re analysing by attribute - this includes any Custom Fields brought in during the data set creation process. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-21 at 11.04.41.png](media://4382b792-5fe0-4b1d-86a6-052c234d2352) > > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > This All Charts Control designates which Workflow Stages are considered [not started], [in progress] and [finished]. Work items within each Workflow Stage will adhere to that sorting and count toward the calculations of Cycle Time, Throughput, WIP and Age. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-21 at 10.56.54.png](media://1a6f898e-2f98-4a4b-9375-2d86d6262646) > > The Workflow Stages are colour-coded so you can easily tell where the workflow starts and ends. Unchecking from the top down creates a later start, unchecking from the bottom up makes an earlier finish. Unchecking in the middle will merge your Workflow Stage with the one above - it will *not* remove or delete time spent in that Workflow Stage. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-21 at 10.56.04.png](media://e7e90837-0a3e-4dfe-8260-d5e4c2d87f5d) #### This Chart The Chart Controls listed here are for **This Chart** - that means that they will only affect the current chart. > Macro (refined-tabs) > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > The Item Filter for This Chart functions in the same way as the All Charts version, the main difference is that it *only* affects the current chart you’re on and attributes you’ve filtered by in the All Charts version will be the only choices available. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-21 at 11.13.22.png](media://bb70ade1-f3d2-40c8-8ae2-9b676f60cf71) > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > The Workflow Stages for This Chart function in the same way as the All Charts version, the main difference is that it *only* affects the current chart you’re on and Workflow Stages you’ve chosen in the All Charts version will be the only choices available. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-21 at 11.16.41.png](media://6f264a4a-b779-4514-b044-5a2d875b2dc0)