--- title: "Flow Efficiency Chart" canonical: "https://support.55degrees.se/space/SP/4326981657/Flow%20Efficiency%20Chart" format: markdown --- [jira cloud & data center] [azure devops] [standalone] > *"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."* *- Peter Drucker* ### Going with the Flow **Flow Efficiency **calculates how much of a work items' Cycle Time is spent *active* versus *idle* e.g. if a task spends two days active but eight days idle; it’s Flow Efficiency is 20%. > ℹ️ Flow Efficiency *isn’t* for everyone, literally. If your workflow is *not* configured with **active** and **queueing** stages, nor do you track **blocked work** with a **flag** or **tag** - you’ll not be able to utilise this metric in ActionableAgile® Analytics. - ✓ Compatible workflow? Keep reading. If *not*, don’t despair - shift your focus to **[Work Item Age](https://www.55degrees.se/blog/post/what-is-work-item-age)** instead. It’s a simple metric that requires no additional calculation and is a leading indicator that allows you to take [immediate action](https://www.55degrees.se/blog/post/managing-work-item-age-in-actionableagile). ![Screenshot 2026-06-04 at 14.36.52.png](media://c43dd306-f1df-4046-af5e-193b2e14a6ba) #### Use Cases Teams can use Flow Efficiency to identify bottlenecks and optimise their workflows for better delivery predictability and value. > Macro (refined-tabs) > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > By separating active time from idle time, teams can determine whether their workflow issues are caused by prolonged waiting periods in queues or by inefficiencies during the actual active work phases. > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > Use regularly as a part of team retrospectives to spot process waste and address bottlenecks. > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > Teams can track Flow Efficiency over time to measure whether specific process changes, like limiting WIP or automating review requests, are actually improving their efficiency. > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > It serves as a valuable teaching tool to demonstrate that traditional estimation techniques (which often only account for active work time) ignore the massive amount of time work spends sitting idle. > ℹ️ At it's core, Flow Efficiency focuses on ensuring that the path for items moving through a workflow is clear and easy. This is in direct contrast to Resource Efficiency, which focuses solely on ensuring that employees are always kept busy, often at the expense of actually completing the work. [https://www.55degrees.se/blog/post/designing-your-board-to-focus-on-flow](https://www.55degrees.se/blog/post/designing-your-board-to-focus-on-flow) ### The Chart The **Flow Efficiency Chart** visualises how efficiently work has moved through your process. By comparing time spent active to total Cycle Time, the chart calculates the *average* efficiency of all selected items to present you with the key metric; **Overall Average Flow Efficiency**. ![Screenshot 2026-06-05 at 10.23.14.png](media://6fb8f3e9-c5d2-4295-8cd7-6ffe0ff7e0c1) > ℹ️ The Flow Efficiency chart should be used as one of *many* data points in your analysis - there is no singular source of truth. > ℹ️ Don't focus too much on individual Flow Efficiency, the value in this metric is at the aggregate level. However, exploring the Flow Efficiency of different work item types can be very meaningful and help you further identify where flow problems may exist. ### The Set Up To catch 🎣 any *meaningful* insights from the Flow Efficiency Chart, you **need** to have a workflow that utilises **active** and **queueing** stages and/or uses the **Blocked** tag or flag. #### Key Chart Controls The unique controls for the Flow Efficiency chart allow you to define by what means your Flow Efficiency is calculated. ##### Calculation Inputs The Calculations Inputs give you complete control over what is used to calculate Flow Efficiency. - **Blocked Days ** - ☑️ Checked; this will include time work items spent blocked as *idle* in the Flow Efficiency calculation - regardless of which Workflow Stage the item resides in. - ⬜ Unchecked; this will exclude time spent blocked in the calculation for Flow Efficiency. - **Queueing Stages** - ☑️ Checked; this will enable the control that allows you to denote specific Workflow Stages as “Queueing Stages” - thus work inside them would be used for the *idle* part of the Flow Efficiency calculation. - ⬜ Unchecked; this will disable the Queuing Stages control and will not be used for the Flow Efficiency calculation. - **Include Items with 0% FE** - ☑️ Checked; this will include work items that have spent their entire “life” in idle states. - ⬜ Unchecked; this will exclude work items that have spent their entire “life” in idle states. - **Include Items with CT <=1** - ☑️ Checked; this will include work items that have a Cycle Time of one day or less. - ⬜ Unchecked; this will exclude work items that have a Cycle Time of one day or less. ##### Queuing Stages #### 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. Only items completed in the time period chosen will be used to calculate Flow Efficiency. > > ![Screenshot 2026-05-20 at 15.50.03.png](media://361d0f96-fe89-40d2-9710-ab04eed2d439) > > - 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://6141aea4-0291-4227-8dd1-fd086c5a94c6) > > As previously mentioned, exploring the Flow Efficiency of different work item types can be very meaningful and help you further identify where flow problems may exist. > > > 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://90617eb7-64ad-4647-a692-b5df0323f8ec) > > 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://3ec38c22-0ae8-4ef8-ad78-91078e603880) > > Only Workflow Stages that are checked in this control can be considered for calculating Flow Efficiency. Calculate Flow Efficiency from a smaller part of the overall workflow by unchecking from the top and bottom. > > Ensure all [in progress] Workflow Stages are checked otherwise the merging can cause issues with your Flow Efficiency Calculations. #### 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://eb1652e6-9d4f-4ca8-ba31-3f58d082f151) > > > 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://8d6570ce-36ba-4a03-83ce-7478989d7ee7) > > > Macro (refined-tab) > > To activate the Data Control, select the corresponding symbol in the top right-hand corner of the chart. > > ![Screenshot 2026-06-30 at 11.00.25.png](media://1d972d69-d85b-47f2-8f5e-049a93b17f60) > > You can use the Data Control chart to choose a specific time period f 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 2026-06-30 at 11.01.14.png](media://ec1b96d3-d568-49f2-8d6c-263bcadd1e8f) > > On the Flow Efficiency Chart, the Data Control visualises finished items.