Blocked time
Also known as Blocked work time, Dependency waiting time
Definition
Blocked time is the elapsed duration during which a work item is unable to make its next meaningful transition because an explicit obstacle prevents progress. It is a part of waiting time, not active implementation time.
A named kind of waiting
Blocked time is different from ordinary queue time. A queued item may be ready for a scarce reviewer. A blocked item cannot proceed until a specific obstacle changes, such as an unavailable environment, an unanswered product question, or an external service contract.
A concrete example
An illustrative pull request passes its checks but waits four days for a security decision. If the team marks the start and end of that block, it can report four days of blocked time inside the broader cycle. The mark should be based on an explicit policy rather than a guess made after the item ships.
Turn causes into action
Aggregate blocked time by reason and owner. Repeated dependency waits may justify an interface change or a service-level expectation. Repeated review blocks may indicate unclear ownership. Do not treat every pause as a process failure; some waiting is an intentional control.
Limitations
Blocked status is often manually recorded and can be incomplete. Different teams also use the word for different conditions. Define the event, timestamp, and removal rule before comparing totals.
How this relates to Weave
Weave can help teams investigate delivery timelines and review activity around changes that take longer than expected. Use the linked evidence to find likely blocked periods, then confirm the reason with the people and work system that own the dependency.
Explore Engineering intelligence