Flow rate
Also known as Delivery flow rate, Completion rate
Definition
Flow rate is the count of work items that pass a chosen completion boundary per unit of time. It is a throughput measure whose meaning depends on the item population and finish event.
A rate needs a finish line
Flow rate answers how many items cross a defined boundary in a time interval. A team might measure merged changes, deployed changes, or completed customer outcomes. These rates answer different questions and should not be swapped because their numbers look convenient.
A concrete example
An illustrative team deploys 30 changes in a month. Its deployment flow rate is 30 per month under that definition. If only 20 changes reach customers because ten are rolled back or disabled, the customer outcome rate is different and should be reported separately.
Interpret with context
Pair flow rate with item size, change failure rate, cycle time, and WIP. Rising rate can reflect smaller batches or split work rather than more value. Stable rate with falling cycle time may indicate healthier flow.
Limitations
Counts are poor proxies for value when items vary widely. A rate can also rise because teams change the finish definition. Keep the boundary stable and document exceptions.
How this relates to Weave
Weave can help teams examine completed change activity and the delivery events used to define a flow rate. It should be combined with work-system data for non-code work and with quality context before it informs a capacity decision.
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