Why Parallel Workflows Create Hidden Work-in-Process

Most plants believe they understand where their work-in-process (WIP) lives.
They track batches in ERP.
They monitor queues in MES.
They visualize flow on whiteboards.

And yet, WIP keeps growing in places no one can fully explain.

Parts are “almost done.”
Jobs are “waiting on one thing.”
Orders are “technically released but not moving.”
Materials are staged without a clear owner.

The root cause is rarely capacity.
It is parallel workflows, multiple unofficial paths work takes once it leaves the ideal process.

Hidden WIP is not idle inventory.
It is work trapped between systems, teams, and decisions.

What Parallel Workflows Actually Are

Parallel workflows emerge when the formal process cannot keep up with reality.

They look like:

• A job tracked in ERP but rescheduled in Excel

• A batch released digitally but managed manually on the floor

• A quality hold tracked in one system and bypassed in another

• A maintenance dependency known to supervisors but invisible to planning

• A priority change communicated verbally, but not updated anywhere

Each workaround exists to keep production moving.
Together, they fracture flow.

Why Plants Create Parallel Workflows in the First Place

Parallel workflows are not created out of negligence. They are created out of necessity.

1. Formal Systems Move Slower Than Operations

ERP and MES updates lag reality.
Operators and supervisors need to make decisions now.

So they create side channels:

• Spreadsheets

• Whiteboards

• Verbal agreements

• Email confirmations

These channels run in parallel to the system of record.

2. One Workflow Cannot Handle All Exceptions

Production is full of exceptions:

• Material variability

• Machine sensitivity

• Staffing gaps

• Quality concerns

• Partial completions

• Changeover delays

When the system cannot represent nuance, people route work around it.

3. Different Teams Optimize for Different Goals

Planning optimizes for commitments.
Operations optimize for stability.
Quality optimizes for compliance.
Maintenance optimizes for uptime.

Without a shared operational view, each team creates its own workflow to protect its priorities.

How Parallel Workflows Turn Into Hidden WIP

1. Work Exists in Multiple States at Once

A job can be:

• Released in ERP

• Paused on the floor

• Reprioritized in Excel

• Waiting on material in reality

Each system shows a different state.
None show the full truth.

This ambiguity is where WIP hides.

2. Ownership Becomes Unclear

When work leaves the primary workflow:

• No one is clearly responsible

• Handoffs are assumed, not confirmed

• Delays go unchallenged

• Exceptions linger

Hidden WIP is often unowned WIP.

3. Queues Form Without Visibility

Parallel workflows create invisible queues:

• Parts waiting for approval

• Jobs waiting for clarification

• Material waiting for the “right moment”

• Orders waiting for a schedule update

These queues are not measured, so they grow quietly.

4. Rework and Re-handling Multiply

When work re-enters the main flow:

• Documentation must be reconciled

• Status must be corrected

• Context must be re-explained

• Material must be restaged

Every re-entry adds friction and time.

Why Hidden WIP Is So Dangerous

Hidden WIP is more damaging than visible WIP.

It:

• Extends lead times without appearing in reports

• Consumes space and attention

• Increases expediting

• Masks true constraints

• Degrades schedule reliability

• Erodes OTD

• Increases stress on supervisors and operators

Most critically, it destroys predictability.

Why Traditional Metrics Miss the Problem

Standard WIP metrics assume:

• One workflow

• One state per job

• Clean handoffs

• Accurate timestamps

Parallel workflows violate every assumption.

ERP may show low WIP while the floor feels overwhelmed.
The numbers look fine, until delivery slips.

Why More Discipline Alone Does Not Fix Parallel Workflows

Plants often respond by:

• Enforcing stricter system usage

• Adding approval steps

• Mandating updates

• Limiting “off-system” work

This rarely works.

When reality and systems diverge, people will always choose reality.
Parallel workflows are a signal, not a failure of discipline.

What Actually Eliminates Hidden WIP

Hidden WIP disappears when work has one shared operational interpretation, even if it touches many systems.

That requires:

• Real-time visibility into execution

• Clear representation of exceptions

• Context captured once and reused

• Alignment between planning and execution

• Early detection of stalled work

• Shared understanding across teams

This is not a workflow problem.
It is an interpretation problem.

The Role of an Operational Interpretation Layer

A unifying operational layer:

• Observes work as it actually flows

• Detects when jobs stall between states

• Identifies parallel paths forming

• Highlights ownership gaps

• Correlates system data with floor behavior

• Surfaces hidden queues before they grow

Instead of forcing work back into rigid paths, it makes reality visible.

What Changes When Parallel Workflows Are Unified

WIP becomes measurable

Even when work is exception-driven.

Ownership becomes clear

Stalled work has a visible reason and owner.

Lead times stabilize

Because hidden delays are exposed early.

Schedules become realistic

Because they reflect actual flow, not assumed flow.

Stress decreases

Because teams stop chasing invisible work.

How Harmony Makes Hidden WIP Visible

Harmony unifies ERP data, execution behavior, operator context, and system signals into one operational view.

Harmony:

• Detects stalled work across systems

• Identifies parallel workflows forming

• Highlights hidden queues and delays

• Interprets execution in real time

• Aligns planning with what is actually happening

• Surfaces risk before WIP explodes

Harmony does not eliminate flexibility.
It eliminates invisibility.

Key Takeaways

• Parallel workflows emerge when systems cannot keep up with reality.

• Parallel workflows create hidden WIP between formal states.

• Hidden WIP increases lead time, stress, and delivery risk.

• Traditional metrics rarely capture the problem.

• The solution is not stricter enforcement but better interpretation.

• A unified operational view makes hidden work visible and manageable.

Ready to expose hidden WIP and regain control of flow?

Harmony gives you a single operational view of work, even when reality doesn’t follow the script.

Visit TryHarmony.ai