CFD-07
Band Order Inversion
CFD
Default severity: medium
ProcessMetricsOutputRisk
What it detects
A upstream stage band appears above a downstream stage band in the CFD — indicates workflow misconfiguration or out-of-order transitions. Stage order is configured via workflow.stage_order.
Detection formula
stage_order = config.workflow.stage_order // ordered list of stages FOR each pair (A, B) where order(A) \< order(B): IF cumulative_count(A) \< cumulative_count(B) AT any date THEN FLAG inversionExamples in practice
- Cumulative flow bands widen, invert, or stall while throughput fails to keep pace.
- Stage WIP grows without matching completion slope on the CFD.
- A team shows a upstream stage band appears above a downstream stage band in the cfd while stage order is set to Configured per workspace.
Suggested response
Read stage WIP and throughput together; relieve bottlenecks and balance arrival vs capacity.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
A upstream stage band appears above a downstream stage band in the CFD — indicates workflow misconfiguration or out-of-order transitions. Stage order is configured via workflow.stage_order.
Why it matters
When "Band Order Inversion" keeps appearing, the team is signalling a repeatable process gap. Left unexamined, the pattern hides where work really stalls and makes improvement metrics harder to trust.
What you can achieve
Read stage WIP and throughput together; relieve bottlenecks and balance arrival vs capacity.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Band Order Inversion" from firing again?
- What do the cited issues have in common — same root cause or same workaround?
- Who owns the two-week experiment and how will we verify on the next import?
Run this rule against your own tracker data with Flow Analyzer.