DG-09
Excessive Lead Time on Open Issue
DoD Gates
Default severity: medium
ProcessOutputQuality
What it detects
An issue has been open beyond the configured lead time threshold without reaching Done status.
Detection formula
IF issue.status NOT IN config.workflow.done_statuses AND issue.age_days > config.dod.max_open_lead_time_days // default: 150d THEN FLAG IF issue.age_days > config.dod.critical_lead_time_days // default: 200d THEN CRITICALExamples in practice
- Issues advance workflow stages without meeting the configured Definition of Done score.
- Stage transitions occur before required DoD evidence is present.
- A team shows an issue has been open beyond the configured lead time threshold without reaching done status while done statuses is set to 150d.
Suggested response
Hold stage transitions until DoD evidence is complete and visible for auditors.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
An issue has been open beyond the configured lead time threshold without reaching Done status.
Why it matters
When "Excessive Lead Time on Open Issue" 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
Hold stage transitions until DoD evidence is complete and visible for auditors.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Excessive Lead Time on Open Issue" 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.