PL-04
Aged Pre-Release Backlog
Pipeline
Default severity: medium
ProcessOutputRisk
What it detects
More than the configured percentage of a team\'s pre-release items have exceeded the configured age threshold — structural pipeline blockage. aged = COUNT(pre_release_items WHERE time_in_stage > config.pipeline.aged_threshold_days) // default: 60d
Detection formula
IF aged / total_pre_release > config.pipeline.aged_backlog_pct // default: 20% THEN FLAGExamples in practice
- A team shows more than the configured percentage of a team\'s pre-release items have exceeded the configured age threshold while aged backlog pct is set to 20%.
- Example signal: More than the configured percentage of a team\'s pre-release items have exceeded the configured age threshold — structural pipeline blockage.
Suggested response
Unblock pre-release and carry-over items with clear ownership and planning labels.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
More than the configured percentage of a team\'s pre-release items have exceeded the configured age threshold — structural pipeline blockage. aged = COUNT(pre_release_items WHERE time_in_stage > config.pipeline.aged_threshold_days) // default: 60d
Why it matters
When "Aged Pre-Release Backlog" 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
Unblock pre-release and carry-over items with clear ownership and planning labels.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Aged Pre-Release Backlog" 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.