Why backlog size alone misrepresents risk—and how to interpret backlog data correctly.
Maintenance backlogs are often used as a health indicator, yet they rarely tell the full story.
Volume vs. risk
A large backlog is not always dangerous; an old critical backlog is.
Deferred work hides exposure
Backlogs mask risk when critical tasks age unnoticed.
Use backlog age and criticality together
Combining these factors reveals where attention matters.
Backlogs inform decisions only when interpreted with context.