Final answer:
WIP limits in the Program Kanban are necessary to prevent system overload, increase efficiency, and speed up the development process. They align with principles of scientific management and bureaucracy, which aim for increased efficiency and productivity.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Program Kanban, having Work-in-Process (WIP) limits is necessary primarily to prevent overloading the system. WIP limits are a crucial part of Kanban's aim to foster increased efficiency and a steady workflow. When WIP limits are enforced, they help ensure that teams focus on completing current tasks before starting new ones, which can prevent bottlenecks and the buildup of unfinished work. This focus on finishing work before starting new tasks also helps to speed up the development process by ensuring that the most important tasks are completed first and that no single part of the process becomes a hold-up for others. Additionally, by limiting WIP, the need for excessive multitasking is reduced, allowing teams to work more diligently on fewer tasks at a time which can lead to better quality outputs and a more manageable pace of work.
To draw parallels with related concepts, the goal of scientific management was also to increase workers' efficiency, and one of the intended positive aspects of bureaucracies is increased productivity. Hence, WIP limits in Kanban align with these principles by aiming to maximize efficiency and productivity within the workflow without overloading the system or its participants.