The work within one state of a team's Kanban board is being completed at varying times, sometimes running faster and sometimes slower than the next state. What could resolve this issue?

Creating a buffer state between two states in a Kanban board can help regulate the flow of work and address the varying completion times. Buffer State Purpose: Acts as a holding area to balance the flow between different stages of work, smoothing out variances in completion times. Flow Regulation: Ensures that work can continue smoothly without bottlenecks or idle times. Work In Progress (WIP) Limits: Helps maintain a steady flow by preventing too much work from accumulating in any one state. This approach aligns with Lean principles of managing flow and reducing variability in processes. SAFe Scrum Master Reference: SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Training Material, Chapter on Kanban Systems​​.