The term 'buildup of unfinished work' can be summarized as a BACKLOG. A BACKLOG is an accumulation of tasks that have not been completed or addressed. It is often used to refer to the amount of work that has been left undone, or the amount of time that has passed since a task was started. This can be seen in many different contexts, such as in business, where a BACKLOG of orders or projects can lead to delays and missed deadlines. In software development, a BACKLOG of tasks can lead to bugs and other issues that need to be addressed.