Kanban
A method for managing knowledge work with an emphasis on just-in-time delivery while not overloading the team members.
Kanban is a visual system for managing work as it moves through a process. Kanban visualizes both the process (the workflow) and the actual work passing through that process. The goal of Kanban is to identify potential bottlenecks in your process and fix them so work can flow through it cost-effectively at an optimal speed or throughput.
It is based on four foundational principles: start with what you do now, agree to pursue incremental, evolutionary change, respect the current process, roles, responsibilities & titles, and encourage acts of leadership at all levels.
- Type: Agile Method
- Core Idea: Visualize Workflow, Limit Work in Progress
- Key Elements: Kanban Board, Cards, Columns, WIP Limits
Core Practices
The six core practices of the Kanban method.
Visualize the Workflow
To see work and its flow, you need a Kanban board. The board can be physical or electronic. The simplest board has three columns: "To Do", "In Progress", and "Done".
Limit Work in Progress (WIP)
Limiting WIP means that a pull system is implemented on parts or all of the workflow. The pull system will act as a major enabler of continuous improvement.
Manage Flow
The flow of work through each state in the workflow should be monitored, measured, and reported. By managing the flow, you can optimize your process to improve predictability and speed.
Make Policies Explicit
You cannot improve something you don’t understand. The process should be clearly defined, published, and socialized. People would not associate and participate in something they do not believe would be useful.
Implement Feedback Loops
Feedback loops are an essential part of any good system. The Kanban method encourages and helps you implement feedback loops of various kinds – review stages in your Kanban board workflow, metrics and reports, and a range of visual cues.
Improve Collaboratively, Evolve Experimentally
The Kanban method is an evolutionary improvement process. It helps you adopt small changes and improve gradually at a pace and size that your team can handle.
Implementation & Strategy
Costs, timelines, and strategic considerations for adopting Kanban.
Estimated Project Costs
Kanban is a method for managing work, so it doesn't have a direct cost. However, there are costs associated with training and certification, as well as the cost of the tools that you use to manage your Kanban boards. These costs can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars per person.
Implementation Strategy
A typical Kanban implementation starts with a single team. The team visualizes their workflow on a Kanban board and starts limiting their work in progress. As the team becomes more comfortable with the method, they can start to introduce other practices, such as managing flow and making policies explicit.
Comparisons
How Kanban stacks up against other Agile frameworks.