Kanban

What is Kanban?

Kanban is a well-known system for managing work visually. Created in Japan during the 1950s, it was designed by Toyota engineer Taiichi Ohno to improve production methods, cut down on waste, and boost efficiency. Nowadays, Kanban is used in many fields, including software development, manufacturing, marketing, and IT.

• Kanban, which means "visual board" in Japanese, is a flexible way to manage work. It focuses on improving processes, making things clear, and limiting how much work is being done at once. The main ideas of Kanban include:

• Visualization: This means showing work items, workflows, and processes in a clear visual format. It helps everyone see what needs to be done and where things stand.

• Reducing WIP: This involves setting a cap on the number of tasks that can be worked on at the same time. By doing this, it prevents team members from becoming overwhelmed and helps maintain focus.

• Pull-based Workflow: In this approach, new tasks are only taken on when there is enough capacity to handle them. This ensures that team members are not overloaded and can maintain quality in their work.

• Continuous Improvement: This means regularly checking and improving processes to make them better. Teams should always look for ways to enhance their work methods and increase efficiency.

Kanban Framework Fundamentals

• The basic pieces that form the framework of a Kanban board include:

• Kanban Board: A Kanban board, which is a visual tool to show the workflow, is the most fundamental component of this system. On this board, you can find three columns, such as To-Do, In Progress, and Done. Teams can view these columns to see the status of tasks at a glance.

• Cards: Cards are used to represent individual tasks or work items on the Kanban board. Each card contains important details about the task, such as its description, the responsible person, and deadlines. This makes it easy to track the progress of every task.

• Columns: Columns on the Kanban board categorize tasks based on their current stage in the process. For example, stages can include development, testing, and deployment. Looking at it, teams can understand where each task stands in the workflow.

• WIP Limits: WIP limits are rules that set a maximum number of tasks allowed in each column or stage of the workflow. This helps prevent team members from taking on too much work at once and allows them to focus on individual tasks and complete them effectively.

• Swimlanes: Swimlanes are horizontal sections on the Kanban board that group related tasks or projects together. With this structured organization, visualizing different streams of work and tracking their progress across various initiatives within the same board becomes easier.

• Using the Kanban system in collaboration with HR management software enhances workforce planning, optimization, and employee experience management effectively.