Kanban

Kanban is a method for managing and improving work by visualizing the flow of tasks and optimizing the delivery process. Unlike time-boxed approaches like Scrum, Kanban focuses on a continuous flow of work, enabling teams to deliver value at any time.

At its core, Kanban makes work visible, limits work in progress (WIP), and encourages teams to improve their system incrementally. It does not prescribe roles or fixed iterations and can be applied to any existing process without requiring a full reorganization.

The Kanban Method is grounded in three change management principles:

1: Start with what you do now -- Kanban respects your current roles, responsibilities, and workflows, making it easy to introduce without major disruption.
2: Agree to pursue incremental, evolutionary change -- Improvements happen gradually through small, manageable changes.
3: Encourage acts of leadership at all levels -- Everyone is empowered to contribute to improving the way work flows, regardless of their title.

And three service delivery principles:

1: Understand and focus on customer needs and expectations -- Prioritize delivering what truly matters to customers.
2: Manage the work, not the people -- Optimize how work flows through the system instead of controlling individuals.
3: Review and improve your delivery regularly -- Use feedback and data to continuously adapt and improve service.

How Kanban Works
Teams using Kanban manage their work on a Kanban board, where items move through stages such as To Do, In Progress, and Done. These stages reflect the team's actual workflow and can be customized as needed (e.g., Testing, Review, Deploying).

Work is pulled based on capacity, not pushed in. The use of WIP limits ensures focus, reduces multitasking, and helps teams finish work more predictably.

The Kanban Method includes six core practices:
1: Visualize the work -- Make work and workflow visible so everyone understands what's happening.
2: Limit work in progress (WIP) -- Control the amount of ongoing work to improve focus and flow.
3: Manage flow -- Track how work moves through the system to identify and reduce delays.
4: Make policies explicit -- Clarify how work is done so expectations and decisions are transparent.
5: Implement feedback loops -- Create regular opportunities for reflection and learning.
6: Improve collaboratively, evolve experimentally -- Use data and teamwork to continuously refine your system.

Benefits of Kanban
Improves visibility and transparency
Reduces cycle time and increases flow efficiency
Encourages continuous, evolutionary change
Enhances predictability and decision-making
Works well in dynamic environments with shifting priorities