Kanban is another Agile framework designed to help teams manage their work efficiently. It emphasizes visualizing work, limiting work in progress, and optimizing flow to improve productivity and quality. Here’s an overview of the Kanban framework and its key principles:

Key Principles of Kanban:

  1. Visualize Work:
    • Use a Kanban board to visualize work items and their flow through various stages of the process.
    • Each work item is represented by a card on the board.
  2. Limit Work in Progress (WIP):
    • Set limits on the number of work items that can be in each stage of the process at any given time.
    • This helps identify bottlenecks and ensure the team is not overloaded.
  3. Manage Flow:
    • Focus on the flow of work items through the process, aiming to move them from start to finish as smoothly as possible.
    • Use metrics like cycle time and lead time to monitor and improve flow.
  4. Make Process Policies Explicit:
    • Clearly define and communicate the process policies to ensure everyone understands how work is handled.
    • This includes defining criteria for moving work items between stages.
  5. Implement Feedback Loops:
    • Use regular meetings, such as daily stand-ups and retrospectives, to gather feedback and make improvements.
    • Encourage continuous improvement based on feedback.
  6. Improve Collaboratively, Evolve Experimentally:
    • Encourage the team to experiment with process changes and improvements.
    • Use data and feedback to guide decision-making and implement changes incrementally.

Key Components of a Kanban Board:

  1. Columns:
    • Represent different stages of the process (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
    • Each column holds work items that are in that particular stage.
  2. Cards:
    • Represent individual work items or tasks.
    • Each card typically includes details like the task description, assignee, and due date.
  3. WIP Limits:
    • Indicate the maximum number of work items that can be in a column at any time.
    • Helps prevent bottlenecks and ensures smooth workflow.

Kanban Workflow:

  1. Backlog: List of all tasks or work items to be completed.
  2. To Do: Tasks that are ready to be started.
  3. In Progress: Tasks currently being worked on.
  4. Review: Tasks that are completed but need review or approval.
  5. Done: Tasks that are completed and require no further action.

Kanban Board

Kanban Workflow