𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝟏𝟎𝟏: 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬

Introduction

Are you part of an Agile team, working in the software field, and wondering what Kanban is and how it fits into your workflow? Or do you already have a brief idea about Kanban but can't differentiate it from other Agile methods? Don't worry, you are not alone in this mayhem.

Kanban is a Lean workflow management methodology that assists teams and organizations in concentrating and gaining visibility to ensure they can maximize customer value. With this blog, Let us dive into the vast body of kanban and how we can use it in agile teams effectively.

Collaboration, understanding, leadership, customer focus, transparency, workflow, agreement, balance, and respect — with these principles, we Kanban! (diagram)

What is Kanban and its Brief History

Kanban is often confused with process framework and methodology, but to be specific, it is none. Kanban can be used as an approach or a method. To be precise, the roots of kanban can be found in the lean manufacturing methodology, which manages knowledge workflow for both tangible and intangible goods and services. Simply put, Kanban helps manage work efficiently.

The Japanese introduced the word Kanban in workflow management in the early 1950s, meaning “visual board.” Toyota pioneered its ‘just-in-time’ production strategy, focusing on producing goods only when demand existed. This laid the foundation for Lean manufacturing, focusing on minimal waste and maximum team production.

Today, Agile teams across industries use Kanban to manage their workflows. Kanban’s simplicity lies in breaking down complex tasks into manageable stages, mostly used columns in the Kanban board are “To do,” “In progress,” and “Done” to ensure continuous progress without overwhelming the team.

Core Practices of Kanban

Core Practices of Kanban to Manage Work Efficiently. These are centered around increasing visibility, streamlining the work, and a general rationalization or optimization. Here, we will dig into these 6 key principles that make Kanban a very essential tool for Agile teams.

1. Visual Workflow

Enhancing workflow visibility is essential to detect areas that require modification. Kanban boards offer a clear, visual breakdown of tasks in progress, those completed, and those yet to begin. For Agile teams, this visual clarity helps draft steps to move tasks from initiation to completion, optimizing workflow efficiency.

Kanban boards act much like dashboards, offering a simplified, comprehensive view of the work, where the intention is to get an easy understanding with much diverse information. They present processes in columns representing different stages, while tasks are categorized into swimlanes for better readability, easing the flow.

2. Limit Work in Progress (WIP)

The primary goal of using Kanban boards is to optimize efficiency by reducing wasted time and resources. To do this, Work in Progress (WIP) limitations must be implemented. WIP limits define the maximum amount of work that can be active in any workflow phase.

As WIP stands for work in progress, it limits the number of items to perform in the section, in order to create a stress-free environment in the workspace. WIP limits create a pull system, meaning new work can only be pulled in when there is enough capacity to handle it. These limits are shown on Kanban boards as numbers on columns or swimlanes, ensuring that teams avoid overloading.

3. Managing Flow

Kanban boards help teams to track the movement of tasks from one phase to the next. For Agile teams, focusing on the flow of tasks enables them to detect any bottlenecks and other obstacles that slow down the progress in the early stages. Without disturbing the workflow, the managers can focus on resolving the issues with the task member, ensuring a smoothing to maintain an efficient workflow.

Advanced users often utilize Flow Metrics to gain deeper insights into their processes. Through historical data analysis, they are able to predict when the work will be concluded. Making calculated choices and reporting progress are the two domains in which this predictive analysis really thrives.

4. Make Policies Explicit

Clearly defining and sharing processes and policies ensures that every team member understands how work is completed and what the primary objectives are. This collective clarity encourages team alignment, especially when discussing process improvements.

Moreover, explicit policies minimize biased or emotional viewpoints that could otherwise prejudice decisions by keeping conversations objective and focused. embedding these policies directly into Kanban board tools ensures easy and immediate access when needed.

5. Implement Feedback Loops

Kanban advocates for small, continuous, and incremental changes, but knowing what adjustments are needed requires effective feedback loops. Feedback is provided through several mechanisms in Kanban:

Daily standups allow for short discussions on issues or progress.
Peer reviews offer opportunities to exchange feedback.
Retrospectives offer a chance to reflect on inefficiencies and suggest improvements.

Feedback should be timely—if something needs immediate attention, don’t wait for a formal meeting. At the same time, don’t feel pressured to provide feedback if things are running smoothly.

6. Improve Collaboratively, Evolve Experimentally

Agile teams should be aware that two fundamental ideas of Kanban are evolution and collaborative improvement. David J. Anderson emphasizes the importance of shared knowledge and understanding when identifying problems. He suggested a methodical approach to process improvement, including models such as:

Theory of Constraints
Theory of Profound Knowledge
Lean Economic Model

By applying these models, teams can systematically measure outcomes, reduce risk, and continuously improve processes. However, if formal models don’t fit the team, focus on what works best for your unique environment to foster collaboration and growth.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Kanban

By providing superior workflow supply and continuous delivery, Kanban has many advantages for Agile teams. But, as with any framework, there are some hurdles to clear as well.

Advantages:

Enhanced Workflow Visualization:

With kanban implementation, there will be a detailed in-time representation of tasks visible through the kanban boards. Through this, the teams can visualize the tasks performed by each teammate and record their progress. It also helps the teams to identify where work is piling up and address bottlenecks proactively, making the understanding of project status easy, as they can monitor it even from outside the team.

Continuous Delivery:

Unlike other frameworks such as Scrum, where work is organized in time-boxed sprints Kanban focuses on the just-in-time delivery of value and delivering work to customers on a regular groove. This is particularly beneficial for teams that deal with ongoing production support, customer service, or frequent change requests, allowing work to flow smoothly through the system.

Flexible Planning and Execution:

Kanban doesn’t require an upfront commitment to a set amount of work for a sprint cycle. Teams can add new tasks or make changes at any point, making it highly adaptable for changing requirements, unexpected tasks, or shifting priorities.

Disadvantages:

Lack of Time-Boxing:

With Kanban, there are no time-boxed iterations(eg: sprints) which can make it difficult to predict when you will get features delivered. when this happens, teams without robust discipline in prioritizing tasks may focus less on project timelines, potentially delaying delivery.

Limited Focus on Team Collaboration:

Kanban prioritizes continuous flow, resulting in less team-based planning and evaluations. This can create friction in the work environment in the long run as there won't be any understanding of views among the members. Unlike agile management Scrum where there is intensive collaboration during sprint planning within dedicated teams Kanban struggles to work with understanding.

Requires Strong Discipline in Limiting WIP:

For Kanban to be effective, teams must rigorously adhere to Work in Progress (WIP) limits. Without strict enforcement, Tasks get stuck at every stage of the workflow and pile up leading to inefficiencies and bottlenecks. This might be difficult for teams that do not have strong self-management.

Scrum vs. Kanban: The Difference

Many practitioners assume Scrum and Kanban to be the same, but this is not the case. Scrum and Kanban are two popular Agile frameworks that help in project management but are different in structure & approach. Scrum follows a fixed-length sprint system where work is planned and executed in 1-2 week cycles, while Kanban focuses on continuous flow and task management. Here is a table showcasing different aspects of Scrum and Kanban.

Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Kanban in Your Organization

Implementing Kanban in your organization can streamline your workflow and enhance productivity. Kanban can help you organize your workflow for clarity and better output for a small task or large project. And firstly, to use Kanban, you first need a Kanban board. Then, simplify tasks by dividing them into sections by following the given guidelines:

Set Up Your Kanban Board
- Construct these columns: Done, In Progress, Backlog, and To Do.
- Customize additional columns based on your workflow
Create Task Cards
- List all tasks as individual cards
- Include brief descriptions for each task
Set Work-in-Progress (WIP) Limits
- Define WIP limits for each stage
- Adjust limits based on team capacity
Organize Tasks
- Move tasks from Backlog to To Do
- Track tasks in the In Progress column
Visualize Workflow
- Monitor progress as tasks move through the board
- Identify bottlenecks by observing task flow
Conduct Stand-Up Meetings
- Schedule regular stand-ups to review the board
- Discuss task progress and address roadblocks
Implement Feedback Loops
- Hold retrospective meetings after each project
- Review performance and suggest improvements
Continuously Improve
- Make small, iterative changes based on feedback
- Adjust the workflow to enhance productivity

Kanban is a powerful tool for Agile teams, enabling them to streamline their processes and improve task management. By following this beginner’s guide, you can implement Kanban effectively, improving individual and team productivity.