Kanban principles for project management

Kanban is a project management methodology originating from Japan. This method is very popular in various industries, especially in software development.

This methodology was originally developed by Toyota in the 1940s as a system to increase efficiency in car production. However, over time, Kanban principles have been adapted for various other work contexts.

Understand more about what kanban is, its principles, how it works and its advantages and disadvantages by reading this article to the end.

Definition of Kanban

Kanban is a project management methodology that prioritizes visualization of workflows to increase team efficiency and effectiveness. The word "Kanban" means "visual board" or "signal card" in Japanese, referring to a board used to display work status.

Basic Principles of Kanban

Kanban principles help teams manage their work in a more structured and transparent manner, so as to provide more optimal results. This methodology focuses on quick turnaround and optimization of work steps to reduce waste and increase productivity.

Here are some Kanban principles that help teams work more efficiently and transparently:

Job Visualization

Kanban requires teams to use visual boards to show their workflow. This board usually consists of several columns representing various stages in the process, such as "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done."

With this visualization, the team can monitor overall project progress and detect obstacles or bottlenecks that may occur.

Limiting Work in Progress (WIP Limits)

One of the main principles of Kanban is to limit the amount of work in progress at each stage. This helps prevent excessive multitasking and ensures that work gets done faster.

WIP limits encourage teams to focus on completing tasks before starting new ones, thereby improving work flow.

Managing Work Flow

Kanban encourages continuous and efficient work flow management. By continuously monitoring the workflow and making adjustments as necessary, the team can ensure that the project runs smoothly and efficiently.

This monitoring also helps in identifying and eliminating obstacles that may arise.

Improve Collaboration and Communication

By visualizing work and enforcing WIP limits, Kanban encourages better communication and collaboration between team members. Everyone can see what is being done and what is prioritized, minimizing confusion and increasing transparency.

Implement Continuous Improvement

Kanban encourages a culture of continuous improvement. The team regularly evaluates their work processes and looks for ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Retrospectives or periodic reviews are often conducted to identify areas that need improvement.

How Kanban Works

How Kanban works starts with creating a Kanban board that visualizes the team's workflow. This board can be a physical board with cards or use digital tools such as Trello, Jira, or Azure DevOps. The columns on the Kanban board are tailored to specific stages of the team's work process.

Once the Kanban board is created, the team determines WIP limits for each column. These limits are usually based on team capacity and complexity of work.

The team then started using Kanban boards to track and manage their work. This management includes the activity of moving cards from one column to the next according to work progress.

Advantages of Kanban

Using Kanban in project management offers various advantages that can increase team efficiency and collaboration, including:

Increased Efficiency

Teams focus on completing tasks before starting new ones, reducing excessive multitasking.

Better Transparency

The next advantage of Kanban is that being able to visualize work on a Kanban board provides clear visibility of the project status. This makes it possible to monitor developments in real-time.

Flexibility

Kanban can be easily adapted to different types of projects and teams, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Quality Improvement

This approach reduces the risk of errors that often occur due to excessive multitasking and unnecessary distractions. When teams focus on one task, they tend to be more thorough and careful, resulting in better output.

Better Collaboration

Visualizing work and WIP boundaries encourages better communication and collaboration between team members.

Disadvantages of Kanban

Even though it seems perfect, like every other methodology, Kanban also has some drawbacks that need to be taken into account to ensure successful implementation.

Resistance to Change

Implementation of new methodologies often faces resistance from the team.

Maintaining WIP Limits

Setting and adhering to WIP limits can be challenging in a dynamic and rapidly changing environment.

Continuous Monitoring

Kanban requires continuous monitoring and adjustment, requiring commitment and discipline from the entire team.

Reliance on Visualization

Kanban relies heavily on visualization of work which can be problematic if not maintained properly.

Difficulties in Handling Large Projects

Although flexible, Kanban can be less effective for very large or complex projects without additional management methodology.

Kanban is an effective and flexible project management methodology and can help teams improve the efficiency, transparency and quality of their work. Kanban allows teams to better manage their workflow and achieve more optimal results.

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