Kanban

A visual workflow management method that enables teams to improve efficiency, limit work in progress, and deliver value continuously.

Top3 Reasons to Use Kanban

  • Visualizes work clearly: The Kanban board makes it easy to see what’s being worked on, what’s blocked, and what’s done.
  • Improves flow and efficiency: By limiting work in progress (WIP), teams reduce multitasking, focus better, and finish tasks faster.
  • Adapts to any workflow: Kanban fits well with support, operations, or product teams – no need for timeboxed Sprints.

A) How Kanban Works

  • Work is visualized on a Kanban board, flowing continuously through stages like To Do, In Progress, and Done.
  • Tasks are pulled – not pushed – based on team capacity, with Work in Progress (WIP) limits to maintain focus.
  • Regular stand-ups and flow metrics (e.g., Cycle Time, Throughput, s. below) help monitor progress and identify bottlenecks.
  • The process is continuous and adaptive, supported by retrospectives for ongoing improvement.

B) Kanban Roles

  • Kanban does not prescribe specific roles like Scrum does.
  • Teams self-organize and define who does what.
  • Common roles in organizations using Kanban may be Project Managers, Team Leads, or Product Owners, but Kanban itself is role-agnostic.

C) Kanban Events

Kanban is flexible – the team only has to add events that serve its context and improve flow.

  • Planning Meeting / Replenishment: The team reviews the backlog and decides which work items to pull into the workflow next, based on priority and capacity.
  • Daily Kanban Meeting: A brief daily check-in (similar to Daily Scrum) where the team discusses flow, progress, blockers, and what needs attention.
  • Service Delivery Review: Held regularly (e.g. weekly or biweekly) to evaluate how well work is flowing through the system, using data like lead time and throughput.
  • Operations Review: A higher-level meeting (often monthly) to review performance metrics across teams or services and discuss systemic improvements.
  • Retrospective: The team reflects on the workflow, policies, and collaboration to identify improvement opportunities, often using flow metrics and feedback.

D) Kanban Artifacts

  • Work Item Pool / Backlog: A continuously evolving list of tasks, features, fixes, and requests. Items are pulled into the system based on priority and team capacity, not in batches.
  • Kanban Board: A visual workflow tool that displays work items across columns (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done), helping the team manage flow and identify bottlenecks.
  • Completed Work / Deliverables: Work items that have passed all workflow stages and meet the team’s definition of done. Delivery is continuous, not tied to sprints.

E) Kanban Metrics

  • Cycle Time: How long it takes a task to go from start to finish.
  • Lead Time: Total time from request to delivery.
  • Throughput: Number of tasks completed per unit time.
  • Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD): Visualizes the amount of work in each stage over time, showing bottlenecks and flow stability.

F) Pro and Contra of Kanban

Pro

  • Flexible and flow-based: No timeboxes or rigid roles, allowing work to move continuously.
  • Improves visibility: The Kanban board makes workflow transparent and easy to manage.
  • Focus on efficiency: WIP limits and flow metrics help teams identify bottlenecks and reduce waste.

Contra

  • Less structure: May be too open or vague for teams that need defined roles and rules.
  • Difficult to measure progress: Without iterations or estimates, forecasting can be harder.
  • Requires discipline in flow management: Without regular review, bottlenecks and overcommitment may go unnoticed.

G) Explore Kanban Further