Kanban methodology is a way of working that aims to improve project coordination and processes—both of which are core principles of the broader Agile philosophy. “Kanban” is known and associated with the emergence of the “Kanban Method,” which was first defined in 2007, although the Japanese word “kanban”, meaning “visual board” or a “sign”, has been used in the sense of a process definition since the 1950s.
The technique was originally developed by an industrial engineer at Toyota for "just in time" manufacturing and is thought to be inspired by procedures used at supermarkets to stack shelves with just enough products to meet demand. Toyota teams would create a visual cue, or Kanban, to communicate that they were ready to pull more materials to complete their work.
Because of its links to the Agile movement, it is sometimes known as Agile Kanban methodology. The terms Kanban methodology and Agile Kanban methodology can be used interchangeably.
Key aspects of Kanban methodology
The Kanban board
This is a visualization of a team's workflow made up of a wall of colored cards, sticky notes or boxes in an online platform that outlines the various progress of work tasks: those that need to be started, those in progress, and completed work. Cards can move along the board as the project progresses.
Work-in-progress limits
To keep things orderly, the Kanban board places limits on the amount of work that can be in progress, known as "work-in-progress limits" or "WIP limits." Only a set number of cards can be active in a column at any time. This has the effect of clearly showing when bottlenecks appear, and when they do, teams must work together to unravel them.
Continuous improvement
Agile Kanban methodology requires teams to meet at set intervals to discuss these bottlenecks and any other data, insights and ideas that could improve the overall process without creating disruption. Another recognition of the importance of continuous improvement is the Kanban Maturity Model, which codifies lessons learned by companies using Kanban across multiple industries.
Technologies that support project based communication & collaboration
Like other proven project management methodologies—Agile, Scrum and Waterfall—Kanban's work processes require structure, coordination, and the right digital tools in order to achieve the desired outcome.
In today's digitized world, Kanban boards are mainly online and work best when integrated into an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. To create easy and secure access to the board and ensure all the information it contains is up-to-date, businesses will need a cloud-based network that can support the agility and flexibility to create, share and store information virtually (while also allowing them to access a wide range of subscription-based virtual services).
This helps to ensure the Kanban board itself reflects the real-world status of the project and can act as a single source of truth.
With the right communication and collaboration tools to help your people connect quickly and reliably, the benefits of Agile Kanban methodology can include faster output, a clearer project focus, and a deeper level of transparency, all with more out-of-the-box thinking.
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The author of this content is a paid contributor for Verizon.