Kanban System, it’s evolution, fundamentals, benefits, and Kanban-based Project Management





What is Kanban?

The word ‘Kanban’ was first used in Japan. Kanban is a scheduling and inventory-control system for just-in-time manufacturing, lean production, and supply chain. It is used to describe a production management process that utilizes “indicators” or “cards” to tell the companies when to do something.

A specific number of units are selected, which acts as an indicator to comprehend when more units are required to be produced. When these new units reach the inventory, more units are required to be produced. This process further aids in keeping the inventory levels on the lower side and thereby maintaining the costs which is in compliance with other lean manufacturing techniques.

Toyota Production System or TPS extensively use the Kanban System or the “Supermarket” method as a production control method. Toyota employed special ‘kanban signs’ to use in their manufacturing processes, the method of employing the signs came to be known as the ‘kanban system’. Toyota is largely dependent on the kanban to retrieve parts preceding process and to communicate which parts have been used.

The Kanban Evolution

In the 1950s, Kanban was dropped out of Lean Manufacturing techniques but in 2007, it grew considerably and was adapted for DevOps, software development, knowledge work, etc.

Since the year 2007, Kanban has grown considerably well in the software development industry thanks to a number of market leaders like Mary Poppendieck who favored and promoted vital components of Lean Manufacturing through her oratory and writing skills.

By implementing a Kanban board, software developers can easily manage the amount of work denoted as BRS or Business Requirement Specification, or SRS (Software Requirement Specifications) at any moment.

Kanban Method is 'stop starting and start finishing'.

Software developers can easily visualize and respond to the work which they have started and track its progress, delay and the completion of the task. Kanban task board not only manages the work in progress but also offers the automated cues to various members of the team. Team members can easily add the metrics to track BRS or user stories or SRS number at varied project cycles.

Kanban is also referred as the ‘Agile methodology’ and is very frequently used with Scrum principles. Agile Development is a common term which is used for the integrated software development methodologies like Extreme Programming, Crystal, Feature-Driven Development (FDD), Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), Scrum and more.

Kanban vs Scrum

If compared, Kanban is less structured and more flexible. Its principles can be easily mingled with any other practice that you wish to adhere. This is the only reason why Kanban is often blended with Scrum and applied by bigger teams. Although Kanban offers much less than a disciplined and rigorous Scrum methodology or a Scrum and XP (eXreme programming) working together. Still, it has become a favored choice of many due to the absence of organizational disruption and easy implementation. The tools like JIRA Kanban Software can offer flexibility to plan and easily ratify the agile practice. Team members can easily build a sprint backlog, perform agile project management, estimate and create stories, measure and report the progress with the same.

Kanban based Project Management

If you want to manage your projects, consider trying a Kanban-based project management tool. Kanban lets you build the project management system as well. Kanban System design for the teams are self-motivated and doesn't require too much management or deadlines. It works well for those who want to tilt towards perceiving the entire project at a glance. All you have to do is define the workflow stages and establish a way to move the tasks from one stage to the other.





Always remember: “If you are not managing your projects properly, they are managing you.”





Assign only a definite amount of work that can be handled by your team. The projects tend to go past the deadlines making your team member juggle over the distractions. As the product owner can easily change the tasks that are not been worked upon, you are offered a high degree of flexibility without frustration.

Kanban Fundamentals

Rule#1 Start with what you already know

Among the various unique things, Kanban method does not ask for a process change. Its methodology is based on evolving your current process. Use Kanban methodology along with what you are doing without making any big changes. There is no change in the working style or process definition. There is nothing like a Kanban Project Management method or Kanban Software Development Process.

Rule#2 Pursue evolutionary and non-disruptive approach

Your team must believe that the present condition requires a gentle, yet evolutionary improvement approach. Maybe the organization politics has made it too risky for the strategic planners to propose sweeping changes? Or a sweeping change that was applied had failed due to resistance was shown by team members. IN such cases, a gentle, minimal resistance evolutionary approach is the correct way forward. It encourages the managers or planners to make incremental changes one at a time.

Rule#3 Recognise and respect the current processes and roles

Whether you believe it or not, a complete change in the structure is suicidal. You’ll always have some elements that function exceptionally well and are worth preserving. By recognizing and respecting the current job titles, responsibilities and roles, we can drive out the fear to facilitate the change.

Rule#4 Leadership to catalyze the change

Without effective leadership, the change will not work. Regardless of the role or a title, people at all levels can become a leader. The requirement of improvements can come from any level and the changes should be made effectively and within a short span of time. Individuals who sense the need and believe in the possibility of improvement must be empowered enough to enact the change.

Key features and Benefits

Capability and Flexibility to make changes at any stage

Unstoppable delivery without the time-boxed sprints

without the time-boxed sprints Shorter work cycles delivers faster features

Receptive to changes especially at the organizations where priorities change quite often

especially at the organizations where priorities change quite often Removal of events that do not deliver the values

Kanban has proved itself to be an efficient and mature framework that can assist the companies to develop and succeed in their industries.

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