Kanban Methodology

Kanban Methodology

Kanban goal

There is only one thing - to receive a finished high-quality product on time. Let's figure out how to achieve this.
Kanban starts with visualization so that processes are visible to the team. To do this, use a special board and a set of cards or stickers.

Kanban boards

The board is a mandatory element for an agile methodology. It is in Scrum, it is also in Kanban. Each team member has access to it at any time and sees what stage the task is at.
The board is suitable both real and virtual: you can use a simple cork board or programs like Trello. The Kanban board adapts to any process and is used in any area. For example, to make a to-do list.

How Kanban works in projects

Every project has a work process plan. First we analyze it and divide the board into columns that reflect the stages.

Column names change depending on the project, but it is important to keep them consistent - this is a key Kanban value called flow.

Kanban cards are tasks that move along a flow and flow into other columns depending on their status. Write the name of the task on a card or sticker and attach it to the beginning of the board.
With the help of a kanban board, it is easy to manage several projects at the same time, using cards of different colors: one color - one project.

All processes are reflected on the board. The team analyzes them and eliminates weak points. In Kanban this is called flow control.
A team in Kanban is a single mechanism. If someone fails, then the common cause suffers. Work is planned on a board so everyone can see their contribution and value to the project.
Kanban combines the principles of agile methodologies and lean thinking. There are no hard and fast rules here, but there are principles that you can rely on.

How visualization helps

Visualization helps you see the whole picture and adjust its individual parts, understanding how changes will affect the entire project. It is possible to get results exactly on time if you control the team’s workload. Determine the number of tasks: how many the team is realistically capable of completing within the established time frame. For example, in “Designing” there are no more than two tasks at a time, and in “Testing” there is only one. It all depends on the capabilities of the team.

Useful Links:
Kanban methodology article/eng
Kanban methodology article/rus
Kanban methodology video tutorial/rus
Kanban methodology video tutorial/eng