Kanban an agile project management method

Kanban is one of the most popular agile methodologies for managing projects and tasks. Originating in Japan, this system was originally developed to optimize work processes in Toyota’s automotive industry. Kanban is widely used in various industries to increase work efficiency and flexibility.

The basis of Kanban is the visualization of the work. This means translating all tasks into a visual form, usually on a Kanban board where tasks are represented by cards. These cards are then moved between the different phases of the work process, which are also marked on the board. Typical phases might include “To do”, “Working on it”, and “Done”. This approach allows the team to have a clear view of what is being worked on, what is ready to go, and what has been completed.

One of the key principles of Kanban is to limit the amount of work in progress (WIP). This prevents overloading the team and increases efficiency. When the WIP limit is reached, the team focuses on completing existing tasks before accepting new ones.

Another important aspect of Kanban is the continuous improvement of work processes. Teams regularly evaluate their work and look for ways to make processes more efficient and faster. This may include adjustments to the Kanban board layout, changes to the WIP limit, or other process adjustments.

Kanban also promotes transparency and open communication. Since all tasks and their status are visible to the entire team, it is easier to identify problems and solve them collectively. Teams that use Kanban often report higher levels of collaboration and job satisfaction

Kanban vs Scrum

Kanban and Scrum are frameworks that help to introduce the Agile approach to the team’s work. There are a few differences between them since they apply to slightly various situations.

1. Basic philosophy:

Scrum: Scrum is an iterative and incremental agile project management methodology. It is based on a set of regular and fixed “sprints” (typically 2-4 weeks) during which teams work to complete pre-defined tasks.

Kanban: Kanban is more focused on a continuous flow of work. Instead of fixed periods like in Scrum, Kanban allows teams to move tasks at their own pace and adjust the workload according to the current situation.

2. Roles and responsibilities:

Scrum: There are clearly defined roles in Scrum such as Scrum Master, Product Owner and Scrum Team. These roles have specific responsibilities and are key to the functioning of the Scrum process.

Kanban: Kanban does not have fixed roles. It focuses more on tasks and their flow than roles and responsibilities.

3.Planning and measurement:

Scrum: Scrum requires regular planning, retrospectives and daily stand-up meetings. The goal is to continuously improve the process and work.

Kanban: Kanban focuses on visualizing work and measuring the time it takes to complete tasks. Kanban boards are often used with tasks broken down into different phases.

4. Flexibility:

Scrum: Scrum is less flexible during sprints. Plans and goals are set at the beginning of the sprint and usually do not change during the sprint.

Kanban: Kanban is extremely flexible and allows teams to adjust workloads and tasks in real time.

5. Ideal Uses:

Scrum: It is suitable for projects where requirements and goals can be clearly defined at the beginning and where teams are able to commit intensively to the project over a period of time.

Kanban: It is suitable for teams that need flexibility in priorities and workload, and for projects where requirements change rapidly.

author: TRIXIT

picture: https://chat.openai.com