The Kanban Method is an empowering approach that helps individuals and teams harness their full potential. I’ve experienced its benefits repeatedly, both in my work and personal life. Last month, I increased my knowledge of Kanban by becoming an Accredited Kanban Trainer (AKT) through Lean Kanban University (LKU). It was a great experience, and I’m excited to be able to offer certified Kanban training at Excella.
Kanban offers an “alternative approach” to agility. People tend to assume this means it is a different “process” from Scrum, XP, or other Agile methods. That’s a misunderstanding. Kanban isn’t a process; it’s a method, a framework that helps manage work more effectively and catalyze ongoing improvements. Kanban integrates well with many other approaches—including Scrum and more traditional methods—and helps to improve them.
That’s because of the emphasis Kanban places on “starting where you are.” With Kanban, there is no canned solution. Instead, current roles and ways of working are respected. Teams start with visualizing their current way of working. This first step is critically important. Kanban applies Lean management principles to knowledge work. Lean management emerged from manufacturing, where work products—gears, drivetrains, lawnmowers, etc.—were visible. In knowledge work, like software, project management, and HR, we generate knowledge. This may ultimately appear as working software, a proposal, or a new policy, but the work that goes into it is invisible. This can make it very difficult to manage effectively.
Kanban addresses this challenge through visual representations of our work. We can see what is in progress and who is focused on it; we can see where it might be waiting, and we can anticipate the tasks we’ll need to take on next. Visualization also allows the next logical step: limiting the amount of work in progress. Just like traffic signals that restrict the entry of cars onto a busy highway, limiting work in progress improves overall flow. Because there is less work going on simultaneously, team members focus on the most important things and get them done faster, improving flow, responsiveness, and agility.
But the Kanban Method does more than create an effective flow of work. Getting to this point—where a team has an effective visualization that helps limit work in progress—is a collaborative exercise. Once a team achieves this level of understanding, they become empowered. They take responsibility for their process. The Kanban Method encourages them to make it more “fit for purpose,” more effective at meeting their needs and the needs of their customers and stakeholders.
The approach Kanban takes is an evolutionary one, where the best methods emerge from the work of a collaborative team. STATIK—the Systems Thinking Approach to Introducing Kanban—is a structured approach to improvement that helps the team understand what makes their system work well. How can it better meet their needs and the needs of their stakeholders? What kind of work do they do and where does it come from? What is their current capability and how well does it meet expectations? These questions drive a process of continual improvement that helps the team refine their Kanban system and make it better.
It can have a dramatic impact on how effectively work is done and how well the team meets expectations. Effective Kanban approaches are continually evolving to become increasingly “fit.” The Kanban Method provides an effective framework for this. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can apply these techniques to your team, please join us for one of our classes.