Kanban
What is Kanban?
Kanban is a visual approach to managing work that emphasizes continuous delivery without overburdening the development team. It uses a board with columns representing different stages of the development process, and work items are moved across the board as they progress.
Key Principles of Kanban
Visualize Work: Use a Kanban board to visualize the flow of work and make it easy to see the status of each task.
Limit Work in Progress (WIP): Set limits on the number of tasks that can be in progress at any given time to prevent overloading the team.
Focus on Flow: Ensure a smooth flow of work by identifying and addressing bottlenecks.
Continuous Improvement: Regularly review the process and make incremental improvements.
Components of a Kanban Board
Columns: Represent different stages of the workflow (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
Cards: Represent individual work items or tasks that move through the columns.
WIP Limits: Set limits on the number of cards that can be in each column to manage the flow of work.
Pros and Cons of Kanban
Pros
Visualizes Work in Progress: Makes it easy to see the status of tasks and identify bottlenecks.
Flexible and Easy to Implement: Can be adapted to various workflows and does not require major changes to existing processes.
Continuous Delivery: Promotes a steady flow of work and continuous delivery of value.
Cons
Less Structured: May lack the structure and defined roles of other methodologies like Scrum.
May Lack Clear Deadlines: Without time-boxed iterations, it can be challenging to set and meet deadlines.
Conclusion
Kanban is a flexible and visual methodology that helps teams manage their work more effectively by focusing on flow and continuous improvement. It is particularly useful for teams looking to improve their existing processes without making significant changes.