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Kanban

Kanban

Visualizing Workflow and Flow-Based Work Management

1. Overview of Kanban, a Methodology That Realizes Continuous Value Delivery Through Flow Visualization and WIP Limits

    flowchart LR
    A["Invisible work<br/>bottlenecks, overload<br/>uneven flow"] --"Kanban board<br/>visualization + WIP limits"--> B["Bottlenecks in flow<br/>detected and resolved immediately"] --"Shorter, more<br/>predictable lead times"--> C["Continuous and<br/>stable value delivery"]

    style A fill:#FFEBEE,stroke:#D32F2F,color:#000
    style B fill:#E3F2FD,stroke:#1976D2,color:#000
    style C fill:#E8F5E9,stroke:#388E3C,color:#000
  

Definition: A methodology developed by David J. Anderson that applies Toyota’s kanban system to knowledge work — a flow-based work management system that detects bottlenecks and shortens lead time to achieve continuous, predictable value delivery through visualization of the work flow and limiting work in progress (WIP Limit).

Characteristics: (Incremental improvement) Can begin incremental improvement of the current process without sprint cycles or fixed roles (minimal prescriptive change). (Pull-based flow) Based on a pull system — teams pull in work as capacity becomes available, preventing overload. (Continuous flow) Unlike Agile/Scrum, maintains continuous flow without iteration cycles (Sprints).


2. Core Structure of Kanban

A. Visualization and WIP Limits

    flowchart LR
    subgraph BOARD["Kanban Board"]
        direction LR
        subgraph TODO["To Do"]
            T1["Task A"]
            T2["Task B"]
            T3["Task C"]
        end
        subgraph PROG["In Progress<br/>(WIP: 2)"]
            P1["Task D"]
            P2["Task E"]
        end
        subgraph DONE["Done"]
            D1["Task F"]
            D2["Task G"]
        end
    end

    style TODO fill:#E3F2FD,stroke:#1976D2,color:#1E3A5F
    style PROG fill:#FFF3E0,stroke:#F57C00,color:#7C3700
    style DONE fill:#E8F5E9,stroke:#388E3C,color:#1B5E20
  

Six Core Kanban Practices

PracticeDescriptionEffect
Visualize the workflowRepresent all work as cards displayed on a boardImmediate view of team-wide status and bottlenecks
Limit WIPSet an upper bound on concurrent work per column (stage)Prevents multitasking, focuses flow, detects bottlenecks early
Manage flowOptimize so that work moves as quickly and smoothly as possibleShorter lead time, higher throughput
Make policies explicitFormalize criteria for moving between columns and definitions of doneShared team standards prevent confusion
Feedback loopsRegular check-ins such as daily kanban meetings and service reviewsBuilds a culture of continuous improvement (Kaizen)
Collaborative improvementThe whole team improves the process based on dataOptimizes the system rather than individual parts

B. Managing Lead Time

    flowchart LR
    REQ["Work Request"] --> WIP["In Progress"] --> DEL["Completed / Delivered"]

    subgraph LEAD["Lead Time"]
        direction LR
        LT1["Queue Time"]
        LT2["Touch Time"]
    end

    REQ --> LT1 --> LT2 --> DEL

    style LEAD fill:#E3F2FD,stroke:#1976D2,color:#1E3A5F
    style LT1  fill:#FFEBEE,stroke:#D32F2F,color:#000
    style LT2  fill:#E8F5E9,stroke:#388E3C,color:#000
  

Core Kanban Metrics

MetricDefinitionHow It’s Used
Lead TimeTotal time from work request to completion/deliveryEstablishes predictability, sets SLA baselines
Cycle TimeTime from the actual start of work to completionMeasures team throughput capacity, informs work-sizing
ThroughputNumber of items completed per unit timePredicts team velocity, supports capacity planning
WIP CountTotal number of items currently in progressDetects bottlenecks, indicates flow balance
Cumulative Flow DiagramVisualizes the trend of work items in each stage over timeAnalyzes bottleneck location, magnitude, and duration

Lead Time Reduction Strategies

StrategyMethod
Tighten WIP limitsReduce concurrent work so each item gets focus, lowering average lead time
Split work itemsBreak large items into smaller units to shorten cycle time
Reinforce bottleneck stagesDetect bottleneck stages via the cumulative flow diagram and focus resources there
Eliminate queue timeAutomate review/approval waiting, introduce asynchronous processing

3. Expected Benefits and Application of Kanban

CategoryKey Expected BenefitsApplication and Practical Approach
Flow visibilityReal-time view of overall work status and bottlenecksOperate Kanban boards in Jira, Trello, Azure DevOps
PredictabilityDelivery-date forecasting based on lead-time dataUse Monte Carlo simulation to forecast probable completion dates
FlexibilityPriority changes take effect immediately without sprintsWell suited for handling urgent issues in operations, support, and maintenance teams
Continuous improvementBuilds a data-driven process-improvement cultureAnalyze metrics and drive improvement through weekly service delivery reviews