Planforge Blog
  • Software
  • Solutions
  • Pricing
  • Experience
  • Resources
  • en
  • de
 
  • en
  • de
  • Software
  • Solutions
  • Pricing
  • Experience
  • Resources
Back to menu

Software

  • Project Management From project start to completion
  • Program Management Control complex programs easily
  • Portfolio Management Analyze projects and programs
  • Resource Management Plan capacities optimally
  • Strategic Management Implement visions successfully
  • Enterprise Agile Planning All ARTs and PIs in one tool

Software Overview

Back to menu

Solutions

  • Project Management Office All tools for your PMO
  • Lean Project Management Making daily project work easier
  • New Product Development Faster Time-To-Market

All Solutions

Integrations

Jira Confluence SAP API

All Integrations

Back to menu
Back to menu

Experience

  • References
  • Planforge is a Gartner Leader
  • Success Stories
  • Discover Planforge in a demo

Become a part of +25,000 users

Back to menu

About us

  • About the company
  • News from Planforge
  • Press Information

Learn more about Planforge

Resources

Getting Started Guide Downloads FAQ

To the PM blog

May 19, 2020

Part 3: Agile Methods at a Glance: The Kanban Method

The term Kanban comes from Japanese and consists of the words "Kan" for visualization and "Ban" for card, document or board. The best-known Kanban element is probably the Kanban board.

Ing. Oliver Dragoun

Ing. Oliver Dragoun

845 words • 8 minutes

Share on: Auf LinkedIn teilen Tweet Auf Facebook teilen

Kanban is a working method that evolved from the Toyota production system when Toyota introduced just-in-time production in the 1940s to better meet customer demands and reduce storage costs.

The term Kanban comes from Japanese and consists of the words "Kan" for visualization and "Ban" for card, document or board. The best-known Kanban element is probably the Kanban board: In its simplest form, it consists of the 3 columns "To-do", "Doing" and "Done" representing the workflow (see figure 1). If the Kanban board is used correctly, it serves to quickly forward information to adjacent production areas or development teams and thus represents an important information node that visualizes bottlenecks or difficulties in the workflow.

Figure 1: Kanban-Board Abb. 1: Kanban board

If the Kanban board is used correctly, it serves to quickly forward information to adjacent production areas or development teams and thus represents an important information node that makes bottlenecks or difficulties in the workflow visible.

But Kanban is more than the described Kanban board. Originally conceived as a method for decentralized, flexible control of production processes, Kanban has established itself as a method for agile process management with the goal of making workflows more flexible, optimizing the workflow and ultimately increasing the quality and productivity of the end product. The Kanban system is based on the following 4 basic principles:

  1. Start with what you are doing now: Kanban can be placed over any existing workflow or process. So, it is easy to implement in every company, because no comprehensive changes are necessary to get started.

  2. Strive for incremental, evolutionary changes: Kanban with minimal resistance contributes to continuous, incremental and evolutionary changes in the current process by avoiding major changes that cause anxiety or insecurity and thus meet resistance.

  3. Consider current processes, roles and responsibilities: Kanban considers the possible value of existing processes, roles, responsibilities and reflects on keeping them, since changes are as little prescribed as forbidden. Rather, incremental changes that do not trigger fears hindering progress are encouraged.

  4. Facilitate leadership at all levels: This is the latest Kanban principle. It says that improvement can only work if employees at all levels are actively committed to improving processes. Not only the management level, but everyone involved must indeed accept and implement continuous improvement (Kaizen), so that optimal performance is also established in the team, department and company-wide.

The aim of Kanban is to generate a smooth workflow.

But how is Kanban used now? The following 6 steps will help you with your first successful use of Kanban:

  1. Visualization of the process: In order to make changes or optimizations, you first need to understand the current process. Visualization using the Kanban board is ideal for this. On the one hand, the process steps are visualized by columns, and, on the other hand, all work elements are visualized by Kanban cards. By moving the cards from "Requested/To-do" to "In Process/Doing" and "Completed/Done" you can easily recognize the progress and identify possible problems or bottlenecks.

  2. Limitation of the current work in progress: Multitasking or repeated switching between tasks can affect the workflow, as the throughput times increase with the number of tasks started. For this reason, work-in-progress (WIP) limits are introduced in this step, i.e. the number of jobs performed simultaneously at one station is limited. A new job can only be accepted if capacity is available. This "pull system" creates a workflow and any bottlenecks become immediately apparent.

  3. Workflow control: The aim of Kanban is to generate a smooth workflow. This means, on the one hand, a maximum throughput speed and, on the other hand, a throughput without significant friction losses. The ideal is a fast and smooth workflow.

  4. Common view on process guidelines: In order to improve the process, it is necessary to understand it in its entirety. Here it helps to discuss the process with everybody concerned and to create a common point of view. This is the only way to achieve the necessary acceptance and commitment of everyone affected. This is the important breeding ground for supporting positive changes.

  5. Get feedback: For positive changes and knowledge transfer to happen, regular exchange is also necessary. Similar to Scrum, a daily stand-up meeting can be used here. This is held before the Kanban board, and all members tell the others what they did the day before and what they do today.

  6. Improve cooperation: The way to continuous improvement and sustainable change within a company is paved by a common understanding of the problems to be overcome. Teams that share a common understanding of work, workflows, processes... are more likely to suggest improvement measures that can be better supported by the group.

As mentioned at the beginning, the system comes from the Toyota production system, which is why this agile method is particularly suitable for the handling of processes. As with all agile approaches, however, openness towards the method of everyone involved is a prerequisite for its successful use.

pmcc-ad

Relevant Project Management Terms

Agile Project Management

Kanban Board

Scrum

Scrum is an agile project management method, which is mainly used in software development. Scrum consists of a few rules that describe the so-called Core. The basic idea is that a project is not planned from start to finish, but development is iterative with short feedback loops, the so-called Sprints.

Glossary

Planforge Blog
Software
  • Project Management
  • Portfolio Management
  • Program Management
  • Resource Management
  • Strategic Management
  • Enterprise Agile Planning
Solutions
  • Project Management Office
  • Lean Project Management
  • New Product Development
Integrations
  • API
  • Jira
  • Confluence
  • SAP
Experience
  • References
  • Success Stories
All about Planforge
  • Company
  • Partners
  • Jobs
  • News
  • Press
ONEPOINT Projects GmbH

Dietrich-Keller-Strasse 24/6
8074 Raaba-Grambach (Graz), Austria
+43 (316) 267 267 0

ONEPOINT Germany

Mühlenstrasse 13
85778 Haimhausen (Munich), Germany
+49 (81) 33 444 777

ONEPOINT USA

325 W. Washington St. #2225
San Diego, CA 92103, USA
+1 (619) 985 0673

© 2023 ONEPOINT Projects GmbH   info@planforge.io   Imprint   Privacy

li fb o yt tw