Kanban in a nutshell

Flow is everything

Kanban       看板

Japanese word for ‘a sign/signal’ (large visual board) or ‘a ticket’ 

Literally translated from Chinese: "looking at the board"

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Kanban is about achieving FLOW and minimizing WASTE

Flow is when value is created for the customer through meaningful work.
It’s the action, or fact, of moving along in a steady, continuous stream

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A kanban is a tool to visualize, organize, and complete work.

The first official use of kanban can be traced to Taiichi Ohno’s work at Toyota. He needed a way to quickly communicate to all workers how much work was being done, in what state it was, and how the work was being done. His goal was to make work processes transparent – meaning he wanted everyone, not just managers to know what was “really” going on. The goal was to empower line workers to improve how Toyota worked. Everyone had a hand in making Toyota better.

(Jim Benson, Personal Kanban)

Theory of Constraints

The Theory of Constraints, created by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, is a framework for identifying where constraints are in a system and then going through a process to improve the situation.

The five focussing steps

In short, the process for identifying and eliminating a constraint is known as ‘the five focussing steps’.
These are as follows:

1. Identify the constraint.

The first step is to find the single point in our system that is most limiting the rate at which we complete our work in order to meet our goal.

Let’s take an example of a software development team: we may identify that manual testing is the point where work is backing up and at which work is slowest to flow through. This is our constraint.

2. Decide how to exploit the constraint.

The next step is to ensure that the stage in our process where the constraint is identified is working at maximum capacity.

Example: we ensure that the people involved in the testing activity are solely working on this.

3. Subordinate and synchronize everything else to the above decisions.

This step requires that all other stages in our process are aligned with the constraint. This means that all other stages are working in a way which reduces the load that is put on the constraint.

Example: ensure that we are using unit tests and that each work item is code reviewed by 2 other people before it goes to test.

4. Elevate the performance of the constraint.

This step is required if the constraint still exists even after we have gone through the previous three steps. We would keep working through this stage until the constraint stops being a constraint.
This may involve financial investment to help alleviate the issue.

Example: we may look to try and bring the testing activity forward in the process and in the most extreme circumstance we may even look to recruit additional people to take part in the testing activity.

5. If in any of the above steps the constraint has shifted, go back to Step 1

Goldratt describes the Theory of Constraints and its five focussing steps as ‘A process of ongoing improvement’ 
This means that once a constraint has been broken, we immediately move on to try and break the next constraint.
Goldratt also says we should ‘not allow inertia to cause a system’s constraint.’

Recommended Agile Practices

• Daily Standups

• Retrospectives

• Definition of Done

• ... (what works for the team)

How to start

• Change as little as possible

• Map the value stream on the task board

• Put tasks on the board

• Set work-in-progress limits

• Measure lead & cycle time

• Don't just copy an existing kanban system

  • • each design must be designed using the system thinking approach to implement kanban 

      • STATIK (System Thinking Approach to introducing Kanban)

        1. Understand what makes the service "fit for purpose"

        2. Understand sources of dissatisfaction regarding current delivery

        3. Analysze sources of and nature of demand

        4. Analyze current delivery capability

        5. Model the service delivery workflow

        6. Identify & define classes of service

        7. Design the kanban system 

        8. Sociolize design & negotiate implementation

    • Design an appropriate kanban system to balance demand against capability

Kanban Values

• The Kanban method is motivated by the attitude that all persons contributing to a common company must be respected.
  This mutual respect is essential if the company is to succeed and pay off. Without this mutual respect, the company itself is not promising.

• The Kanban method is based on a system of nine values.
  Respect is the foundation on which the other values are built.
  They essentially summarize why the principles and practices of this method exist at all:

• Transparency
  By an open exchange of information and a clear and unambiguous vocabulary you create transparency in all areas.

• Balance
  You are efficient if you balance the different requirements, views and abilities of all participants among each other.

• Collaboration
  The Kanban method improves the way people work together. Collaboration is therefore one of its key points.

• Customer Focus
  The customers and the value (asset) they receive are the natural centre of interest of all persons involved in the company.

• Workflow
  Work represents a continuous or occasional flow of values. An important starting point in using Kanban is to recognize and maintain such a flow of work.

• Leadership
  Leadership is required at all levels to generate value and achieve an improved state.

• Understanding
  Understanding means first and foremost self-awareness, both from the individual employee as well as from the entire organization to move forward.
  Kanban is a method of improvement and improvement requires change, which in turn requires understanding. Once you have identified a particular problem, you determine cause and effect.
  This means you need to understand your work and the processes involved first in order to improve it: Start with what you are doing and understand why you are doing it.

• Agreement
  In an agreement, all parties agree to pursue goals together. Different opinions and approaches must be respected. These different points of view should converge.
  This rapprochement arises from the joint commitment of the persons involved to improve all processes necessary for the joint achievement of the objectives.

• Respect
  Respect for people in the form of appreciation, understanding and consideration is the foundation on which the other values are based:
  Start with what you are doing and look at how what you are doing meets or does not meet the needs of people inside and outside the organisation.

• These values are the motivation of Kanban to continuously improve teamwork and the services produced. You apply the Kanban method analogously if you accept these nine values.