The 4 foundational principles
These are about how change happens, and they're what sets the method apart from frameworks that start with a reorganisation.
- Start with what you do now. Draw the process the team actually follows, not the one it should follow.
- Agree to pursue incremental, evolutionary change. Small improvements, one at a time, that people can see working.
- Respect the current process, roles and responsibilities. Nobody's job changes on day 1. That's what makes the method easy to start.
- Encourage acts of leadership at all levels. Anyone who sees a better way can suggest it, not only managers.
The 6 core practices
1. Visualise the workflow
Put every piece of work on a board, with a column for each stage it really goes through. Hidden work can't be managed. See kanban board examples.
2. Limit work in progress
Cap how many cards each stage can hold. When a column is full, finish something before starting something new. This is the practice that changes behaviour most.
3. Manage flow
Watch how cards move, not how busy people look. Where do cards wait? How long does a card usually take? Cycle time and a cumulative flow diagram help.
4. Make policies explicit
Write down the rules everyone follows: what a column means, the WIP limits, and when a card counts as done. A definition of done is a policy. Unwritten rules get applied differently by everyone.
5. Implement feedback loops
Meet regularly to check the work and the process: a daily standup at the board, and a regular review of how the system is working.
6. Improve collaboratively, evolve experimentally
Treat each change as an experiment. Change one thing, like a WIP limit, watch what happens to flow, and keep it or undo it.
What it looks like on a board
- Visualise: a column for each real stage, including the ones where work waits.
- Limit WIP: a number on the busiest columns. In craaft, a column at its limit shows it.
- Manage flow: look for columns where cards pile up and cards that haven't moved. Focus in craaft lists undated cards that haven't moved in a week.
- Explicit policies: write them in the board brief, where people and agents both read them.
- Feedback loops: standup mode (press U) walks the board one person at a time.
- Improve: change a column or a limit, and look at the board again in 2 weeks.
Start from the kanban board template and add to it as you learn.
The method vs the board
Most teams who say they use kanban mean the board. The method goes further: limits, written policies and steady improvement. A board without WIP limits is useful, but it's a visual to-do list. The limits, and the habit of looking at flow, are what make a team finish more.
New to all of this? Start with what is kanban.
Questions
Who created the kanban method?
David J. Anderson set it out for knowledge work, most fully in his 2010 book Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business. It builds on Toyota's production system, where kanban began.
What are the principles of kanban?
The 4 foundational principles are: start with what you do now, agree to pursue incremental and evolutionary change, respect the current process, roles and responsibilities, and encourage acts of leadership at all levels.
What are the 6 core practices of kanban?
Visualise the workflow, limit work in progress, manage flow, make policies explicit, implement feedback loops, and improve collaboratively and evolve experimentally.
Does the kanban method need special roles?
No. It deliberately keeps the roles and responsibilities a team already has. Some teams add a service delivery manager over time, but nothing is required.