How can you ensure that your Kanban system is responsive to customer needs?

First of all by understanding that kanban is NOT an Agile practice. Usually, it is a sign that Scrum adoption failed. Kanban originated in manufacturing and it is a Lean practice, its Goal is to improve the product development workflow by process standardisation. Standardisation is contrary to Agile's main goal of adapting to change. An introductory course in Lean Six Sigma may help to clarify the confusion introduced by some 'Agile' certification frameworks developed by people without any hands-on experience with product development.

The workflow begins with the backlog, where all incoming tasks are initially collected. From there, tasks move into the "To Do" column when they are ready to be worked on, representing the queue of pending tasks. As team members start working on tasks, they progress to the "In Progress" column. Once completed, tasks move into the "Review/Testing" column to ensure quality standards are met before delivery. Finally, tasks are moved to the "Done" column upon successful completion and delivery to the customer. Throughout this process, the team continuously monitors and adjusts the workflow to ensure responsiveness to customer needs, prioritizing tasks accordingly and maintaining a steady flow of work.

Comments from a Lean Six Sigma perspective. LSS is the science that introduced kanban as a Lean practice. 1. Visualise your workflow? the kanban board shows the work in progress rather than the workflow. The focus is on the items in various stages of a predefined workflow. There is no need to 'visualise the workflow' 2. Limit the work in progress has nothing to do with Agile. It is a Lean goal to reduce/eliminate waste in the process 3. Implement feedback loops is not a kanban goal. because in kanban the workflow is one way only. Feedback loops were documented (well) in the 'waterfall' article in 1970 4. Optimize for value. That's what Lean Six Sigma does 5. Continuous Improvement is the main focus of Lean Six Sigma

Kanban empowers teams to visualize workflow, prioritize tasks for maximum value delivery, and continuously learn and improve. This agile framework, when combined strategically, unlocks even greater efficiency in specific areas.

Utilize the Kanban board to visualize customer requirements and preferences. Represent customer-driven tasks and goals on the board, making it easy for team members to understand and address them promptly. Prioritize tasks on the Kanban board based on customer value and urgency. Ensure that customer needs drive the sequencing of work items, with high-priority tasks related to critical customer requirements receiving immediate attention.

Limiting work in progress (WIP) in Kanban optimizes flow, quality, and delivery speed. Setting maximum tasks per column reduces waste and improves focus. Enforcing a pull system ensures tasks align with capacity. In my experience, WIP limits enhanced team productivity by preventing overload and maintaining steady workflow. For example, by implementing WIP limits, we minimized task switching and completed projects more efficiently, leading to better customer satisfaction and timely deliveries.

Outro princípio essencial do Kanban é limitar a quantidade de trabalho em andamento (WIP) em cada estágio do fluxo de trabalho. Isso reduz o desperdício, a multitarefa e os custos de inventário, enquanto aumenta o fluxo, a qualidade e a velocidade de entrega do trabalho. Para isso, é necessário definir um número máximo de tarefas em cada coluna do quadro Kanban e adotar o sistema pull, iniciando uma nova tarefa somente quando houver espa?o disponível na próxima coluna.

Kanban as a Lean method, interestingly, provides great agility thanks to its pull system and WIP limits. The system, which allows almost instantaneous loading instead iterations by iterations (like in Sprints), the application of emergency lanes that come from the design itself and the fact that the teams can determine their own loads, bring space to the teams, which brings the flexibility required for agility. Especially at the portfolio level, where customer demands are intense, these features of Kanban make it easier to focus on value by allowing the most valuable demands to pass through the pipeline.

The benefits of WIP Limits are: 1. Improved Flow: WIP limits prevent congestion, allowing work to move smoothly through the process. 2. Faster Delivery: Focusing on fewer tasks at a time leads to quicker completion. 3. Visibility: Bottlenecks become evident, prompting action. 4. Reduced Multitasking: Team members avoid context switching, which improves efficiency.

A troca de contexto na passagem de uma tarefa a outra tem um custo muito alto. Manter os membros do time em tarefas correlacionadas melhorará os resultados da sua equipe. Agrupar tarefas menores que est?o no mesmo contexto irá amplia a produtividade da equipe e reduzir o tempo e custo de setup entre atividades.

It is so important to involve your customers or users in your development process. This means user testing but also involving them in your (in case of scrum: sprint) reviews and/or demos. Make sure to add value to them during these reviews or demos, how small this value may be. Visibility of progress while implementing a continuous improvement loop outweighs any form of big bang strategy.

Kanban is responsive to customer needs it Gather customer feedback regularly and Continuously improve the Kanban process. I also help to Visualize customer requests on Kanban boards and Implement short feedback loops. You can Prioritize tasks based on delivering value to customers and Track metrics to measure effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

Feedback frequente aos clientes e interessados no projeto é uma das bases dos métodos ágeis. Você deve ter agendas especificas e recorrentes para feedback para as pessoas relevantes para o seu projeto (Clientes, patrocinadores, testadores, etc.). Você n?o precisa iniciar no estado da arte, mas precisa iniciar e ir evoluindo seu processo de feedbacks.

Regularly solicit and incorporate feedback from customers regarding their needs, preferences, and satisfaction levels. This feedback can inform adjustments to the Kanban system to better align with customer requirements.

Back when I worked with this big bank, my main gig involved diving into their data, unraveling insights, all thanks to the consulting company I was with. Picture this: my manager collected their needs, we tracked it all on Jira using Kanban. But here's the real deal – Customer Feedback was the key to our success. Weekly chats with the client, showcasing work progress, breaking things down into bite-sized wins – it was our secret sauce. This approach ensured that we are delivering incremental value, even though we were following Kanban approach.

In Kanban, optimizing work for value is paramount, focusing on the benefit it delivers to customers and the organization. This entails aligning tasks with strategic goals and customer needs, prioritizing based on value and urgency. Techniques like value stream mapping, cost of delay, and weighted shortest job first aid in assessing work value. By ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and customer requirements, teams maximize the impact of their efforts. Prioritizing tasks according to their value fosters efficient resource allocation and accelerates delivery of meaningful outcomes.

Optimizing work for value in Kanban ensures alignment with strategic goals and customer needs. Prioritizing tasks based on value and urgency enhances responsiveness. In my experience, employing techniques like value stream mapping enabled us to focus on high-impact tasks. For example, by identifying and prioritizing features that directly addressed customer pain points, we maximized the value delivered, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Optimizing for value is crucial to ensure a responsive Kanban system. Prioritize tasks that deliver maximum customer value. Regularly reassess and reprioritize work items to align with changing customer needs. Streamline processes to eliminate bottlenecks, focusing on delivering features that resonate with users. Utilize metrics and feedback loops to gauge value delivery, ensuring continuous improvement. By emphasizing value-driven decision-making and adapting swiftly, your Kanban system becomes inherently responsive, meeting customer expectations and providing a competitive edge in the dynamic landscape of evolving requirements.

Focus on delivering value to customers by prioritizing work items that align with customer needs, preferences, and business objectives. Define clear acceptance criteria and metrics for evaluating the value of each feature or improvement. Continuously assess and prioritize work based on its potential impact on customer satisfaction, revenue, or competitive advantage.

Definition of Value Alignment with Strategic Goals and Customer Needs Prioritization Based on Value and Urgency: Tasks that deliver higher value or address critical customer needs should be given precedence over less impactful tasks. This helps maximize the return on investment and ensures that resources are allocated effectively. Techniques for Determining Value Value Stream Mapping Cost of Delay: Estimate the cost associated with delaying the completion of a work item, helping prioritize tasks with higher cost implications. Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF): Calculate the weighted score of each work item based on its cost of delay and size, enabling informed prioritization decisions.

Continuously Identifying improvement opportunities is key to success. One can use either of continuous improvement method like Constraint Management or bottleneck removal, Waste Reduction or Variability Management. Inspecting and adapting based on customer feedback is important.

Continuous improvement in Kanban fosters adaptability and quality. Cultivating a culture of learning and experimentation empowers teams to innovate. In my experience, applying the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle enabled us to iteratively refine processes. For instance, by regularly reviewing and adjusting our workflows based on feedback, we achieved greater efficiency and better alignment with customer needs. This approach promotes agility and ensures sustained responsiveness to evolving customer requirements.

Abra?ar a melhoria contínua no contexto do Kanban é reconhecer que o processo de aprimoramento é o melhor caminho possivel. Este princípio n?o apenas encoraja a busca por excelência operacional, mas também estabelece uma mentalidade resiliente e proativa diante de um ambiente de negócios que está sempre mudando.

Embracing continuous improvement is integral for a responsive Kanban system. Cultivate a culture that encourages regular reflection, learning, and adaptability. Encourage team members to actively seek opportunities for enhancement. Regularly review metrics, feedback, and performance to identify areas for refinement. Implement incremental changes to processes and workflows, ensuring they align with evolving customer needs. This commitment to continuous improvement transforms your Kanban system into a dynamic, responsive framework, enabling your team to consistently deliver value and exceed customer expectations in an ever-changing landscape.

Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the team by encouraging experimentation, learning, and adaptation. Regularly review and reflect on the performance of the Kanban system and identify opportunities for optimization. Use metrics such as lead time, cycle time, and throughput to measure performance and identify areas for improvement. Actively solicit feedback from team members and stakeholders to drive iterative enhancements to the Kanban system and deliver greater value to customers over time.

A pivotal aspect to augment the responsiveness of a Kanban system to customer needs is integrating direct customer feedback into the workflow. Incorporating a mechanism for gathering and analysing real-time feedback from users ensures that the development team is not just focused on internal metrics but is also aligned with the evolving expectations of the customers. This could involve setting up dedicated customer feedback channels or integrating customer satisfaction surveys at various stages of the product lifecycle. Such direct insights can then be visualised on the Kanban board as actionable items, ensuring that customer-centric improvements are continuously prioritised and integrated into the workflow.

To ensure your Kanban system is responsive to customer needs, prioritize flexibility and continuous improvement. Begin with a clear understanding of customer expectations and market demands. Incorporate regular feedback loops with customers into the process, allowing for real-time insights and adjustments. Use visual management tools to monitor workflow and identify bottlenecks quickly. Encourage a culture of transparency and collaboration, enabling the team to adapt to changes efficiently. Implement metrics to track responsiveness and customer satisfaction, using this data to drive decision-making. By staying customer-focused, your Kanban system can become a dynamic tool that supports agile responsiveness and delivers value effectively.

Make your Kanban customer-centric: Visualize: Map their journey, see their pain points. Prioritize impact: Do what matters most to them first. Listen & adapt: Integrate feedback loops, learn & evolve. Flow freely: Limit work in progress, respond faster. Open the board: Share progress, build trust & transparency. Continuously improve: Adapt based on data & feedback. Teamwork wins: Collaborate to react quickly to customer needs. Remember, Kanban is a journey, not a destination. Keep these tips in mind to build a system that truly responds to your customers!

Facilitate collaboration across different functional areas within the organization to ensure that customer needs are adequately understood and addressed. Encourage open communication and collaboration between teams involved in product development, customer support, and other relevant functions.

Empower teams. The team dynamics such be such that it foster an environment of collaboration and transparency. The team has to understand the importance of customer needs and their feedback. They have to be flexible and willing to incorporate changes. All this means nothing if the team is not empowered enough to be able to incorporate those changes. Autonomy and accountability should be encouraged within the team so that they can respond quickly to customer feedback and requirements.