Before you start using kanban, you need to align your team members on the goals and expectations of the project or process. You should define the scope, deliverables, roles, responsibilities, and metrics of success. You should also agree on the rules and policies of the kanban system, such as the number and size of work items, the limits of work in progress, the criteria of readiness and done, and the frequency of reviews and feedback. By aligning on goals and expectations, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards a common vision.
One of the main benefits of kanban is that it helps you visualize the workflow of your project or process. You can use a kanban board to display the stages, steps, and statuses of your work items. You can also use kanban cards to represent the details, requirements, and priority of each work item. By visualizing the workflow, you can make it easier for your team members to see the big picture, understand the dependencies, identify the bottlenecks, and monitor the progress. You can also use colors, icons, labels, or other visual cues to highlight important information or issues.
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I appreciate it when software designers incorporate Kanban principles into software workflow programs! Using commonly understood colors, icons, and labels is very helpful!
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Remote work has changed the game of visualizing work using Kanban, but I embrace the challenge. In my experience, it requires teams to adapt and become more agile by sharpening communications into pictures, workflow diagrams, and simplified language.
Another benefit of kanban is that it helps you communicate effectively with your team members and other stakeholders. You can use kanban signals to indicate the availability, demand, and flow of work items. For example, you can use a red card to signal that you need more materials or resources, a green card to signal that you have completed a work item, or a yellow card to signal that you have encountered a problem or a change. By using kanban signals, you can reduce the need for meetings, emails, or phone calls, and communicate more efficiently and clearly.
A third benefit of kanban is that it helps you collaborate proactively with your team members and other stakeholders. You can use kanban meetings to share information, provide feedback, resolve issues, and make decisions. You can also use kanban metrics to measure and improve your performance, quality, and customer satisfaction. By using kanban meetings and metrics, you can foster a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and innovation. You can also encourage your team members to take ownership, accountability, and initiative for their work.
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An example used in practice was the kanban board. Every job/task had a magnet. When the job entered the system a magnet was created by the scheduler. These were placed on a large board that had all processes clearly defined. Anyone could follow the progress of any particular job at any given time. This became very helpful when a customer would need a jib rushed etc., as we could fast track that job easily. Especially useful when you have upwards of 75 jibs in process at any point.
A final benefit of kanban is that it helps you adapt to changes in your project or process. Kanban is a flexible and responsive system that allows you to adjust your workflow, priorities, and resources according to the changing customer needs, market conditions, or business goals. You can use kanban feedback loops to collect and analyze data, identify opportunities, and implement changes. You can also use kanban experiments to test new ideas, methods, or solutions. By using kanban feedback loops and experiments, you can optimize your value stream, reduce waste, and increase efficiency.
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