Why is Flow so important and a core concept in Kanban University's curriculum?

The concept of Flow has been rooted in Kanban University’s teachings since its beginnings. One of the core Kanban practices says, "Manage Flow” and the "Flow" is established as a separate value in the Kanban Maturity Model (KMM).?? ? ?

Lesson 1: Information Has Value?

• Unlike tangible goods, knowledge work inventory doesn't use physical space, but it does cost money, and hence, it has a carrying cost.?

• We should track work requested by customers or ideas for products, services, or features created by businesspeople, as they progress towards completion.?

• The faster we can turn a request or an idea into a finished product, the lower our carrying cost of inventory.?

Lesson 2: Knowledge Work is Perishable?

• Knowledge work is like selling fruit – it degrades over time.?

• What you know now, with clarity, and precision, may fade to something vague and imprecise later.?

Lesson 3: Knowledge Flows as New Information Arrives ?

• Knowledge flows through the workflow.?

• We needed a way to instrument our process and track and report the knowledge inventory

Lesson 4: We Need to Visualize?

• We cannot manage what we cannot see.??

• Instrumenting for, tracking, and reporting progress through a workflow is the fundamental enabler for a focus on lead time reduction.?

Lesson 5: Apply Management Techniques?

• Once we start tracking inventory and "see" flow, we can apply other management techniques:?

• Visualizing, tracking, and eliminating failure demand?

• Focusing on quality and first time right?

• Deferring commitment to gather the most information possible

Stop starting, start finishing! Focus on flow!

Learn all about FLOW in Kanban University's?

NEW Flow Manager Class coming SOON!

Learn about the NEW Flow Manager Class!

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