What Is Kanban?
Kanban is a visual system for managing work as it moves through a process. Originally developed by Toyota for manufacturing, it has been widely adopted in software development and knowledge work.
Core Principles of Kanban
- Visualize your workflow — Make all work visible on a Kanban board
- Limit work in progress (WIP) — Reduce multitasking to improve focus and throughput
- Manage flow — Monitor and optimize the movement of work items
- Make policies explicit — Define clear rules for how work is processed
- Implement feedback loops — Use regular reviews to improve continuously
- Improve collaboratively — Evolve the process through experimentation
Setting Up a Kanban Board
A basic Kanban board has three columns: To Do, In Progress, and Done. As your process matures, you can add more columns to represent specific workflow stages. The key is to set WIP limits for each column to prevent bottlenecks.
Kanban vs Scrum
While both are Agile approaches, they differ in several ways:
- Scrum uses fixed-length sprints; Kanban uses continuous flow
- Scrum has defined roles; Kanban does not prescribe roles
- Scrum plans work per sprint; Kanban pulls work as capacity allows
Many teams use a hybrid approach called "Scrumban" that combines elements of both.
Getting Started
Start simple. Create a board with three columns, add your current tasks, set a WIP limit of 3 for "In Progress," and observe how work flows. Adjust and refine over time based on what you learn.