The Ultimate Guide to…

Kanban Boards
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 What Is a Kanban Board?

The Kanban Board: A Closer Look

What is Kanban Software?

Desktop vs. Online Kanban Software

Benefits of Kanban Software

Must-Have Kanban Software Features

How to Use Kanban Boards for Project Management

What is a Kanban System?

How do Agile and Kanban Work Together?

How about Kanban vs Scrum?

Who Uses Kanban Boards?

Can Kanban Boards Be Used for Personal Task Management?

What Is a Kanban Board?

A kanban board is a visual way to manage tasks and work5ows,
which utilizes an analog or digital board with columns and cards.
The cards represent tasks, and the columns organize those tasks by
their progress or current stage in development.

Kanban—which is the Japanese word for “billboard”—was developed by

Toyota in the 1940s. It was originally a scheduling system to execute just-
in-time manufacturing. It was designed to improve eKciency by limiting
supplies and resources to what was needed for the immediate task. Today,
kanban boards are used in nearly every industry, most notably software
development.
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 Teams enjoy using this system due to its ease of use, visual interface and
ability to instantly see what everyone is working on. It also provides
visibility into task progress, and whether a speciLc task is holding up the
project.

The beneLts of kanban are myriad. As mentioned, it offers a visual means

to manage work5ow. The kanban board puts the whole process on one
page or screen, so it’s easy to see who is working on what and where that
falls in the project cycle. Team effort can be focused solely on the task that
is needed now, so that work is done faster.

This keeps work moving without interruption. Project managers can assign
work when a team member is idle, and team members always have a task
to work on. This process facilitates the smooth movement of work,
avoiding bottlenecks and overloaded teams with too many assignments at
once.

The Kanban Board: A Closer Look

The kanban board is part of the larger kanban system. It helps to visualize
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 work5ow, keep only what needs to be done in progress, and by doing so,
maximizes eKciency. The board represents the overall project and is
usually broken up into three parts: to do, in progress and done.

Therefore, the board is but one view of the project, which can be seen in
many different conLgurations depending on preference or the project. For
example, ProjectManager.com has a kanban view, but also a task list, Gantt
and calendar view, which all show the same data but in different ways.

The beauty of the kanban board is its simplicity, and its ability to portray the
project in a practical way. Each column is a stage in the project, so the
board gives teams and managers an overview at a glance. Teams can see
what they’re assigned to work on, and managers can track progress.

Kanban Cards
Kanban cards live on the kanban board, and each one represents an
individual task. Each card is Llled with information related to that task, such
as its name and a short description. They will also be assigned to the team
member or members, who will be responsible for executing the task by the
deadline. With ProjectManager.com, any supporting Lles can be added and
there is also a comment box for collaboration.

Kanban Columns
As noted above, columns reside on the board and are a way to break up the
different stages in the project work5ow. Cards are organized under the
column headings and are dragged to the next column to the right to
indicate where in the production cycle or work5ow they are.
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 Work-in-Progress Limits
In order to optimize eKciencies and avoid overcapacity, there can be limits
placed on the amount of tasks that are placed within the different stages of
the work5ow columns. By limiting the amount of tasks collected in the
work-in-progress column, for instance, teams can concentrate on only
those crucial tasks and get their work done faster.

Kanban Swimlanes
Horizontal lanes on kanban boards can also be helpful. They’re called
swimlanes
Home and help to separate different activities, teams, services, etc.

Features
What is Kanban Software?
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Pricing to execute a kanban system you need some sort of a kanban
Naturally,
board, but it doesn’t necessarily need a digital platform. The structure is
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simple and could be applied with a wall and a bunch of Post-Its in columns.
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 However, the right kanban software can help project managers and their
teams visualize their work5ow and collaborate even better.

Kanban software takes the basic visual approach of a kanban board and
cards and digitizes it, so now work5ow can be seen by the whole team. It
makes organization easier and helps project managers and teams manage
the work5ow better. Therefore, the software fulLlls the core practice to
always be improving. Cutting waste and automating some aspects of the
process through software features allows teams to focus on their
activities.

Kanban software facilitates the continuous improvement of the production

process. That’s because it has added features, such as tracking, limiting
work-in-progress, reporting functionality, forecasting and more.

Web-based kanban software further adds eKciencies by being accessible

from everywhere and at any time. This is a boon for remote or distributed
teams, keeping them in communication and fostering collaboration. Also,
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 with an online software, updates are instant and changes go live
immediately. This adds to eKciencies as the project manager and teams
are able to see the actual progress of the work5ow.

Microsoft Project is one of the most commonly used project management

software, but it has major drawbacks that make ProjectManager.com a
better alternative.

Desktop vs. Online Kanban Software

Your choice of either a desktop or a web-based online kanban software
really depends on you (or your organization’s) needs. Desktop software
tends to be more popular with larger, more established organizations who
might be more reluctant to change; whereas web-based software is
generally preferred by smaller organizations, more modern large
companies, and startups.

Desktop Kanban Software

Some of the beneLts of using desktop software include:

○ Security: While online software continues to become more secure, a

desktop program untethered to the internet is going to have fewer
points of entry.

○ Customization: In general, a desktop program is more likely to

customize to your needs than an online one.

○ Work O5ine: Obviously, a desktop can continue to work even if you

have a disruption in your online service.

Web-Based Online Kanban Software

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 Here are some of the beneLts of using online kanban software:

○ No Installation: Online software doesn’t require lengthy installs and

usually don’t need a lengthy period of training.

○ Subscription Model: Desktop applications tend to be expensive and

more so for each team member you license to use it. Online apps
usually are pay-as-you-go and offer tiers of varying payment plans.

○ Real-Time Data: Because updates are instantly re5ected in the tool, you
know where your project is at that moment and not a point in the past
— better data, better decisions.

Part of the decision is a personal preference. Some people might just

prefer the old-fashioned desktop version even as the industry increasingly
moves online.

However, if you’re working with teams and they’re distributed across the
country or the world, online kanban software erases the distance between
them. They can collaborate, communicate and work more productively
together.

Benefits of Kanban Software

When you have a team working on a project, it’s important to direct them,
but not get in their way. Kanban boards offer transparency for managers,
who get a window into the production cycle. They can see where the tasks
are and reallocate resources as needed to keep the work 5owing forward.

Teams get to manage their own tasks, plan sprints, collect their backlog
and execute the tasks of highest priority Lrst. They know what to do when.
All this is facilitated by kanban software. Here are a few of the reasons why
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 kanban software is so important.

○ Keeps tasks organized

○ Create customized work5ows

○ Share boards for collaboration

○ Track production of tasks in real-time

Must-Have Kanban Software Features

Kanban software varies in terms of what tools it offers, so when you’re looking to use one be sure
it has these features.

Custom Collaboration File Filters Dashboards Multiple

Work How You Want

No two projects are exactly the same, nor are the teams that execute them. Therefore,
kanban boards need to re5ect this 5exibility with customizable columns. You want to
add as many as you need and name them whatever you want.
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 How to Use Kanban Boards for Project
Management
ProjectManager.com, a cloud-based project management software, is an
ideal kanban software for project managers and teams. It visualizes
work5ow and has features that make assigning and executing tasks as
simple as a keystroke.

To use the kanban view with ProjectManager.com, start a free 30-day trial.
Then, upload your task list, or create a new project. Follow this step-by-step
guide below to get started with kanban on ProjectManager.com.
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 1. Add Columns
The traditional kanban process is three columns: To Do, Doing and Done.
But you can title the columns whatever suits with your work5ow. There can
be as many columns as you need to visualize the various stages of your
production. But, basically, this is a 5ow from assigned to executing to
complete.

A kanban board in ProjectManager.com

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 2. Add Cards
Now, beneath the To Do column, add the individual tasks to the kanban
board. These should have a descriptive title so they can be easily
understood.

3. Add Description and Assign Task

Write a description to provide instructions for the task. The card can then
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 be assigned to one or more team members, and supporting documents or
images can be attached. These cards will move to the Work-in-Progress
column as they’re being executed and to the Done column when complete.

4. Collaborate on Tasks
You can open up your task right from the board view. Throughout the
process, comments can be added at the task level, and team members will
get email notiLcations when an @ is added before their name. This keeps
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 everyone on the same page and enables real-time collaboration.

5. Expand Task to Add More Details

You can also expand the card to get even more control over your task. Here
you can update hours worked, create a to-do list within the task, add tags
and so on. You can also create a dialogue with other team members,
documenting all the communication right there on the task card.
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 Take a 30-day free trial of ProjectManager.com, and start using kanban boards today!

What is a Kanban System?

The kanban system manages the whole value chain of any production. That
is, from the supplier to the end customer and all points in between.

In order to do this, kanban cannot be an isolated tool but must continuously

monitor its process throughout the entire value chain. It is always looking
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 for improvements to add eKciencies and keep resources balanced with the
needs of production.

For example, bottlenecks slow down production because there is too little
supply or too much supply for the resources allocated to the process.
Therefore, the system is looking for ways to get more throughput with less
delivery lead times. Given time, kanban achieves its goal of increasing
production eKciencies.

4 Foundational Principles of Kanban

1. Start with what you’re doing now. Don’t make changes to your process
immediately, but use kanban for your current work5ow. Changes occur
organically over time and shouldn’t be rushed.

2. Evolutionary change is incremental, not radical, so as not to give teams

cause for alarm or resistance.

3. Respect current roles and responsibilities, and allow teams to

collaboratively identify and implement any changes.

4. Encourage leadership from everyone to help keep the mandate of

continuous change for maximizing improvements.

6 Core Practices of Kanban

1. Visualize work5ow, whether through a physical board or software.

2. Limit work-in-progress to keep teams executing tasks quickly.

3. Manage and improve work5ow by observing work and resolving

bottlenecks.

4. Be explicit with process policies: deLne and share them.

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 5. Have feedback loops, such as review stages, to deliver the end-product
to the customer as quickly as possible.

6. Be collaborative and experimental to always push for improvement.

The History of Kanban

Kanban was developed in Japan in the late 1940s by the Toyota car
company. It was originally developed by the Japanese industrial engineer,
Taiichi Ohno. They looked into other stocking systems, such as those used
by supermarkets, and applied them to their factory 5oor. For example, in a
supermarket, customers shop for what they need and not as often just to
stock up on supplies. Therefore, the supermarket stocks what it expects to
sell.
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 This made Toyota develop a process in which the production cycle was
thought of as a customer in need of immediate supplies. In other words,
the factory stocks the inventory at levels that meet the actual consumption.

Toyota tracked consumption through a replenishment cycle, which made

the chain from supplier to consumer visible. The rate of demand controls
the rate of production. By 1953, Toyota was using kanban for work5ow in
its main plant machine shop.
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 Kanban eventually moved from the factory 5oor in Japan to being a global
tool in lean manufacturing systems and agile approaches to project
management. By the 2000, it was established as a tool to visualize work,
limit work in progress, focus on 5ow and practice continuous
improvements.

How do Agile and Kanban Work

Together?
Kanban is a tool when taking an agile approach to project management.
Agile is seeking continuous iteration, and kanban seeks continuous
improvement. While agile works best when the Lnal goal is not set and
adapts as the project progresses, kanban works to reduce waste and
eliminate those activities that are not adding value.

Agile works in short sprints, of usually no more than two weeks, and
kanban strives for short cycle times as well, so it can deliver its features
faster. Both are tethered to constant communications to enhance
collaboration.

However, in terms of quality assurance (QA), agile isn’t interested until the
end of its sprint, while with kanban QA is tested throughout every phase of
the project. Also, agile embraces iterative development, but kanban doesn’t
allow it.

Therefore, there are points in common between these two approaches, but
they’re not fully aligned.

How about Kanban vs Scrum?

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 Agile is an iterative and incremental approach, and scrum is one of the
implementations of agile. So, how do kanban and scrum get along?

Many teams that are using scrum in projects Lnd kanban a powerful tool.
Scrum and kanban can work together, especially as a way to visualize
work5ow. But they also complement each other, as both focus on process
and the elimination of waste.

There are differences however: roles and responsibilities in kanban are not
pre-deLned like they are in scrum. Kanban is not scrum. It’s visual, and
scrum is iterative. However, kanban can be customized to Lt in a scrum
framework to manage projects, work5ow and processes.

Who Uses Kanban Boards?

Kanban boards can be used by anyone who prefers a visual work5ow tool.
There are various types of intelligence: some respond better by doing
things with their hands, others learn best from text and then there are visual
learners. Those who lean on a visual understanding are going to Lnd a
kanban board to be a clear and concise way to manage their work5ow.

In terms of business, while the tool have been embraced by tech

companies who love to work agile, almost any that are working some kind
of project can beneLt from kanban. This includes healthcare providers,
especially hospitals, which are a constant 5ow of medical devices and
materials; manufacturers of every kind, from the Toyotas of the world to
smaller factories creating whatever widget; even publishers, whether digital
or physical, are on a production schedule that can be streamlined through
the use of kanban.
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 Portfolio Kanban Boards
Kanban boards are not only a visual window into the production of a single
project: they can be used to manage a portfolio or program. A portfolio
kanban board can be easier to use than other portfolio management tools,
while offering a multiple-level view into your portfolio. A portfolio kanban
system captures high-level strategic processes, mid-level technical
processes and team operational processes.

Managing a portfolio requires one to observe how various projects are

working together to achieve the objectives of an organization. By using a
single kanban board, you can create swimlanes to track each project in
your portfolio. You can quickly see what projects are coming down the
pipeline and then make budgetary decisions on other projects based on
that information.

Because a portfolio is made up of multiple projects there can be

dependencies between one project in the portfolio and another. With a
portfolio kanban board you have a variety of tools to stay aware of these
dependencies, such as horizontal and vertical lanes.

In short, portfolio kanban boards align your goals and enables you to track
them. It helps portfolios work eKciently by eliminating waste and keeps the
focus on Lnishing work before starting new work. Most importantly,
portfolio kanban is a visual work5ow tool that increases portfolio
productivity.

Kanban Certification
While kanban is at its root a simple tool, knowing the practice, concepts
and metrics involved only deepen the impact of using this tool. Therefore,
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 it’s natural that those practitioners who have a certain expertise would want
to pass on knowledge to others new to kanban.

CertiLcation is more than just responding to a person’s desire to learn; it’s

also a manager’s need to hire the right people with the appropriate skills for
the team. In a sense, certiLcation is a shortcut in assembling a team, as it
lifts those candidates with certiLcation out of the larger pool.

Because kanban Lts into an agile framework, one that’s especially

appropriate for scrum teams, it is no surprise that Scrum.org offers the
Profession Scrum with Kanban level I (PSK 1) assessment. The course is
not a requirement for scrum certiLcation, but it is recommended for
strengthening such subject areas as kanban practices, agile metrics and
the scrum framework.

The Scrum Institute also offers a kanban certiLcation that attests to

“proLciency in the kanban operations management, as well as in the
kanban software development and delivery framework.” The Scrum
Institute offers two certiLcations, Kanban Expert and a certiLed Kanban
Project Manager certiLcation program.

Can Kanban Boards Be Used for

Personal Task Management?
Kanban is such a versatile tool that it can be applied to one’s own personal
tasks. Look outside of business and few might be using kanban as a
means to organize their household. However, it could be used as a dynamic
tool for getting the groceries, doing housework and making sure the kids
are on schedule for school and whatever extra-curricular engagements.
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 But back to industry, which is built on individual workers, they too can
beneLt from kanban whether it’s employed in their organization or not.
Everyone who works is responsible for getting something done. That’s just
another way of saying that they have tasks. Tasks can be placed on a
kanban board and moved through the process of identifying, executing and
completing.

Think of kanban as a super-task list, one that can keep you focused on the
work at hand without losing track of the larger picture. If your company isn’t
using kanban, you can. And when they see how you’ve excelled and made
your job more eKcient, chances are they’ll be getting on the kanban wagon
too.

So sign up for ProjectManager.com today and start getting more done.

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