Kanban
Definition of Kanban:
Kanban a framework that falls under the Agile umbrella and that is extremely visual. The Kanban process focuses on a continuous work flow rather than fixed iterations like in other frameworks such as Scrum to produce shippable deliverables/products. Kanban encourages small, incremental changes to the current process and does not require a specific set up or procedure. Kanban focuses on completing entire projects rather than sprints.
Use of Kanban:
In Kanban teams work with a so called Kanban board which is a backlog of items of work that make up the final product. This board normally consists of three colums: To Do, Doing, Done. However, teams can add columns fitting the product they are building or their process (e.g. test, deploy etc). Rather than being assigned tasks, team members pull work from the [product backlog](/en/agile-dictionary/product-backlog/ "Product Backlog) (To Do column). The only constraint in Kanban are WIP (Work in Progress) limits placed on the amount of work that exists in the pipeline at any given time. Kanban is one Agile method. It is used primarily in software development, but can be used in any kind of project in any industry.
Benefits of Kanban:
- Increases team efficiency.
- Increases productivity.
- Allows flexibility and easily accommodates change.
- Reduces cycle time.
- Optimizes workflow.
- Leads to continuous improvement.
- Increases team’s ability to forecast future work.