| name | kanban |
| description | Visualize and optimize workflow with Kanban boards. Use when managing team work, identifying bottlenecks, improving delivery flow, or implementing continuous improvement in product development. |
Kanban - Visualize Work, Limit WIP, Optimize Flow
Kanban is a visual workflow management method originating from Toyota's
manufacturing system. It focuses on visualizing work, limiting work-in-progress
(WIP), and optimizing the flow of work through a system.
When to Use This Skill
- Managing team workflow and task prioritization
- Identifying and resolving bottlenecks
- Improving delivery predictability
- Balancing team capacity with demand
- Implementing continuous improvement
- Transitioning from chaotic to structured work
Core Concepts
The Kanban Board
+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| TO DO | DOING | REVIEW | DONE |
| | (WIP:3) | (WIP:2) | |
+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| [Task 1] | [Task 4] | [Task 6] | [Task 8] |
| [Task 2] | [Task 5] | | [Task 9] |
| [Task 3] | | | |
+----------+----------+----------+----------+
Six Core Practices
| Practice | Description |
|---|
| Visualize workflow | Make all work visible on the board |
| Limit WIP | Cap items in each stage |
| Manage flow | Track and optimize throughput |
| Make policies explicit | Document rules for moving work |
| Implement feedback loops | Regular reviews and retrospectives |
| Improve collaboratively | Evolve process based on data |
Key Metrics
| Metric | Definition | Why It Matters |
|---|
| Lead Time | Request → Delivery | Customer perspective |
| Cycle Time | Work Started → Done | Team efficiency |
| Throughput | Items completed per period | Capacity planning |
| WIP | Items currently in progress | Flow health |
Little's Law
Lead Time = WIP / Throughput
To reduce lead time:
- Reduce WIP (easier)
- Increase throughput (harder)
Analysis Framework
Step 1: Map Current Workflow
Identify all stages work passes through:
Idea → Backlog → Analysis → Development → Testing → Deploy → Done
Step 2: Set WIP Limits
Start with: WIP limit = Team size - 1
| Stage | Team Members | Initial WIP Limit |
|---|
| Dev | 4 | 3 |
| Review | 2 | 2 |
| Test | 2 | 2 |
Step 3: Identify Bottlenecks
Look for columns where work accumulates:
+------+------+------+------+
| Dev |Review| TEST | Done |
+------+------+------+------+
| [1] | [4] | [8] | [9] |
| [2] | [5] | [10] | |
| [3] | [6] | | |
| | [7] | | ← Bottleneck in Review
+------+------+------+------+
Step 4: Optimize Flow
Actions to address bottlenecks:
- Add capacity to bottleneck stage
- Reduce WIP in preceding stages
- Improve efficiency at bottleneck
- Change policies (batch size, etc.)
Output Template
## Kanban Board Setup
**Team/Project:** [Name] **Date:** [Date]
### Workflow Stages
| Stage | WIP Limit | Entry Criteria | Exit Criteria |
| --------- | --------- | -------------- | ------------- |
| [Stage 1] | [n] | [Criteria] | [Criteria] |
| [Stage 2] | [n] | [Criteria] | [Criteria] |
### Current Metrics
| Metric | Current | Target |
| ---------- | -------- | -------- |
| Lead Time | [X days] | [Y days] |
| Cycle Time | [X days] | [Y days] |
| Throughput | [X/week] | [Y/week] |
### Bottleneck Analysis
**Current bottleneck:** [Stage] **Root cause:** [Analysis] **Action plan:**
[Steps to resolve]
### Improvement Experiments
| Experiment | Hypothesis | Measure | Duration |
| ---------- | ------------------ | -------- | -------- |
| [Change 1] | [Expected outcome] | [Metric] | [Time] |
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Software Development Team
Before: 15 items in progress, 3-week average delivery After: 6 WIP
limit, 5-day average delivery
Changes:
- Visualized all work (including hidden tasks)
- Set WIP limits (forced focus)
- Daily standups at the board
- Swarming on blocked items
Example 2: Content Marketing Team
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| Ideas | Draft | Edit | Design | Publish|
| (10) | WIP:3 | WIP:2 | WIP:2 | |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
Bottleneck discovered: Design stage Solution: Created template library, reduced
design dependency
Best Practices
Do
- Start with current process, evolve gradually
- Make WIP limits visible and enforced
- Track metrics consistently
- Review board in daily standups
- Celebrate flow improvements
Avoid
- Treating Kanban as just a task board
- Setting WIP limits too high (defeats purpose)
- Ignoring blocked items
- Skipping retrospectives
- Comparing team throughput to others
WIP Limit Guidelines
| Situation | Adjustment |
|---|
| Items stuck too long | Lower WIP |
| Team has idle time | Raise WIP slightly |
| Too much context switching | Lower WIP |
| Bottleneck forming | Address root cause |
Integration with Other Methods
| Method | Combined Use |
|---|
| Hypothesis Tree | Investigate flow problems |
| Five Whys | Find root cause of bottlenecks |
| Cognitive Load | Justify WIP limits (context switching cost) |
Resources
