kanban-methodology-best-practices

name	kanban-methodology-best-practices
description	Use when: planning, executing, or reviewing delivery work using Kanban boards, WIP limits, pull-based flow, and continuous improvement practices.

Kanban Methodology Best Practices

Goal

Keep delivery flow predictable, transparent, and continuously improving using practical Kanban controls.

Do

• Define clear workflow states and explicit entry/exit criteria for each column.
• Keep board items small, testable, and outcome-focused (vertical slices where possible).
• Enforce pull-based flow: start new work only when capacity is available.
• Set and respect WIP limits for active states (Ready to do, in-progress, review/validation states).
• Require every blocked item to include blocker reason, owner, and unblock dependency.
• Prioritize by service class and risk (expedite only when justified and time-bounded).
• Use aging and lead-time signals to spot stalled flow early.
• Close work with definition-of-done evidence (tests, docs, migration notes, and validation output).
• Review flow metrics regularly (throughput, cycle time, blocked time, rework rate).
• Run lightweight retrospectives and apply one measurable process improvement at a time.

Checks

• Board states are unambiguous and consistently used across cards.
• No hidden work exists outside the board for active delivery.
• WIP breaches are called out and corrected, not normalized.
• Blocked cards contain clear unblock actions and dependencies.
• Items marked Done include acceptance evidence and links to verification artifacts.
• Prioritization reflects current constraints and business value.