Kanban is a visual workflow management method that helps teams see their work, limit work in progress, and continuously improve flow.
- WIP limits are Kanban's core mechanic
- Cycle time is the primary Kanban performance metric
- Kanban can be adopted without changing existing roles
The Kanban board
A Kanban board visualizes all work in a team's system. Columns represent workflow stages, and each work item is a card that moves across as it progresses.
WIP limits
WIP limits cap how many items can be active in each stage. When a stage is at its limit, no new work enters until one exits, forcing teams to finish before starting.
Cycle time and throughput
Cycle time measures how long an item takes from start to done. Throughput measures items completed per period. These are more meaningful than story points for flow teams.
Where Kanban works best
IT support, maintenance, content production, and any team handling continuous requests rather than discrete project deliveries.
Frequently asked questions
It is a workflow management method, most useful for ongoing work rather than time-boxed projects.
No. A physical whiteboard is a functional Kanban board.
Map your workflow, build a board for those stages, add current work, set WIP limits, and observe.
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