Kanban is a method that has been designed with the motive of getting a complete overview of the current work status and making it easier for everyone to collaborate. Kanban board is not limited to any particular size and type of business, and this is why it is being used on such an enormous level. If you succeed in applying the Kanban board in your workflow, then you will not only be able to boost productivity, but you will also grow in minimizing the chances of chaos in your firm.
How does the Kanban board work?
The Kanban board all comes down to mapping individual work items into a type of sticky notes put in columns on a bigger board. The columns that will be used here will mainly represent the value stream. To finish, the tasks will need to go through steps right from the beginning to the end. It will be your job to put the work items on the cards and then assign them to their columns. There will be different colors of cards, and each one of them will be used to represent different types of work items.
There will be horizontal rows in the board, and these boards will be known as the Swimlanes. You should know that these columns will be used for organizing teams that will be working on the same board. These types of columns will always have an upper limit when it comes down to capacity. This type of approach will ensure a smoother workflow and guarantee that all the team members are pulling cards while moving from left to right in the column.
The application of the Kanban Board
There used to be a time when people thought that the Kanban board could only be used in software development, but that’s not true. There is no denying that this board is highly effective for software development. Still, with time, many industries and firms out there have successfully incorporated this board in their system and have already started harnessing the benefits.
This means that this board can be used for team task management, personal use, sales, customer support, product backlog management, and much more. When it comes down to sectors, Kanban boards are prevalent among healthcare, education, event management, construction management, IT, and management industry.
Main elements of a Kanban board
If you are serious about using the Kanban board in your firm, you will have to understand the Kanban board’s different elements; otherwise, you will never get tangible results. There are four main elements on which every Kanban board out there will be built, and these elements are:-
Columns: The board that you will be using will need to have a series of vertical columns. Every column in the board will represent a completely different stage in the workflow.
WIP(Work in Progress) Limits: This will indicate the maximum number of cards any particular team can add to the board.
Cards with visual signs: The cards should describe the meaning they are carrying in the most precise way possible as they are being used to make the workflow smoother.
Swimlanes: The horizontal columns in the board are known as swimlanes.
If you can successfully implement the Kanban board in your workflow, you can manage your project more efficiently. This is why proper use and knowledge of the board is crucial.