Beyond the board: How Kanban works into the Agile world

Kanban is a method of organizing workflow. The method, which dates back to the 1940s, was created to boost factory efficiency by tracking production. Surprisingly, there was no visual board at all when Kanban originally began. The Kanban system was built on a foundation of principles.

Despite the popular misconception that Kanban is a board for monitoring work, it is a set of key concepts. The board is a terrific visual tool for showing you what’s going on, but it’s the principles that make the system work. The principles encompass the six Kanban rules, which we’ve previously discussed on the PRINCE2 blog. Kanban has been embraced by a variety of sectors, from project management to IT development, sales and marketing to QA and testing, and they have been further improved through time.

Kanban’s growing range of applications allows it to be utilized in practically any industry and in conjunction with other frameworks such as agile.

Kanban and Agile are a great match

The capacity to produce and adapt to change is referred to as agile practice. We provide PRINCE2 Agile certification training, which is a recognized course that blends the freedom of agile with the structure of PRINCE2. You will master important agile principles that enable continuous delivery and adaptation over the course.

According to the agile method:

• Processes and tools should be valued less than people and interactions.
• Working software trumps thorough documentation.
• Collaboration with customers is preferred above contract negotiations.
• Adapting to change while sticking to a plan

Much of this manifesto is consistent with Kanban ideas. Kanban, for example, focuses on individuals and interactions. The goal is to deliver on time, but not at the risk of overburdening team members. Kanban views the team as the most essential figure in the process, as it does in agile.

Take the issue of blockers, for example. In Kanban, blockers are unplanned events that create delays in the completion of a task on your board. Individuals will ‘swarm’ on the barrier in this case as a proactive manner of issue resolution, even if it involves venturing beyond their area of expertise. This exchange demonstrates that collaborative activities are ubiquitous in Kanban, just as they are in agile. Work queue management and flow management are joint duties.

Working software is valued in agile environments, and Kanban is typically used in digital, interactive forms, such as aboard. There will usually be columns that represent the task’s current state. When a team member completes a task, the person who will complete the next task pulls it to the next column. Pulling from ‘programming’ to ‘testing,’ for example. Kanban boards may be created using a variety of software solutions, and they’re a vital resource for agile teams.

Kanban frequently includes daily Kanban meetings, which are similar to daily scrums, except the format of these is more focused on fixing workflow concerns and overcoming any obstacles. Kanban also encourages risk evaluations and service delivery reviews, and it places high importance on metrics. Kanban and PRINCE2 Agile operate together effortlessly because of their transparent, collaborative working approach.

Responding to change in accordance with a strategy

One of the most striking similarities between agile and Kanban is the emphasis on adapting to change rather than sticking to a plan. Kanban is similar to PRINCE2 Agile in that it provides a structure for working flexibly. Getting things done takes time, but plans must be flexible. Kanban is all about visualizing your work, keeping work in progress to a minimum, and increasing productivity. Planning, execution, iteration, and reflection are all part of the process.

Kanban recognizes that change may come at any moment and enables adaptability. Daily meetings, often known as “feedback loops,” are critical to Kanban’s success because they promote cooperation and the development of novel, experimental methods. Agility and innovation are essential for managing change and discovering possibilities for advancement.

Both Agile and Kanban emphasize incremental delivery and continuous development while remaining focused on the broader picture. As part of its value-centric strategy, Kanban pushes teams to learn and grow continually. While doing so, it continuously reduces waste and removes impediments.

Kanban isn’t only for teams, though. Feedback loops, as well as the board, flow, and metrics, should all be highly influenced by the project manager. They should use this information to provide feedback to upper management as well as stakeholders. Kanban fits into agile in this way, both in daily practice and while planning and dealing with the big picture.

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