WHAT IS THE KANBAN METHOD?

Kanban System Design (KSD) – 2 day class*
The core Kanban practices to design and evolve a Kanban system.

Kanban Systems Improvement (KSI) – 2 day class*
Manage and evolve a Kanban initiative. Scale beyond the team level.

*The KMP credential is granted upon completion of both Kanban System Design and Kanban Systems Improvement courses.

Since its inception, the Kanban Method developed and matured as an effective approach for organizations to achieve greater business agility. It has been applied across a spectrum of sectors in organizations ranging from startups to large multinational corporations.

The Kanban Method can be applied at 3 levels: with Teams to develop sustainable practices, by Managers to improve their ability to provide products and services, and by entire Organizations to develop responsive enterprises that can navigate an increasingly changing market. While the Kanban Method is appropriate in all 3 areas, its biggest benefits are realized

at and beyond Management. For this reason it is appropriately referred to as a Management Method.

The Kanban Method is not a replacement for a current framework or process. Rather it works with any existing process or framework and takes an evolutionary approach to improving what is already in place.

The Kanban Method seeks to achieve balance between (customer) Demands and (business) Capabilities. In organizations where this balance is off, it is typical to see examples of an overworked and unproductive workforce, poor quality, unpredictable results, late deliveries, no time for innovation, and missed opportunities.

The Kanban Method gives you the ability to re-balance the equation by leveraging numerous techniques to help shape demand and improve capability. It doesn’t prescribe any mandatory practices, but has greater results in companies where leadership is encouraged and employees across the organization are motivated to solve problems and put in the work to do so.

Maximize Agility

Agility is the ability to match the pace demanded by your market. The more frequently your market changes, the more agile you may need to be. The Kanban Method helps you maximize your agility by offering approaches to:

Starting work
Speed of delivery
Consistency of delivery
Frequency of delivery

Improved Predictability through Flow

There are many ways in which our work can get stuck: dependencies on others, rework, unclear needs, interruptions, and bottlenecks to name a few. These delays introduce risk to your ability to provide predictable and reliable products and services. The Kanban Method provides techniques to manage flow, remove delays, and get risks under control.

Service Delivery Commitment

The Kanban Method allows you to manage your capabilities so that you can make promises that you can keep.

With Kanban you can effectively measure your service, judge the impact of changes you introduce, and use data to effectively predict your delivery capabilities.

Visual Models

Knowledge Work is largely intangible. Kanban uses visual models such as boards and metrics to “unhide” work in progress.

This creates visibility into status and a single point of truth for collaboration.

A Culture of Respect & Leadership

In many companies, the structure of the organization prevents people from reaching their full potential; the Kanban Method effectively reveals these pain points. Armed with greater appreciation of your organization’s challenges and the means to do something about it, the Kanban Method encourages participation throughout your workforce to lead change. It is done in an evolutionary way, starting with what you do now, to avoid change resistance and introducing unmanaged risks to your organization.