Intro to Kanban in Under 5 Minutes (What is Kanban, Learn Kanban)

Summary

The video script introduces Kanban, a lean scheduling system developed by Toyota, which is visually represented like a sushi menu and applied to software development. It emphasizes the use of a board with cards to track the workflow from 'New' to 'Complete'. Kanban's strength lies in its WIP limits that prevent bottlenecks and promote steady work flow. When combined with Scrum, it enhances project management with tools like OnTime Scrum, offering a 30-day free trial for a comprehensive project view, including customizable dashboards and burndown charts.

Takeaways

• 📚 Kanban is a lean scheduling system developed by Toyota, using visual cues to guide production.
• 🍣 The concept of Kanban is exemplified by a sushi menu, where customers specify what and how much they want to order.
• 🔑 In software development, Kanban starts with a board and cards representing items in the product backlog.
• 📋 The board organizes these cards into workflow steps, from 'New' to 'Complete', with steps in between customizable to fit the team's process.
• 👀 The visual board helps in easily identifying the status of tasks: what's done, in progress, and what's next.
• 🔄 As long as the team continues to complete work, the cards move to the right, ensuring continuous delivery to customers.
• 🚦 Kanban uses Work in Progress (WIP) limits to maintain a steady pace of work and to prevent bottlenecks.
• 🔍 WIP limits help in identifying problems quickly by creating visible bottlenecks, prompting the team to collaborate and resolve issues.
• 🛠 Limiting WIP encourages finishing current tasks before starting new ones, reducing task-switching and improving focus.
• 🤝 Kanban can be used independently but works exceptionally well when paired with Scrum for enhanced project management.
• 🛑 Scrum provides structure for feedback, planning, and adaptability, while Kanban ensures a steady flow of tasks to completion.
• 🚀 OnTime Scrum offers a 30-day free trial, featuring a tool for visualizing the product backlog, organizing by developer, and providing project visibility with dashboards and charts.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the Kanban methodology for software development, its origins, and its application in conjunction with Scrum.

Who is the speaker in the video script?

The speaker in the video script is Angelo Coppola from Axosoft.

What is the origin of the Kanban system?

The Kanban system originated in Japan and was developed by the Toyota Motor Corporation as a lean scheduling system.

How does a typical sushi menu relate to the Kanban system?

A typical sushi menu is used as an example of a Kanban because it visually represents items and quantities that customers want, which is similar to how Kanban uses visual cues in a workflow.

What does a Kanban board in software development usually represent?

A Kanban board in software development represents the workflow of items in the product backlog, with visual cards placed into columns that indicate their current step in the process.

What is the purpose of the visual nature of a Kanban board?

The visual nature of a Kanban board makes it easy to identify what has been done, what is in progress, and what will be started next, thus improving workflow visibility and efficiency.

What are WIP Limits in the context of Kanban?

WIP Limits, or Work in Progress Limits, are constraints on the number of items that can be in any one workflow step at a time, ensuring a steady and consistent workflow.

How do WIP Limits help a team when they encounter a problem?

WIP Limits quickly highlight problems by creating visible bottlenecks, prompting the team to collaborate and address the issue collectively.

What benefits does Kanban offer when paired with Scrum?

When paired with Scrum, Kanban offers a steady flow of tasks reaching completion, helps manage day-to-day development with minimal overhead, and reduces blocking issues.

What is OnTime Scrum and how does it relate to the script's topic?

OnTime Scrum is a software tool mentioned in the script that provides a 30-day free trial for managing software projects using Kanban and Scrum methodologies.

How can viewers get started with Kanban and Scrum as mentioned in the script?

Viewers can get started with Kanban and Scrum by signing up for a free trial of OnTime Scrum at OnTimeNow.com.

What is the role of 'Kanbot' mentioned at the end of the script?

Kanbot is referred to as the speaker's secret weapon for ensuring that tasks are completed on time, though the specific function or nature of Kanbot is not detailed in the script.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Introduction to Kanban in Software Development

Angelo Coppola introduces Kanban, a lean scheduling system developed by Toyota, which is both a stand-alone methodology and a complement to Scrum. He explains how Kanban uses visual cues to manage production and workflow, with a practical example of a sushi restaurant's menu. The concept is then applied to software development, where a board with cards represents the product backlog and workflow steps, allowing for clear visibility of tasks and their statuses. The importance of Work in Progress (WIP) limits for maintaining a steady workflow and identifying bottlenecks is also highlighted.

Keywords

💡Scrum

Scrum is an agile framework for managing and completing complex projects. It is defined by the Scrum Guide as a simple set of rules that guide the creation of a product or service. In the video, Scrum is mentioned as a methodology that can be complemented by Kanban, showing that they can work together to enhance software development processes.

💡Kanban

Kanban is a visual scheduling system that originated from Toyota's lean manufacturing principles. It uses cards and boards to represent and manage work items, helping teams to visualize their workflow and limit work in progress. The video script describes Kanban as a fantastic way to get things done and as a system that can be used alongside Scrum.

💡Lean Scheduling System

A lean scheduling system is a method of organizing and managing work to minimize waste and maximize efficiency. In the context of the video, the Kanban system is described as a lean scheduling system developed by Toyota, which uses visual cues to indicate production levels and timing.

💡Work in Progress (WIP) Limits

WIP Limits are a key aspect of the Kanban system, which restricts the number of items that can be in a particular workflow stage at any given time. This helps to prevent overload and ensures a steady pace of work completion. The script mentions WIP Limits as a way to create visible bottlenecks and promote team collaboration.

💡Product Backlog

A product backlog is a list of all the work items or features that need to be delivered for a product. In the video, the product backlog is visualized on a Kanban board as cards, which represent items that the team is working on or planning to work on.

💡Workflow

Workflow refers to the sequence of steps or processes through which a work item passes from initiation to completion. The script explains that in a Kanban system, cards are placed in columns on a board, each representing a step in the workflow, ranging from 'New' to 'Complete'.

💡Visual Cues

Visual cues are signals or indicators that are used to communicate information at a glance. In the context of the video, visual cues are used in a Kanban system to show what to produce, how much, and when, making the workflow transparent and easy to understand.

💡Sushi Menu

The sushi menu is used as an analogy in the script to explain the simplicity and efficiency of a Kanban system. Customers select items from a menu, indicating their choices and quantities, which is a straightforward way of communicating requirements, similar to how a Kanban board operates.

💡OnTime Scrum

OnTime Scrum is a software tool mentioned in the video that integrates Scrum and Kanban methodologies for project management. It allows users to visualize their product backlog, rank items by importance, and organize tasks by developer, providing a clear overview of project progress.

💡Burndown Charts

Burndown charts are graphical representations used in agile project management to show the amount of work left to do versus the time allocated for the project. The video script mentions customizable dashboards in OnTime Scrum that include burndown charts, which help in tracking progress and projected shipping dates.

💡Inspect-and-Adapt Mindset

The inspect-and-adapt mindset is a core principle of Scrum, which encourages teams to regularly review their progress and make necessary adjustments to improve their process. In the video, this mindset is mentioned as one of the organizational improvements provided by Scrum when paired with Kanban.

Highlights

Kanban is a lean scheduling system developed by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan.

Kanban systems use visual cues to indicate what and how much to produce, and when to produce it.

A sushi menu is a great example of a Kanban system in action.

In software development, Kanban starts with a board and visual cards representing items in the product backlog.

Cards are placed into columns on the board to represent their current step in the workflow.

The visual nature of the board makes it easy to see what's been done, what's in progress, and what's next.

Kanban imposes Work in Progress (WIP) limits to ensure a steady pace of item completion.

WIP limits create visible bottlenecks when the team runs into problems, allowing the team to collaborate and resolve issues quickly.

Limiting work in progress helps to reduce task switching and encourages completing tasks.

Kanban can be used effectively on its own or in conjunction with Scrum for better results.

Scrum provides structure for organizing feedback, planning, and other organizational improvements, while Kanban ensures a steady flow of tasks to completion.

OnTime Scrum is a feature-packed, fast tool for managing software projects with Kanban and Scrum.

OnTime Scrum allows you to visualize your product backlog as cards and rank their importance.

With OnTime Scrum, you can organize items by developer and get a clear view of who's working on what and when it will be done.

Customizable dashboards in OnTime Scrum provide burndown charts, graphs, and projected shipping dates for better project visibility.

OnTimeNow.com offers a Free 30-day Trial of OnTime Scrum to get started with Kanban and Scrum.

For any questions, you can reach out to [email protected].

The speaker mentions a secret weapon, Kanbot, for ensuring tasks get done on time, adding a personal touch to the presentation.

Transcripts

Hi, I'm Angelo Coppola with Axosoft.

You've probably seen our video, Scrum in Under 10 Minutes,

which is the world's most popular video about the Scrum methodology.

Many viewers have written us requesting that we talk about another software development system,

Kanban.

Kanban is a fantastic way to get things done, and it also works great in conjunction with Scrum,

if that's the way you want to do it.

A Kanban is a lean scheduling system, developed in Japan

by the Toyota Motor Corporation. A Kanban system utilizes visual cues that

tell you what to produce, how much to produce,

and when to produce it. A typical sushi menu like this

is a great example of a Kanban. Customers indicate which items they would

like to have right then and how many of each.

It's simple and efficient... like these... Maybe this is why your favorite sushi restaurant

always seems to get your order right! When adapted to software development,

Kanban systems usually start with a board and visual cards that represent items in your product backlog.

On the board, you place the cards into columns

that represent their current step in the workflow, ranging from "New" to "Complete".

The steps in-between are entirely up to you, so keep it simple and efficient.

The visual nature of the board makes it easy to find out: what's already been done,

what's in progress, and what's going to be started next.

So long as your team keeps finishing work,

those cards keep moving to the right, like this...

and most importantly, you keep delivering features to your customers.

To help ensure items are being completed at a steady pace,

Kanban imposes limits on the number of items that can live in any one workflow step at any given time.

These are called Work in Progress, or WIP Limits.

They should be set so that the work flows as smoothly and consistently as possible.

If your team runs into a problem, these limits will bring it to light very quickly

by creating a visible bottleneck.

This allows the entire team to "swarm" on the problem,

and that's just another way of saying "collaborate".

Limiting the amount of work that's in progress means that you've got to finish some of the

things on your plate before you can start on additional items.

WIP limits help you: keep work flowing,

save time by eliminating too much task switching, and complete tasks.

Kanban is fantastic in it's own right and on many projects may be all that you need,

but I've found that when paired with a good Scrum framework and a great Scrum tool,

Kanban really shines.

Scrum provides the structure for organizing feedback,

short-term planning, stack ranking, an inspect-and-adapt mindset,

and other organizational improvements;

While Kanban provides a steady flow of tasks that reach 100% completion by helping your

team manage day-to-day development with a minimum of overhead and blocking issues.

So there you have it, Kanban for Software Development.

You can get started on Kanban and Scrum with a Free 30-day Trial of OnTime Scrum.

It is a feature-packed, blazingly fast way to manage your software projects.

With OnTime Scrum, you can visualize your product backlog as cards and rank their importance.

You can also organize items by developer.

Imagine the peace of mind you'll get from this view of your project...

knowing who's working on what and when it will be done.

Not only that, but with customizable dashboards,

you can see burndown charts, graphs, and projected shipping dates.

This kind of project visibility inspires confidence. Get started for Free at OnTimeNow.com

And if you have any questions, you can always reach us at [email protected].

[Music ends]

When it comes to bottlenecks, I've got my own secret weapon f or making sure that things get done on-time.

Thanks Kanbot!