In this article, we will explore a systematic approach to creating a high-quality Kanban board that effectively meets the development team’s needs.
Creating Your Kanban Board
Crafting an effective Kanban board requires careful consideration and commitment from the team. Let’s delve into a technique to ensure the board is tailored to the team’s requirements.
While there are other techniques advocated by Kanban experts, the one we’re discussing is proven to yield good results.
Starting with a Simple Kanban Board
Let’s begin with the most basic form of a Kanban board. Here’s a simple example:
This straightforward board consists of three columns: “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” It’s a minimalist setup.
Before moving forward, the team needs to understand that tasks placed in the “In Progress” column represent work in progress (WIP). This concept is crucial in Kanban.
Adding New Columns to the Kanban Board
Next, identify intermediate steps that the team deems necessary to visualize on the board. These steps can be influenced by essential supplementary requirements.
It’s important to note that once a step is added, it becomes mandatory for all items passing through the Kanban board.
Teams determine these steps based on their specific requirements. For instance, a Scrum team might want to include a “Test” column to ensure all tasks are tested before reaching “Done.”
The absence of a work-in-progress arrow indicates that the test phase is part of it. In this context, testing is considered the final phase of the work in progress.
If the team believes that every request should undergo code review, a “Code Review” column can be added.
Defining Criteria for Each Kanban Column
It’s highly recommended to establish criteria that validate the transition from one column to another. In Scrum, this is known as the Definition of Ready and the Definition of Done. Similarly, in Kanban, a definition specific to each step can be established when necessary.
Creating these criteria collectively as a team is valuable. Displaying them on the Kanban board ensures that the team’s self-imposed rules are never forgotten.
Implementing Column Limits (Limiting WIP)
Once our steps are structured and equipped with defined requirements, the team introduces a pivotal Kanban concept: flow restrictions. These restrictions prevent certain steps from becoming bottlenecks.
For instance, limiting the number of tasks in development prevents an overload of work in progress. This forces the team to complete some tasks before starting others.
Limits on tasks in testing can also be beneficial, ensuring the team remains responsive to testing needs. This concept prevents developers from returning to old tasks.
It’s important to note that the WIP limits depicted in the image are examples. Each team must determine its own WIP limits based on its unique circumstances.
Kanban Board: Bugs and Parking
Introducing a “parking” line can be helpful for temporarily holding requests. The parking line offers visibility into the origin of requests placed on hold.
Additionally, an “emergency” column can be introduced to address critical bugs discovered in production that require immediate attention.
The team smartly positioned WIP limits in a designated area of the board to prioritize code reviews before initiating new requests.
Adding Kanban Metrics and Indicators
Enriching the Kanban board with performance metrics like cycle time and lead time can offer valuable insights. Here’s how these indicators could be incorporated:
The team can also include other useful Kanban graphics such as:
- Average cycle time monitoring
- Average lead time monitoring
- Cumulative flow diagram
Conclusion: Kanban Board
This article aims to guide you in creating a quality Kanban board tailored to your team’s needs. Some teams also incorporate request maturation phases within their board.
Do you have any insights to share with fellow readers?
Useful Link: Video: Understanding Kanban
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