Kanban board – how to do

kanban board

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:

simple kanban board
Simple Kanban Board

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.”

kanban board for scrum
Kanban Board for Scrum

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.

kanban board - definition of ready - definition of done - definition of code review
Kanban Board – Definition of Ready, Definition of Done, Definition of Code Review

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.

kanban board with limit wip
Kanban Board with WIP Limits

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.

kanban board - parking - emergency
Kanban Board – Parking, Emergency

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:

lead time and cycle time
Lead Time and Cycle Time

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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About Judicaël Paquet 368 Articles
Judicaël Paquet (agile coach and senior devops) My Engagements in France and Switzerland: - Crafting Agile Transformation Strategies - Tailored Agile Training Programs - Raising Awareness and Coaching for Managers - Assessing Agile Maturity and Situational Analysis - Agile Coaching for Teams, Organizations, Product Owners, Scrum Masters, and Agile Coaches Areas of Expertise: Scrum, Kanban, Management 3.0, Scalability, Lean Startup, Agile Methodology.

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