Visual workflow management system using boards, columns, and cards to track work in progress. Originally from manufacturing, Kanban helps teams visualize work, limit work-in-progress, and optimize flow, often combined with time tracking for comprehensive project management.
Kanban is a visual workflow management method that uses boards with columns representing stages of work and cards representing individual tasks, helping teams visualize work, limit work-in-progress, and optimize workflow.
Core Principles
1. Visualize Work
Make all work visible on the board
Each task is a card
Columns represent workflow stages
See entire workflow at a glance
2. Limit Work in Progress (WIP)
Set maximum number of tasks per column
Prevents overcommitment and context switching
Forces completion before starting new work
Reveals bottlenecks
3. Manage Flow
Monitor how work moves through system
Identify and remove blockers
Optimize cycle time
Continuous improvement
4. Make Policies Explicit
Clear definition of "done" for each stage
Rules for moving cards between columns
WIP limits for each column
Team agreements visible
5. Implement Feedback Loops
Daily standups reviewing the board
Regular retrospectives
Continuous measurement
Data-driven improvements
6. Improve Collaboratively
Team-driven improvements
Experiment with changes
Evolve the process
Scientific approach to optimization
Basic Kanban Board Structure
Typical Columns:
Backlog - All potential work
To Do - Ready to start
In Progress - Currently working on (WIP limit: 3)
In Review - Awaiting review/approval
Done - Completed work
Common Variations:
Add "Blocked" column for stuck items
Split "In Progress" into sub-stages
Add "Testing" between Review and Done
Include "On Hold" for paused work
Time Tracking with Kanban
Time Metrics
Cycle Time
Time from "In Progress" to "Done"
Measures delivery speed
Target for optimization
Lead Time
Time from "To Do" to "Done"
Full customer perspective
Includes waiting time
Work in Progress
Number of active tasks
Lower WIP = faster flow
Track over time
Time Tracking Integration
Add time estimates to cards
Track actual time spent per card
Compare estimated vs. actual
Identify time sinks
Calculate velocity
Forecast completion dates
Kanban for Personal Use
Personal Board Columns:
Ideas
This Week
Today
Doing (WIP: 1-2)
Done
Personal WIP Limits:
Today: 3-5 cards max
Doing: 1-2 cards max
Forces focus and completion
Team Kanban Practices
Daily Standup
Stand at the board
Walk cards right to left (Done → To Do)
Update card status
Identify blockers
15 minutes max
Replenishment Meeting
Weekly or bi-weekly
Move items from Backlog to To Do
Prioritize upcoming work
Don't exceed To Do WIP limit
Retrospectives
Review cycle time trends
Analyze bottlenecks
Experiment with WIP limits
Adjust process
Digital Kanban Tools
Trello - Visual, simple, flexible
Jira - Robust, enterprise features
Asana - Project management + Kanban
Monday.com - Customizable workflows
Notion - Database-powered boards
ClickUp - All-in-one with Kanban views
Physical Kanban Boards
Whiteboard with columns
Sticky notes as cards
Swim lanes for people/projects
Dots or magnets for WIP limits
Highly visible to team
Benefits
Visual clarity of all work
Reduced context switching
Faster completion through WIP limits
Earlier detection of problems
Team alignment on priorities
Data for process improvement
Flexibility to change priorities
Common Mistakes
No WIP Limits
Without limits, Kanban becomes just a visual to-do list
Too Many Columns
Overly complex board obscures insights
Cards Too Big
Cards should be 1-3 days of work max
Not Moving Cards
Board becomes stale and unreliable
Ignoring Blocked Items
Blocked cards reveal process problems
Advanced Practices
Swim Lanes
Horizontal rows for:
Different people
Different projects
Different priorities
Different work types
Classes of Service
Different policies for:
Expedite (urgent, jump queue)
Fixed date (deadline-driven)
Standard (normal work)
Intangible (improvement work)
Service Level Expectations (SLEs)
X% of work completed in Y days
Example: "85% of tasks done in 5 days"
Measured and improved over time
Kanban Metrics
Throughput
Cards completed per week
Cycle Time Distribution
Histogram showing delivery predictability
Flow Efficiency
(Touch time) / (Total time)
Aging Work in Progress
How long current work has been in progress
Integration with Other Methods
With Scrum:
Scrumban - Kanban board with Scrum iterations
With GTD:
Kanban board represents GTD "Next Actions" visually
With Pomodoro:
Use Pomodoro for cards in "Doing" column
With Time Blocking:
Schedule time blocks to work on specific Kanban cards
Use Cases
Kanban excels for:
Support teams with continuous incoming work
Marketing teams with varied campaign tasks
Software development teams
Personal productivity and task management
Any process with repeating workflow stages
Teams wanting to improve delivery speed
The Power of Pull
Unlike push systems where work is assigned, Kanban uses pull:
Team members pull work when capacity available
Don't exceed WIP limits
Self-organizing around the board
Sustainable pace
This respects capacity and prevents overload.
Getting Started
Map your current workflow to columns
Write cards for current work
Set initial WIP limits (start conservative)
Begin daily board reviews
Collect cycle time data
Review and adjust weekly
Kanban's beauty is its simplicity and flexibility. Start simple, measure, and evolve based on data.
