Kanban method: an introduction guide for beginners

Do you want to make less waste, have more visibility on your tasks, be more efficient and better control your costs? With the Kanban method, all of this is possible.

This agile method helps you better manage your stocks in order to produce only according to consumer demand. The success of this approach has been proven in the industrial world, and more particularly in automotive production chains.

Here's what you need to know about Kanban.

Definition

The Kanban method is one of the agile methods. It is an inventory management method whose main purpose is to set up a just-in-time organization, i.e. to produce only what is needed at a given moment in time in order to avoid stocks that cost money.

The Kanban method is inspired by The Lean approach, a production management method based on continuous improvement and which aims to eliminate waste in order to make the company more efficient and efficient.

Origin of the Kanban methodology

Kanban means sign, sign, or label in Japanese. This technique was created by engineer Taiichi Ōno for the Japanese car company Toyota, which has been using it since the 1950s. The objective was to optimize its production capacity to be competitive with American companies by reducing stocks and therefore related storage costs.

First used in, the Kanban management method was then taken up for industrial project management and in particular the development of computer software in the 2000s, then it was adopted by companies in all sectors.

How does it work?

The Kanban method is a visual management system that allows you to visualize the process and the stages of processing a task.

Representation of the Kanban schedule on a board

The Kanban system is in the form of a table with three or even four columns:

• To do: these are the tasks to be carried out.
• In progress : this column groups together the tasks that are in progress.
• To be tested : here, we find the tasks to be tested, those that are waiting for validation from the customer.
• Done : finally, in the last column, are the completed tasks.

Tasks are represented by cards, labels or post-its that are moved from one column to another depending on the status of the task.

Pull-flow management vs push-flow management

Generally, businesses work in high flows, that is, they produce goods and products without taking into account customer demand and needs, and then they push them to the market. The problem is that if the consumer is not interested or if the market is already saturated, you end up with a lot of inventory on your hands, and that costs you money.

On the other hand, the Kanban method works on a pull basis. This means that the production of goods is triggered by consumer demand. You only produce what you need and you save money.

Principles and practices of the Kanban system

David J. Anderson is one of the pioneers who implemented the Kanban method outside of the industrial sector. According to him, this method is based on four principles and six practices.

Principle 1: Start with what you are currently doing

No radical changes are required to implement the Kanban methodology. Its flexibility and adaptability allow it to be introduced easily and gradually into any type of organization.

Principle 2: agree to apply gradual changes

Avoid changes that are too sudden and radical that may frighten your employees. The Kanban method makes it possible to improve existing processes gradually and smoothly.

Principle #3: Respect the current process, roles, and responsibilities

Do you want future changes accepted? So maintain the current roles, responsibilities, and professional titles of team members as much as possible.

Principle 4: Encourage leadership at all levels

All of your employees, regardless of their function, need to develop a culture of continuous improvement so that team members, senior managers, and the business achieve an optimal level of performance.

Follow these 6 practices developed by Anderson to successfully implement the Kanban method:

1. Visualize the workflow : First, you need to visualize your workflow and its progress from customer request to delivery in order to understand how it works. To do this, draw a table where each column represents a stage in the workflow and use maps to identify each task. Each time you start working on a task, the corresponding card should move from the “To Do” column, to the “In Progress” column, and so on to the “Done” column.
2. Limit the number of tasks in progress: the interest of Kanban is to ensure a reasonable workload according to the abilities of the team. Avoid multitasking or multi-asking, which is counterproductive and will waste your time. Limiting tasks in each column is a good practice that will allow you to quickly identify problems and bottlenecks.
3. Managing the flow : the objective of the Kanban system is to create a continuous and regular workflow. To do this, focus on getting tasks into the board more quickly.
4. Explain process rules : To improve work processes, you and your team members must first understand them and understand why they need to be improved. Once the objective is clear, everyone can move forward in the right direction.
5. Do feedback loops : in front of your Kanban board, check in daily with the whole team to share the necessary information and know what everyone did the day before and who is doing what today. These meetings should be short and to the point. Discover 5 ideas to animate your team meetings.
6. Making improvements together: the whole team must share the same vision and understand the problems that need to be solved. That way, you can all work together to improve your workflow.

By using a task management software, you can create an interactive Kanban board and share it transparently with all the stakeholders in your project.