An organized company is the first step on the road to success, even when it comes to project management. To improve efficiency and productivity, order is essential, and nowadays there are numerous systems that can help us. One of them is the so-called Kanban method.
What is the Kanban method
This project management tool , which can be applied to any company, was created for use in the manufacturing processes of the Toyota Production System in the late 1940s. The term “Kanban” means “card with signs” in Japanese, and it is a system for visualizing the status of tasks. With a simple glance, you receive all the information on how the project is going.
In Japan, it was developed to minimise waste in the Toyota production line in order to reduce costs. Sign cards were used to mark the material requirements at different stages of the production line, ensuring that each stage had what was needed, when it was needed and in the quantity of materials needed.
Although it was first used in the automotive world, it was soon proven to be applicable to any company, large or small. Today, the Kanban method is used to improve productivity in all types of companies, from a small neighborhood flower shop to a large marketing agency. There are no limits.
Advantages of the Kanban method
As we told you at the beginning, it is a very visual system that we can use to organize the processes that our project includes. The first benefit is that we will save time finding out what stage each task is in. Think of a company with several departments that work together on the same project. Searching through email threads to find out how each task is doing is much simpler if we only have to take a look at a board.
We will save time and it will allow us to see the workflow at all times , which optimizes project management and its execution time. Knowing which task has been blocked or is taking too long allows us, for example, to allocate more resources to stagnant areas. In addition, as it is a visual system, we can detect errors and unforeseen events and address them sooner.
It helps us prioritize tasks within project management , and eliminate those that are unnecessary or unnecessary. If applied properly, the Kanban method optimizes resources and allows the team to achieve a constant workflow that is easy to integrate into their daily work.
How the Kanban method works
In its simplest form, the Kanban board has three columns into which the different tasks are divided: those that are to be done or pending, those that are in progress and those female phone number data that are finished. Although the most basic one has three columns, we can add as many as we need.
For example, if our project management involves suppliers or third-party services, we can add a “supplier” column, or if we want to signal when the ball for a task is in the client’s court because we are waiting for an OK from them, we can add a column that says “client”. The possibilities are endless and we can adapt the Kanban method to our business, regardless of what it is, by adding more or less.
Tasks will be placed in each column, moving from one to another until they are all in the rightmost column. And since it is a flexible and constantly moving system, the task can fluctuate between the different columns depending on the moment.
Analyze and divide your project
Before we start filling a wall with hundreds of post-its and columns, it is essential that we analyze the project we are going to undertake, the tasks it requires and the process we want to follow to achieve it.
The first step to applying the Kanban method to any project is to break it down into the different phases of execution, including everything you need to complete the project.
Once we have this analysis of the phases, it is time to order them. The order will always be from left to right, with the leftmost being the first one we will do and the one on the right, the last. Following a chronological order in this scheme is vital for the Kanban method to be effective.
Once the columns have been established, it is time for the tasks. Just as we have ordered the columns, we will order the tasks in descending order of priority, within the columns. It is important to analyze well at this point what is really a priority for the progress of the project. Also keep in mind that since it is a flexible and dynamic system, the “cards” can be moved if we need to and modify their priority within Kanban.
The six essential practices for Kanban success
According to expert David J. Anderson, “there are six practices that must be present for a successful implementation” and that are essential when talking about the Kanban method for project management.
Visualize the workflow. If we can't see the workflow at a glance, we're not doing Kanban.
Limit work in progress (WIP). The WIP limit is a controller that ensures that the same amount of work that has been completed within the organization will be started. In other words, we do not start new tasks if we have not finished the previous ones. If a task is finished, a new one is added to the workflow. In this way, we avoid having a thousand tasks open and unfinished and we will avoid multitasking killing our productivity.
Managing flow. When we include the Kanban method in the management of a process, we do so to generate a constant and uninterrupted workflow, which we will measure and analyze within each phase to ensure that it is fluid and fast.
Explain the method to everyone involved. What is not understood is not applied, and the Kanban method must be a joint movement, like a classical music orchestra in which each instrument is important. Although the project manager is the conductor, each musician must understand the score before starting to play it.
Add feedback loops. Without in-process analysis, this system would never work. You can hold check-in meetings that help you analyze what happens during the process to improve it, like you would do with a social media strategy , for example.
Improve collaboratively. Think of the Kanban method as a joint and collaborative process through which we grow and adapt.
These types of organisation systems are designed to make teamwork as efficient and productive as possible, and that is exactly what we are looking for when implementing them in project management. Whatever it is, we can help you .
