š In this episode, we dive deep into theĀ Kanban Model in Software EngineeringĀ ā one of the most powerful and widely usedĀ Agile frameworksĀ that helps teams visualize work, limit tasks in progress, and continuously improve delivery speed.
šĀ Key takeaways:
ā¢Ā What is Kanban?Ā ā A visual Agile framework that originated at Toyota in the 1940s; Kanban means ābillboardā in Japanese. It usesĀ boards, columns, and cardsĀ to show task progress. š
ā¢Ā When to use Kanban:Ā Perfect when you need flexibility, continuous delivery, priority changes on the fly, and full workflow visibility. š
ā¢Ā Kanban Cards:Ā Represent tasks with details like owner, due date, type, and priority. Cards move across workflow columns (To-do ā Dev ā Test ā Done). š“
ā¢Ā Kanban Board:Ā AĀ physical or digital board (e.g., JIRA)Ā that tracks tasks across stages while enforcingĀ WIP (Work in Progress) limits. š
ā¢Ā Kanban Workflow:Ā Defines step-by-step task movement (To-do ā Analysis ā Development ā Testing ā Release ā Done). Follows the principle:Ā āStop starting, start finishing.āĀ ā
ā¢Ā Four Core Principles of Kanban:
Start with what you have now
Pursue incremental change
Respect current process & roles
Leadership at all levels
ā¢Ā Six Core Practices:Ā Visualize workflow, Limit WIP, Focus on flow, Define explicit policies, Create feedback loops, Continuous improvement ā»ļø
ā¢Ā Pull-based system:Ā Developers/testers pull tasks when ready ā no pushing. Helps balance workload & improve efficiency. ā”
ā¢Ā Lead Time vs. Cycle Time:
Lead Time = Task creation ā Release
Cycle Time = Work start ā Ready for release
(Kanban aims to minimize the gap between them). ā±ļø
ā¢Ā Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD):Ā Tracks work items across stages, highlights bottlenecks, and measures throughput. š
ā¢Ā Limiting WIP:Ā Prevents overload, improves predictability, and ensures tasks get finished instead of piling up. š¦
ā¢Ā Scrum vs. Kanban:
Scrum = time-boxed sprints, fixed roles, planning-heavy
Kanban = continuous flow, flexible roles, adaptive & visual
ā”Ā Summary:
Kanban is anĀ Agile, pull-based methodologyĀ that usesĀ boards and cardsĀ to manage tasks across stages. WithĀ WIP limits, lead/cycle time tracking, and continuous improvement, it helps teamsĀ deliver faster, adapt quickly, and maintain efficiency.Ā š
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