Kanban

A Kanban course typically covers the foundational principles of the Kanban method, which is used for improving workflow efficiency in various industries, especially in software development and project management. Below is an overview of a common Kanban course curriculum:

1. Introduction to Kanban

• What is Kanban?
  • Definition and origin (Toyota Production System, Lean principles)
• Why use Kanban?
  • Benefits of visualizing work, limiting work in progress (WIP), improving flow.
• Kanban vs Scrum
  • Differences and similarities with other agile methods.

2. Kanban Principles and Practices

• Core Principles
  • Start with what you do now.
  • Agree to pursue incremental, evolutionary change.
  • Respect the current process, roles, responsibilities, and titles.
• General Practices
  • Visualize the workflow.
  • Limit work in progress (WIP).
  • Manage flow.
  • Make process policies explicit.
  • Implement feedback loops.
  • Improve collaboratively, evolve experimentally.

3. Visualizing Work and Workflows

• Creating Kanban Boards
  • Columns and lanes: To-do, in-progress, done, blockers, etc.
• Work Item Types
  • Tickets for user stories, tasks, bugs, support issues, etc.
• Categorizing and Prioritizing Work
  • Types of work: Standard, Expedite, Fixed date, etc.

4. Limiting Work in Progress (WIP)

• Why Limit WIP?
  • Avoiding bottlenecks and improving throughput.
• Setting WIP Limits
  • How to determine and enforce limits on each column in the Kanban board.

5. Managing and Measuring Flow

• Cycle Time vs Lead Time
  • Definitions and differences.
• Throughput
  • How much work is completed in a given time.
• Cumulative Flow Diagrams (CFDs)
  • Visualizing stability and identifying bottlenecks.

6. Process Policies and Explicit Agreements

• Defining Process Policies
  • Establishing clear criteria for moving items between stages.
• Work Item Definition of Done (DoD)
  • Ensuring quality standards are met at each step.

7. Feedback Loops

• Daily Standups
  • How Kanban teams manage daily work discussions.
• Service Delivery Review
  • Reviewing work delivery performance.
• Operations Review
  • Understanding systemic improvements.

8. Kanban Metrics and Reporting

• Flow Efficiency
  • Understanding waste in the process.
• Lead Time Distribution
  • Identifying work patterns and variability.
• Service-Level Agreements (SLAs)
  • Setting performance expectations.

9. Continuous Improvement and Evolutionary Change

• Kaizen and the Role of Continuous Improvement
  • Experimenting with process changes.
• Managing Resistance to Change
  • Encouraging collaboration and trust within teams.

10. Advanced Kanban Topics

• Kanban for DevOps
  • Using Kanban in infrastructure and operations teams.
• Portfolio Kanban
  • Managing large-scale projects and multiple teams using Kanban.

11. Case Studies and Real-World Applications

• Examples of Kanban Implementations
  • Industry case studies (software development, manufacturing, IT).
• Lessons Learned from Failures and Successes

Optional Modules

• Kanban Tools and Software
  • Tools like Trello, Jira, Asana, etc., for managing Kanban workflows.
• Certification Exam Preparation
  • For those aiming for Kanban certifications (e.g., Kanban Management Professional - KMP).

A Kanban course often includes hands-on exercises, case studies, and workshops to help participants apply these principles in real-world scenarios.