====== How Would You Describe Kanban in a Nutshell? ======
 
  * Visualize the workflow
    * Split the work into pieces, write each item on a card and put on the wall
    * Use named columns to illustrate where each item is in the workflow
  * Limit WIP (work in progress)
    * Assign explicit limits to how many items may be in progress at each workflow state
  * Measure the lead time
    * Lead Time (sometimes called “cycle time”) = average time to complete one item
    * Optimize the process to make lead time as small and predictable as possible

As you can see, Kanban is very lightweight and requires a lot of (self-)discipline to implement on a team. The specific practices that Kanban teams might use include:

  * Kanban board shows all work of the team 
  * Kanban board shows flow of work of the team so we can find and work bottlenecks 
  * Different service levels (classes of service) for distinct types of work (e.g., expedite, fixed date, standard) are identified and supported
  * WIP limits in place and enforced 
  * Kanban boards are processed “Right to left, top to bottom” 
  * Continuous improvement occurring 
  * Cycle time and throughput tracked, and improvements focused on improving these numbers

{{tag>Kanban FAQ}}