Kanban method: 5 steps to apply this work organization system

What is the Kanban Method?

The Kanban Method is a system created in Toyota's factories and to which the Japanese car manufacturer owes part of its success. In general, it seeks to facilitate the work flow. To do this, you must prioritize the tasks that are in progress and finish them before starting new ones.

Photo: A bowl full of lemons

How to use the Kanban Method

You have to make a table with at least three columns: pending tasks, in progress and finished. Next, each person should write their tasks in posters and should be placing them in one column or another, as appropriate. The goal is that you don't have too many tasks going on to focus on. It is perfect for companies and teamwork, but surely you can also adapt it to distribute household chores among your family.

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The principles of the Kanban Method

Get started today! Kanban is a method that you can apply to your existing workflow / tasks without having to make big changes.
Commit yourself and evolve little by little. Make small changes and you will see an evolution in your workflow.
Respect your current processes. Don't try to change your workflow overnight. Learn and evolve little by little.
Bet on leadership. Whether you work as a team or not, bet on a mindset of continuous improvement (Kaizen) to achieve maximum performance.

Photo: A bowl full of lemons

What is a Kanban board?

The Kanban board is the tool we use to visualize the workflow. You can use a cork board, a white board, or a flat surface like a window or stall and divide it into as many columns and rows as you need. Each column represents a phase of the process and the rows represent different types of activities. Each Kanban board is divided into three basic sections that show the status of the tasks:

To do
In process
Done

Each task that enters the workflow appears on the board with a poster or traditionally with a Kanban card. All tasks start the workflow in the column 'To do' and evolve until they reach the commune 'Done'.

Today, in addition to being able to apply the traditional Kanban Method, there are also countless mobile applications and software inspired by this famous system.

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Agile methods

If you want to continue delving into the Kanban method and learn about other agile methods that can revolutionize the way you work, we recommend this manual on Agile Methods applied to software development and structured in four blocks. In the first you will find an introduction and overview of agile methods. In the second you will learn about the application of Scrum, the most used agile method. In the third, you will delve into the application of the Kanban method and the bases of other agile methods such as Lean or extreme programming.