Lean Kanban is a methodology that combines Lean principles with the Kanban approach to managing work, enabling teams to streamline processes, reduce waste, and deliver value more efficiently. In a Lean Kanban system, work is visualised, flow is optimised, and continuous improvement is built into how teams plan and execute their tasks.
Lean focuses on eliminating waste and increasing value for customers by improving how work flows through a system. Kanban provides the visual tools and flow control mechanisms — such as boards and work-in-progress (WIP) limits — that help teams implement Lean thinking in practice
The Kanban Methodology uses cards to visualise the workflow. This simplicity makes Kanban an effective way to improve workflow in organisations of all sizes. By visualising the steps involved in producing work and focusing on incremental improvements, teams can efficiently manage tasks and identify areas of bottlenecks or inefficiencies.
Lean Kanban integrates Kanban’s visual management techniques with Lean principles. It helps organisations streamline work processes by showing exactly who is working on what and identifying where resources are most needed. With Lean Kanban, teams can efficiently manage their tasks, highlight issues quickly, improve team communication and continuously improve their processes.
By using a Kanban board, you can visually track progress and quickly see what tasks need attention. This visibility makes it easier to pinpoint bottlenecks and resolve issues as they arise. With continuous monitoring, teams can maintain a consistent flow and deliver products on time.
Lean-Kanban is worth considering if you’re looking for a way to improve your project management comparatively. It’s simple to use and can significantly impact your productivity.
The benefits of Lean Kanban are numerous and impactful:
In the sections below, we’ll dive deeper into Lean and Kanban as individual methodologies and how they work together to improve project efficiency.
The Lean methodology originated at Toyota in the 1930s, with a focus on improving manufacturing efficiency. Toyota’s approach was to streamline the production process and eliminate waste, which ultimately became the Toyota Production System (TPS). As TPS evolved and gained popularity globally, it became known as Lean Manufacturing.
In 2003, Lean principles were applied to software development, and the methodology soon spread to other industries. Today, Lean focuses on creating value while minimising waste, which can be broken down into three key categories:
By focusing on eliminating these forms of waste, Lean businesses can reduce costs, improve quality, and increase operational efficiency.
This goal is achieved through continuous planning, implementation, and feedback cycles. Indeed, Lean businesses strive to constantly improve their processes and products, making them more efficient and effective.
While Lean principles can be applied to any type of organisation, they are particularly well-suited to manufacturing and other production-based businesses. This is because Lean focuses on optimising workflow from start to finish.
Lean businesses can reduce waste, improve quality, and increase efficiency. Toyota, Nike, Caterpillar Inc., Kimberley-Clark Corporation, Intel, Parker Hannifin and John Deere are some companies using lead management.
The core concepts of the Lean methodology are Respect for people and Continuous improvement. Kanban’s highly visual workflow management approach to work gives transparency, communication, collaboration and clarity. This is how Kanban enables continuous improvement and respect for people.
Kanban is a highly visual management method that helps organisations optimise their workflows and streamline production. The Kanban System encourages continuous improvement by making work visible, limiting work-in-progress (WIP), and focusing on flow. This system drives higher productivity and smoother communication within teams.
These principles help foster respect for people by encouraging clear communication, collaboration, and active engagement in improving workflows.
The Kanban system is based on several core principles:
Taiichi Ohno of Toyota Corporation developed the Kanban project management methodology in the 1940s as part of the Just-In-Time (JIT) production system. At the time, Toyota was facing significant challenges in meeting demand while reducing costs. Ohno’s solution was to create a pull system, where production only occurs when there is a demand for it — reducing waste and excess inventory.
Kanban originally focused on optimising manufacturing processes, but by the early 2000s, the methodology was adapted for use in software development, and has since become one of the leading Agile methodologies.
The first step in implementing the Kanban system is to visualise the workflow. A Kanban board is the primary tool used to achieve this. The board is typically a digital tool where work items are displayed as cards. These cards move through different stages (e.g., Requested, In Progress, Done) representing the workflow.
The Kanban board provides transparency, enabling all team members to see the status of work items at a glance, which helps manage the flow of work.
The Kanban system ensures a significant reduction in waste associated with non-value-adding activities such as overproduction, futile motion, defects, overprocessing, and waiting time. So this ensures continuous improvement and respect for people.
Kanban cards play a crucial role in tracking progress. Each card represents a specific work item or task, and the movement of cards through the board signals the progress of that task. Kanban cards can also include metrics that indicate performance and work flow efficiency.
Some key metrics for tracking progress include:
These metrics help track how efficiently work is being completed, identify bottlenecks, and measure overall progress
One of the most powerful features of Lean Kanban is the WIP limit, which restricts the number of tasks that can be in progress at any given stage. By limiting the WIP, teams are encouraged to focus on completing current tasks before taking on new ones, which improves productivity and reduces multitasking.
This focus on finishing tasks before starting new ones ensures higher quality and faster delivery times. Fewer tasks in progress also reduces the chances of bottlenecks forming in the system.
Kanban is a lean management approach that enables continuous improvement and respect for people.
The Kanban approach is built on
Lean Kanban offers a flexible and adaptable framework that can be tailored to the specific needs of an organisation. Whether you are looking to improve workflow management, enhance team communication, or ensure continuous product delivery, Lean Kanban can help streamline processes and improve productivity.
The flexibility of the system means it can be applied to any type of work environment, from software development to manufacturing and beyond. By continuously evaluating the flow of work and making small, iterative improvements, Lean Kanban enables teams to stay agile and responsive to change while delivering high-quality results.
Lean Kanban combines the best of Lean principles and Kanban’s visual workflow management to deliver improved efficiency, clearer communication, and continuous improvement. It provides a structured yet flexible approach to managing work, empowering teams to optimise processes, reduce waste, and deliver value faster.
By embracing Lean Kanban, organisations can significantly improve their project management practices, creating a culture of ongoing improvement and respect for all team members
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