The document discusses Kanban and how it can be applied to both manufacturing and knowledge work. It uses an example of a wheel factory to illustrate Kanban concepts like limiting work in process, visualizing the flow of work, and continuous improvement. Kanban aims to eliminate waste from processes by continuously evolving processes based on feedback, using small incremental changes rather than large transformations.
Unlocking Productivity and Personal Growth through the Importance-Urgency Matrix
Kanban Lean Manufacturing Process Optimization
1. @jonathansen
Done
Develop
DoneAnalysis Testing Ready for
DemoOngoing DoneOngoing
Sprint
Backlog
DoneOngoing
F
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(3) (2)
Jonathan Hansen
Thumbtack Technology
Introduction to Kanban
for Scrum Teams
4. @jonathansen
JUST DO WHATEVER
•Fragile Produc5on System
•Chao5c Execu5on
•Coordina5on with Large Staff
•Miscommunica5on with Business
Old Methodology
at my Startup
12. @jonathansen
+ =
Western Wheel Factory
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
+Process:
15/hour 10/hour
HOUR 1 START
13. @jonathansen
Western Wheel Factory
HOUR 1 END
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
•Wasted Effort
•Worse over Time
19. @jonathansen
Western Wheel Factory
HOUR 6: END
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
•Work Pushed through Process Based on Plan
•Inventory piles up to be dealt with later
21. @jonathansen
Western Wheel Factory
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
DEFECT APPROACH
1.Defects Discarded
2.Replaced with Inventory
Defect
22. @jonathansen
Western Wheel Factory
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
DEFECT APPROACH
1.Defects Discarded
2.Replaced with Inventory
23. @jonathansen
Western Wheel Factory
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
DEFECT APPROACH
1.Defects Discarded
2.Replaced with Inventory
26. @jonathansen
•Limited Number of Produc3on kanban cards
•Card means “Make me an item”
•Without a card, nothing gets built
•Limited by Customer Demand
•Limited by Produc3on Capability
Lean Wheel Factory
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
WW
WW
WW
WW
WW
27. @jonathansen
•Limited Number of Produc3on kanban cards
•Card means “Make me an item”
•Without a card, nothing gets built
•Limited by Customer Demand
•Limited by Produc3on Capability
Lean Wheel Factory
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
WW
WW
WW
WW
WWHR HR HR HR HR
HR HR HR HR HR
28. @jonathansen
Lean Wheel Factory
KANBAN CARD = START ASSEMBLING
HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR
HR HR
HR HR
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
WW
WW
WW
WW
WW
29. @jonathansen
Lean Wheel Factory
KANBAN CARD = START ASSEMBLING
HR HR
HR HR
HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR
Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
WW
WW
WW
WW
WW
Hub Bin
30. @jonathansen
Lean Wheel Factory
KANBAN CARD = START ASSEMBLING
HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR
HR HR
HR HR
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
W
WW
WW
WW
WW
W
31. @jonathansen
Lean Wheel Factory
PART CONSUMED = CARD SET ASIDE
HR HR
HR HR
HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
WW
WW
WW
WW
WW
Wheel
Bin
32. @jonathansen
Lean Wheel Factory
HR HR
HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
W
W
WW
WW
WW
WW
Wheel
Bin
33. @jonathansen
Lean Wheel Factory
HR HR
HR HR
HR
HR HR
HR
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
W
W
WW
WW
WW
Wheel
Bin
HR
HRW
W
34. @jonathansen
Lean Wheel Factory
HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
W
W
WW
WW
HRHR
W
W
Wheel
Bin
HR
W
HR
W
35. @jonathansen
Lean Wheel Factory
HR
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
HRHR
Wheel
Bin
HRHRHR
WW
W
WW
W
W
WW
W
HRHRHR
HRHRHR
Only requests
parts needed
37. @jonathansen
1.Stop the Line
2.Discover Problem Cause
3.Experiment to Prevent
Problem in Future
Lean Wheel Factory
HR HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
W
WW
WW
WW
WW
Wheel
Bin
DEFECT APPROACH
HR
W
38. @jonathansen
1.Stop the Line
2.Discover Problem Cause
3.Experiment to Prevent
Problem in Future
Lean Wheel Factory
HR HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR HR
HR
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
W
WW
WW
WW
WW
Wheel
Bin
DEFECT APPROACH
HR
W
42. @jonathansen
Growing
Beyond
Scrum
Helping
Scrum
Delivery
What is
Kanban?
Topics
(4)
Discussing
(1)
To Review
(3)
Done
Intro
☑Lean Manufacturing
Knowledge Work
Kanban Method
43. @jonathansen
Western Wheel Factory
Hub Bin Rim Bin
Hub+Rim
Assembly Tire BinH+R Bin
Wheel
Bin
Final
Wheel
Assembly
This happens in our
brains and we don’t
even see it
53. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
2. Limit Work in Process
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
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J
L
M
(3) (4)
Upstream of
Bottleneck
Bojleneck
55. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
3. Manage Flow
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
M
(3) (4)
But what if a
Dev is free?!?
56. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
3. Manage Flow
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
M
(3) (4)
But what if a
Dev is free?!?
Some Op5ons:
• Automate Tests
• Refactor (if TDD)
• Read a Book
• Take a Nap
57. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
4. Make Process Policies Explicit
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
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G
H
I
J
L
M
(3) (4)
“Code is
wrijen!”
“Code is
wrijen + unit
tests pass!”
58. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
4. Make Process Policies Explicit
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
M
(3) (4)
“Code is
wrijen!”
“Code is
wrijen + unit
tests pass!”
Some Tips:
• Write Lane Policies where Work Is
• Add Sprint or Project Goal
• Con5nuous Improvement: Policies change!
• Update them
59. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
5. Implement Feedback Loops
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
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M
(3) (4)
• Customer: Deliver Frequently
• Team: Align on In Process Work
• Team: Tweak Process to Improve It
60. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
5. Implement Feedback Loops
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
M
(3) (4)
• Customer: Deliver Frequently
• Team: Align on In Process Work
• Team: Tweak Process to Improve It
Scrum
Helps!
61. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
6. Improve Collaboratively, Evolve Experimentally
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
M
(3) (4)
62. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
6. Improve Collaboratively, Evolve Experimentally
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
M
(3) (4)
63. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
6. Improve Collaboratively, Evolve Experimentally
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
M
(3) (4)
“You are allowed to Think” -‐ Klaus Leopold
64. @jonathansen
KANBAN METHOD PRACTICES
6. Improve Collaboratively, Evolve Experimentally
Sprint Backlog
Develop Test Ready
to Demo Accepted
K
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
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M
(3) (4)
• Don’t get Hung up on Kanban Rules
• Or Scrum Rules
• If you think something will help, try it!
• If it doesn’t work, try something else!
“You are allowed to Think” -‐ Klaus Leopold
74. @jonathansen
High Task WIP = Slow Tasks
0
10
20
30
40
Done
Doing
Todo
Helping Scrum Delivery
MEETING SPRINT COMMITMENTS
Without
Kanban
AVG LEAD
3.7 DAYS
AVG WIP
7.5 ITEMS
75. @jonathansen
High Task WIP = Slow Tasks
0
10
20
30
40
Done
Doing
Todo
Helping Scrum Delivery
MEETING SPRINT COMMITMENTS
Without
Kanban
AVG LEAD
3.7 DAYS
AVG WIP
7.5 ITEMS
Little’s Law
76. @jonathansen
Helping Scrum Delivery
MEETING SPRINT COMMITMENTS
High Feature WIP = Idle QA + More Bugs
0
10
20
30
40
Done
Doing
Todo
Without
Kanban
Scope Creep
from
17 to 31 Tasks
No Features Testable
for 7 Days
87. @jonathansen
Done
Lean Daily Standups
WALK THE BOARD
With
Kanban
Develop Done
F
C
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D
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G
A
B
Backlog Testing Deploy-
ment(10)
(2)(3)
(1)Ongoing DoneOngoing
What do
we need to do to
deploy B?
88. @jonathansen
Growing
Beyond
Scrum
Helping
Scrum
Delivery
What is
Kanban?
Topics
(4)
Discussing
(1)
To Review
(3)
Done
Intro
☑Meet Sprint Commitments
☑Daily Standup An5pajerns
Epic Management
92. @jonathansen
What is
Kanban?
Topics
(4)
Discussing
(1)
To Review
(3)
Done
Helping
Scrum
Delivery
Growing
Beyond
Scrum
Intro“In Scrum, you should
inspect and adapt on
everything...
except Scrum.”
-‐ David J. Bland haps://twiaer.com/davidjbland/status/430769613903654912
94. @jonathansen
Lean Sprint Planning
ARE YOU GETTING STORY POINT ACCURACY?
0
25
50
75
100
Actual Days to Complete
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2-‐Point 3-‐Point
95. @jonathansen
Lean Sprint Planning
STORY POINT ALTERNATIVE: HISTORICAL LEAD TIME
0
10
20
30
40
4/6/15 4/14/15 4/23/15 5/2/15 5/11/15
upper limit: 29.88
mean: 5.94
97. @jonathansen
Lean Sprint Planning
HISTORICAL LEAD TIME: HISTOGRAM
network
0
1.25
2.5
3.75
5
Actual Days to Complete
< 2 2 to 6 6 to 10 > 10
UI
0
1
2
3
4
Actual Days to Complete
< 1 1 to 2 2 to 6 > 6
105. @jonathansen
Our goal is not Scrum or Kanban.
Our goal is to make sure we’re doing everything we
can to meet the needs of our customers, team
members, and stakeholders.
And to keep doing it when those needs change.