Kanban Board
A Kanban Board is a visual tool used for managing work as it moves through a process. Kanban visualises both the process (the workflow) and the actual work passing through that process.
Purpose
Kanban boards let teams track the work that they are doing but they also help to identify potential bottlenecks in the process and improve throughput.
- Visibility: To provide a clear overview of the current work status, from initial research to validated software.
- Flow Management: To improve the flow of work by identifying bottlenecks and eliminating waste.
- Flexibility: To allow teams to introduce changes in priorities with minimal disruption to the workflow.
ZeroBlockers Kanban Structure
Kanban boards are flexible but the columns should reflect the handover points form one owner to another. Therefore the Kanban board is a view into the handovers (aka the blockers) in the process. The only handoffs in the process should be between the team and the customer.
| Column | Description | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Prioritised Opportunities | Lists all of the grouped assumptions for each opportunity that the team has identified and prioritised. |
|
| To Evaluate | Lists the experiments that the team has identified to validate the assumptions for the prioritised opportunities. |
|
| In Validation | Lists all of the solution assumptions that we are currently evaluating. |
|
| To Design | List the validated solutions that the team needs to review and agree on the iterative approach to delivery. |
|
| To Build | Lists the validated solutions that the team is ready to build |
|
| In Progress | Lists the validated solutions that the team is currently building |
|
| Released | Lists the validated solutions that the team has released |
|
| Verified | Lists the released solutions that the team has analysed to verify that they have delivered the expected outcomes |
|
| Board Neglect: Failing to update the board regularly, leading to an inaccurate representation of the actual work status. | Ignoring WIP Limits: Not enforcing Work In Progress (WIP) limits, leading to bottlenecks and reduced efficiency. |