Unleash the Full Power of Kanban

The Kanban Method for software development has been around for a while. However, many organizations have failed to realize its promises: predictable delivery, accelerated cycle times, enabling superior business outcomes. For many, Kanban adoption has not fundamentally transformed the way teams deliver value. Organizations are “doing Kanban” but not unlocking its full power.

One of the most common mistakes teams make when adopting Kanban is using it only as a ‘visual task board’ for tracking the status of tasks or user stories without leveraging its full potential as a workflow management system. Simply moving post-it notes (or their electronic equivalents) from column to column across a  board from “To Do” to “Done” provides precisely zero of the intended benefits of a Kanban System for software development.

If this looks like your team or organization here are some actions you can take to unlock the full power of Kanban:

  1. Establish and Enforce Work-In-Progress (WIP) Limits

✅ Why? WIP limits prevent teams from working on too many tasks at once, forcing a pull system that optimizes flow.
Action:

  • Set WIP limits for each stage of the workflow based on team capacity.
  • Make WIP limits visible on the board and enforce them.
  • Regularly adjust limits based on team feedback and flow metrics.

Example: If the “In Progress” column has a WIP limit of 3 tasks and 3 tasks are in progress, a new task cannot be started until one is completed.

  1. Track and Optimize Flow Metrics

✅ Why? Kanban is about flow efficiency, not just tracking the status of tasks. Measuring flow helps teams identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Action:

  • Measure key flow metrics:
    • Cycle Time: The elapsed time between when an item starts and when it is done
    • Throughput: The number of items finished per unit of time: per day, per week, per sprint and so on.
    • WIP: The number of items in progress – started but not finished
  • Use tools like Control Charts and Cumulative Flow Diagrams (CFD) to analyze workflow.
  • Make data-driven improvements to optimize flow.

Note: Both Cycle Time and Throughput are lagging indicators – you can’t measure them until they are done. WIP on the other hand can be used as a leading indicator to flag potential changes in Cycle Time and Throughput.

For more on flow metrics, see this article: Flow Metrics for Accelerated Delivery.

  1. Make Policies Explicit

✅ Why? Clear policies ensure transparency and consistency and help teams make better decisions about how work is processed.
Action:

  • Define explicit policies for:
    • How and when work is pulled into the system.
    • WIP limits for different workflow stages.
    • Definition of Done (DoD) for each stage.
  • Document policies on the board for easy reference.

For more on this topic with examples, see: Kanban for Software Teams.

  1. Focus on Managing and Improving Flow, Not Just Tracking Work

✅ Why? Kanban is not just a status tracker—it’s a continuous improvement tool.
Action:

  • Encourage team discussions on improving the flow of work.
  • Analyze blockers and identify root causes.
  • Optimize work sequencing to reduce wait times between tasks.
  • Use Flow Efficiency (%) as a key measure to track how much time work is actively progressing versus waiting.

Review the section on Kanban Standups – a daily event where a team actively manages the flow of work in their system. The event takes place around the Kanban Board and seeks to identify steps in the workflow that are overloaded, starved of work, and on what actions the team can take to recover the flow.

  1. Conduct Regular Retrospectives to Improve the System

✅ Why? Continuous improvement is the heart of Kanban. Retrospectives allow teams to identify systemic issues and make necessary adjustments.
Action:

  • Hold Kaizen-style retrospectives focused on improving workflow efficiency.
  • Use flow metrics to drive discussions (e.g., “Why is our cycle time increasing?”).
  • Experiment with small incremental changes and measure their impact.

More on leveraging Cumulative Flow Diagrams and Cycle Time Control Charts for diagnosing flow problems here. More here on Kaizen Retrospectives.

  1. Shift the Focus from Individual Work to Team Flow

✅ Why? Kanban is about team efficiency, not individual productivity.
Action:

  • Encourage a team-based approach where work flows smoothly between stages.
  • Reward teams for improving flow, not just completing individual tasks.
  • Shift from “Who is available to take this task?” to “What does the system need to flow better?”
  1. Leverage Kanban for Strategic and Portfolio-Level Planning

✅ Why? Kanban is not just for teams—it can be applied at higher levels to align work with business goals.
Action:

  • Use Upstream Kanban to manage incoming demand before it enters execution.
  • Implement Portfolio Kanban to visualize and manage high-level initiatives.
  • Align team-level Kanban boards with organizational goals and value streams.

Conclusion

The problem isn’t Kanban—it’s how it’s been introduced, misunderstood, and halfheartedly applied. To unlock the full power of Kanban, teams must move beyond treating it as just a visual task board. By implementing WIP limits, tracking flow metrics, making policies explicit, improving flow, and focusing on continuous improvement, teams can transform Kanban into a powerful system for delivering value efficiently.

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