How to Use Kanban For Project Management

Project management is geared towards the most optimum outcome of a specific project. A project is an undertaken endeavor for the purpose of the creation of products, or to achieve a specific outcome. It may also be aimed towards providing a particular service. Therefore, it can thus be said that project management is the use of strategies, plans, tools and knowledge aimed at the best possible outcome towards a project.

Kanban is a visual approach towards the management of projects.

Its aims at improving work output through prioritizing tasks to aid high value coordination in the work flow. It also seeks out various flaws in the process of project management to enable the project team to move efficiently in carrying out their duties. Below are the various ways to use Kanban for project management:

1. Use of a Kanban Board

What is a Kanban Board? A Kanban board is a tool utilized for visual representation of the on going status of the work flow for optimal project management. Kanban is a system which uses visual representation to break down the work process, to better help the project team understand their progress. The Kanban board makes use of charts, diagrams to give progress reports and shows the various bottlenecks affecting their progress.
Originally, the word “Kanban” has a Japanese origin, it means a “signal that is a visual”. When a team cannot ascertain their progress, then they would stumble because they are walking in the dark! Thus, the need for the Kanban board to aid and maximize the understanding of the work flow through visual aid.
Furthermore, the Kanban board is great for management of the project portfolio. It has a special board kept specifically for portfolio management. This board is where the massive and huge tasks are kept. This then helps in breaking down this bigger tasks into smaller pieces which can then be shared to the team as it is deemed fit

2. Planning the Project

Antoine de Saint-Exupery once stated that “ A goal without a plan is just a wish”. Additionally, Benjamin Franklin also could not dispense with the importance of planning as he stated “By failing to prepare, you re preparing to fail”.
Kanban focuses on a lighter route towards planning. Using your Kanban board, you can break down the work flow components to enable either the individual or the team know the best route to take while the process of project management is on going.

3. Classification based on order of Priority

Prioritizing is an important aspect of the Kanban system for project management. One of the biggest rules of the Kanban system is that tasks should be carried out based on their degree of importance. This would in turn make sure that the important tasks are effectively dispatched with and thus will bring about a successful outcome.

4. Progress Reports

Kanban is really effective in giving out detailed visual progress reports. This really aids in tracing the work flow process. The tracing feature allows the team to understand their patterns of work.
Following this, it helps the team to estimate and forecast the most likely outcome of the project based on the patterns undertaken in the work process.

What’s next?
To learn the Kanban 101 at team-level, enroll in the IBQMI® Approved Kanban Professional.
If you want to apply Kanban to any environment at an advanced coach level, you should enroll in the Certified Kanban Coach®.

Establish systemic methods for the elimination of waste within a manufacturing process. Enroll in the Certified Lean Project Manager®