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Manage & Measure Flow in the context of Kanban
Manage & Measure Flow in Kanban
In Kanban, Manage & Measure Flow is a key concept that focuses on optimizing and visualizing the flow of work through the system. This involves managing work in progress (WIP) limits, monitoring cycle times, and continuously improving the flow of work items.
Key Aspects of Managing Flow in Kanban:
Setting WIP Limits: WIP limits restrict the amount of work allowed in each stage of the workflow, preventing overload and ensuring a smooth flow of work items.
Monitoring Cycle Times: Measuring cycle times helps teams understand how long it takes for work items to move through the system. This data can be used to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Visualizing Flow: Kanban boards are visual representations of the workflow, showing the status of each work item and providing transparency into the flow of work.
Continuous Improvement: By managing and measuring flow, teams can identify opportunities for optimization and implement changes to improve overall efficiency.
Resources on Managing & Measuring Flow in Kanban:
- Kanbanize: Manage Flow in Kanban
- LeanKit: Measure and Manage Flow with Kanban
- Agile Alliance: Visualizing and Managing Flow Using Kanban
Manage & Measure Flow in the context of Product Development (FLOW)
Manage & Measure Flow in Product Development (FLOW)
Managing and measuring flow in Agile product development is about optimizing the movement of work through a system, ensuring a smooth and efficient delivery process. By understanding and monitoring flow metrics, teams can identify and address bottlenecks, improve cycle time, and enhance overall productivity.
Key aspects of managing and measuring flow in product development include:
Value Stream Mapping: Visualizing and analyzing the end-to-end process of delivering value to customers, identifying areas of waste and inefficiency.
Work in Progress (WIP) Limits: Setting limits on the amount of work in progress to prevent overloading the system and improve focus and throughput.
Cycle Time: Measuring the time it takes for a work item to move through the system from start to finish, aiming to reduce delays and improve delivery speed.
Continuous Improvement: Using data and feedback to continuously refine and optimize the flow of work, making incremental changes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
Collaboration and Transparency: Fostering a culture of collaboration and transparency, where team members openly communicate and share information to streamline workflows and support flow.
By implementing these practices and metrics, teams can effectively manage and measure flow in product development, leading to faster delivery, higher-quality outcomes, and greater customer satisfaction.
Resources:
The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams: Scrumban - Essays on Kanban Systems for Lean Software Development by Corey Ladas
Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business by David J. Anderson
Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit by Mary Poppendieck and Tom Poppendieck