Kanban Lab

In the latest episode of Kanban Lab, someone asks Soma, "What should I do when we have a backlog of work with hard deadlines?"

In this episode of Kanban Lab, Orod and Soma explore how the STATIK (Systems Thinking Approach to Introducing Kanban) method can be applied to create a meaningful team working agreement. They explain how STATIK encourages teams to focus on identifying the right problems first, agree on how to address them, and consider their impact on other teams; STATIK helps teams consider their impact on other teams, identify constraints, and align on shared expectations. STATIK fosters stronger collaboration and continuous improvement. Tune in to learn how you can leverage STATIK to build stronger, more effective teams!

Many people see a Kanban workflow and think it's just like Waterfall, believing it doesn't improve agility.

In this episode, Soma and Orod explain how Kanban workflows actually represent a series of knowledge discovery activities that visualize how work flows through a system (whether in an organization or team). They discuss how Kanban highlights where work gets stuck or remains in progress, helping teams identify bottlenecks. Additionally, they dive into the Kanban pull system, which is fundamentally different from the phase-gate approach used in Waterfall.

In this episode, Orod shares a conversation with a senior manager who suggested that showing the Kanban board is enough for training. Orod and Soma discuss why not every board is a Kanban board and explain how a true Kanban board should send signals about team capacity, enabling a pull system that aligns both the team and the organisation.

Recently, Soma spoke with a product manager who believed that Kanban doesn't support estimation and, therefore, roadmaps can't be created.

In this episode, Orod and Soma clarify this misconception. They explain that Kanban neither prescribes nor prohibits estimation. In fact, by using the Lead Time Distribution Chart (histogram) and categorising different work items, teams and companies can effectively prioritise tasks and create a roadmap if desired.

Join our hosts Orod and Soma as they sit down with Daniel Ploeg, a well-known figure in the Australian Kanban community, for an insightful conversation on scaling Kanban. Dan shares his experiences and emphasises the importance of starting with what you have. Whether you're just beginning your Kanban journey or looking to scale, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways.

Daniel, a Kanban pioneer in Australia, is the director of Evogility, a Kanban coach, and the chair of the Kanban Australia Conference. With over 20 years of experience in Agile and Lean software and product development, Daniel focuses on enhancing team capabilities and systems to unlock an organisation's potential.

Have you ever heard someone say that Kanban has roles like 'Flow Manager'?

In this episode, Soma and Orod discuss about another Kanban Myth, whether Kanban can deliver results within a two-week timeframe. Drawing from their own experiences, they explore how Kanban operates with SLAs and compare this to the two-week time-boxed events in Scrum.4o

A common concern that people has is that Kanban does not have a commitment point!

In this episode, Orod and Soma clarified that not only Kanban has a commitment point, but also this a crucial element in designing an effective Kanban System.

It's a frequent challenge for large organisations with multiple teams collaborating on extensive projects to strategise on a quarterly basis. Many assert that Kanban isn't suitable for such planning endeavours.

In this episode, Soma and Orod delve into this contentious issue. Orod shares his firsthand success story illustrating how the Kanban Method effectively facilitates teams and organisations in navigating quarterly planning.