Kanban Board

Overview

Kanban Board is a visual management method originating from the “Just-in-Time” concept of the Toyota Production System, now widely used in software development and personal task management. By placing each task as a card on a board and visualizing its progress, it aims to identify bottlenecks and optimize resource allocation.

Rating (1–5)

• Applicability: 5
• Effectiveness: 4
• Complexity: 2
• Misuse Risk: 2

Evaluation Comment

It has an immediate effect on improving team and individual productivity because it makes it clear at a glance “What is stuck where.” However, it is prone to becoming a mere formality if one only focuses on moving sticky notes and neglects to improve the process itself (Kaizen).

The First Question

“Do I intuitively understand how much work I am currently carrying and where the work is stagnating?”

Objectives

• To “Visualize” the overall picture and progress of work, eliminating misalignments in perception.
• To limit Work-in-Progress (WIP) and prevent efficiency loss caused by multitasking.
• To identify stagnation (bottlenecks) and establish a smooth flow.

Poor Questions

• “Do I have a memo of who is doing what?” (A static list cannot track the flow of work)
• “Have I written down all the tasks?” (Simply writing them down does not help you notice excessive WIP)
• “How can I just finish everything faster?” (Local speed-ups often lead to overall congestion)

How to Use (Step-by-Step)

1. Define the Board Define the work process by creating columns such as “To Do,” “Doing,” and “Done.”
2. Set Work-in-Progress (WIP) Limits Decide on the maximum number of cards allowed in the “Doing” column. This creates a system where the next task cannot start until a current one is finished.
3. Move Cards and Iterate Improvements Move cards to the right as work progresses. If cards accumulate in a specific column, focus on improving that particular step of the process.

Output Examples

• Personal Task Management Limiting “Active Study” for certifications to one subject and not starting new materials until that subject is passed (Done).
• Team Development Flow Observing an overflow of cards in the “Waiting for Review” column, stopping development work, and having everyone perform reviews to clear the bottleneck.

Use Cases

• Business: Agile management in software development, advertising creative production flows, and status management for recruitment.
• Daily Life: Preparing for a move, house cleaning/maintenance planning, and managing multiple reading or learning tracks in parallel.
• Decision Making / Thinking: When you want to list and organize everything you are “carrying” before deciding on priorities.

Typical Misuses

• Ignoring WIP Limits: Adding tasks to the “Doing” column one after another beyond the limit, resulting in a state where nothing ever finishes.
• Insufficient Card Granularity: One card being too large (e.g., “System Development”), causing it to stay in the same place for days and making the flow invisible.
• Forgetting to Update Information: When the actual progress and the state of the board do not match, the benefits of visualization are lost.

Relationship with Other Models

• Complementary: Eisenhower Matrix (to decide priorities within the “To Do” column)
• Related: Theory of Constraints (TOC)