Kanban Principles
| Principle | What It Means |
|---|
| Visualize workflow | Map your process on a board — every step visible. Hidden work doesn't get done. |
| Limit WIP | Set a maximum number of items per column. Stop starting, start finishing. |
| Manage flow | Measure and optimize how work moves through the system |
| Make policies explicit | Write down your "Definition of Done" for each column |
Typical Kanban Board
| Column | WIP Limit |
|---|
| Backlog | ∞ — ideas, requests, future work |
| Ready | 5 — refined, prioritized, ready to pull |
| In Progress | 3 — actively working (WIP limit forces focus) |
| Review | 2 — code review, QA, stakeholder approval |
| Done | ∞ — completed, deployed, verified |
Key Metrics
| Metric | What It Tells You |
|---|
| Cycle Time | Time from "started" to "done" — aim for consistency, not speed |
| Throughput | Items completed per week — your team's velocity |
| WIP Age | How long items have been in progress — aging WIP is a warning sign |
Kanban vs Scrum
| Aspect | Kanban | Scrum |
|---|
| Cadence | Continuous flow | Fixed sprints (1-4 weeks) |
| Roles | No prescribed roles | PO, SM, Dev Team |
| Planning | On-demand (pull-based) | Sprint planning |
| Best for | Ops, support, continuous delivery | Product development, new features |
Pro Tip: The WIP limit is Kanban's superpower. If everything is 'in progress,' nothing is getting done. Set it uncomfortably low — your instinct will be to raise it. Don't. The constraint forces you to finish before starting new work.