What is the Kanban model? How it works and principles of application

The Kanban model is currently chosen by many businesses and applied in all different fields, from manufacturing, services to information technology. Thanks to that, businesses have a visual view of progress and work processes. In the article below, let's learn with 1C Vietnam in detail about the definition, how it works and the principles of applying Kanban.

1. What is the Kanban model?

Kanban is a lean method for managing and improving work based on the "pull" principle, in which work is only done when there is a need. Applying the Kanban model helps businesses balance the amount of work with available resources to minimize bottleneck problems.

The Kanban principle was introduced in the manufacturing industry by Taiichi Ohno, but David Anderson was the first to apply the concept to the information technology industry. He released the book "Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business" in 2010, the most comprehensive definition of the Kanban method for work. This book paved the way for Kanban adoption in areas, such as software development, human resources, recruitment, marketing and sales, procurement, etc.

The Kanban board is a simple task management tool, including 3 columns: To do, Doing and Done. specifically:

• Plan your work for the day/week and put it on To do status.
• When deciding which task to perform, move the task to the Doing column and record the time on each task.
• When finished, continue to move to the Done column, saving the completion date on each job.

2. How the Kanban “Pull” motivation system works

Unlike Scrum, XP, and other Agile methods, Kanban does not use time-bound iterations (sprints) to plan work. Instead, the Kanban method relies on using a Kanban board to track work progress. The Kanban board has columns that represent each stage of the workflow, such as To do, Doing, and Done.

When a new task is added to the Kanban board, it will be placed in the "To do" column. By the time the team is able to perform the task, they will "pull" it to the "Doing" column. After the task is completed, it will continue to be "dragged" to the "Done" column.

The number of tasks in each column of the Kanban board is limited. This helps ensure that the team is not overloaded with work and that employees can focus on completing tasks efficiently.

Note that using a Kanban board to track work progress can be similar to pushing tasks through a process from left to right. However, there is an important difference between these two approaches: with the Kanban model , the capacity limit is an indication that the team can "pull" the next task to the next stage. Meanwhile, on an Agile Task board, the team just moves the task from left to right to represent the status of the task on the pipeline.

3. Benefits the Kanban model brings to businesses

Kanban is an agile work management method, based on visualization boards. This model brings many benefits and is chosen by many businesses to apply, specifically:

• Understand impediments immediately: The model helps organizations easily identify bottlenecks in the work execution process. This helps businesses take actions to resolve and improve performance.
• Improved communication: The Kanban model provides a common platform for teams to share information and coordinate activities. Through this, the model supports improved communication and collaboration between teams.
• Self-management: Kanban empowers teams to self-manage workflows. This allows individual teams to find solutions that suit their specific needs and capabilities.
• Discipline: The Kanban method requires employees to focus on one task at a given time. This way implementation teams can reduce stress and errors, while improving overall efficiency.
• Corporate culture: Applying Kanban encourages communication, collaboration and self-management. This is a favorable condition to form a modern, efficient and highly disciplined corporate culture.

4. Principles for applying the Kanban model effectively

In addition to defining what the Kanban method is, businesses also need to clearly understand the main principles of the model. This is the basis for applying Kanban to manage work flexibly and effectively. Specifically, there are 4 basic principles that businesses need to remember and comply with:

• Work visualization: Kanban uses visual boards to display work in progress, including columns corresponding to the work's status: To do, Doing ) and Done (Done). This helps work teams better understand work progress and potential problems.
• Limit work in progress: The model limits the amount of work being done simultaneously in each state. This helps work teams avoid being overwhelmed and focus on completing tasks effectively.
• Focus on work flow: Kanban focuses on improving work flow by applying principles such as limiting work in progress, allocating tasks effectively, and optimizing processes.
• Continuous improvement: The Kanban method encourages work teams to improve their processes and work methods on a regular, regular basis. This principle can be implemented through the use of techniques such as data analytics, A/B testing, and customer feedback.

5. How to apply Kanban to manage work effectively

The Kanban model helps reduce risks and improve project success rates thanks to the work connection of team employees. Therefore, many of the world's leading companies are currently prioritizing the application of this useful method.

Below are simple steps to apply Kanban to manage work effectively:

• Step 1. Prepare a magnetic board and sticky notes of different colors.
• Step 2. The first column in the Kanban board is the "To do" column. Businesses need to classify tasks according to importance and urgency using different colors.
• Step 3. The second column is "Doing". This is the column that shows what the company needs to do currently.
• Step 4. The third column is "Done". The unit will move each completed task in the second column to the third column and then continue repeating steps 2 through 4.

6. Apply the Kanban model to support work management using 1C:Document Management software

For the digital transformation process to take place strongly, digital office solution 1C:Document Management has developed and become an important support tool for Vietnamese businesses. Built on an advanced technology foundation, 1C:Document Management focuses on document storage and optimizing business processes, specifically:

• Managing documents, records, and digitized documents: 1C:Document Management helps centrally store all documents and documents, reducing physical storage space.
• Advanced search: The metadata search method helps retrieve information quickly, supporting exact searches with a number or keyword.
• Automated process management: 1C:Document Management supports automation of electronic document management processes to reduce errors caused by manual operations, ensuring standard operating procedures.
• Smart work management: Similar to the Kanban model , the software supports employees and leaders in managing all work from many different sources such as planned work, project work, arising tasks, recurring tasks, etc. At the same time, the software allows assigning, monitoring and reminding employees until completion.
• Absolute decentralization and security for each department and individual: 1C:Document Management software only allows authorized employees to access specific data, protecting information safely.
• Mobile application: Mobile application helps increase working speed. At the same time, employees can submit to the boss for approval at any time, the boss manages the team and approves documents from anywhere.

Thus, the Kanban model is a simple, flexible and effective work management method. By adopting Kanban, businesses can improve work control, increase productivity and reduce waste. Hopefully through the above article, managers have gained more useful knowledge. If you have any questions, please contact 1C Vietnam immediately for detailed advice.