Option
Option
Hours
Training:
Intro to Kanban
During our Intro to Kanban (ITK) you will gain knowledge and practical experience of Kanban work systems. Also the principles and practical techniques for systematically and continuously improving a team’s work management to achieve ever-increasing levels of flow efficiency and predictability.
This is relevant for any Agile or Lean knowledge work context, including Scrum and hybrid Agile adoptions.
Course Information:
Round 1: Experience and measure a typical "resource efficiency" focused way of working through hands-on simulation.
Round 2: Experience doing exactly the same work with a "flow" oriented work system, measuring (quantitatively) and experiencing (qualitatively) the performance difference.
The debrief that follows typically elicits a strong vote of support for changing the system of work as well as clarity as to what the most essential adjustments are to achieve this.
From there, participants build a foundational understanding of the principles and practices of the Kanban Method as well as cadences, roles and tools used in contemporary implementations.
The course concludes with an overview of how to improve forecasting using data and probabilities as well as Kanban adoption patterns and anti-patterns.
What pre-requisites are there?
None.
Who should attend?
- Individual contributors involved in all value creation activities.
- Their managers.
- Other leaders concerned with delivery, prioritisation and improving the work management capability of teams and ability to manage stakeholder expectations.
What is included when I register?
- 1 full day or 2 half days of highly interactive training.
Course Information:
- Experience Kanban
- Experience the Kanban Method (“Kanban”) in a “bad weather scenario” as well as with the benefit of Kanban derived improvements.
- Experience how to manage dependencies, urgent work, blockers and fixed date items using Kanban.
- Assess work system performance and make predictions using data and charts.
- Components of Kanban
- Benefits of Kanban.
- How Kanban addresses widely experienced vicious cycles in knowledge work.
- Elements of Kanban including principles and practices.
- Case Study and Change
- The recommended approach to implementing Kanban.
- Kanban-driven improvement case study.
- Management implications of Kanban including organisational change, scheduling, predictability, and culture.
- Personal implications of Kanban including responsibilities, skills, and daily behaviours.
- Feedback Loops and Continuous Improvement
- How to find improvement opportunities.
- Propose patterns for improving visual management via a Kanban Board.
- The purpose of three different Kanban meetings.
- Metrics and Forecasting
- Forecasting delivery timing probabilities.
- Kanban metrics for improvement.
- Class of Service archetypes.
- Kanban anti-patterns.
Looking for corporate / private training?
Learning Facilitator:
Rowan Bunning
Biography:
In 2008, Rowan founded Adapt WithStyle (formerly Scrum WithStyle) to bring world-class Agile training and independent consulting to south-east Asia. As a Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST®) with not-for-profit Scrum Alliance, Rowan has delivered over 530 certification courses including the full three level Path to Certified Scrum Professional® (CSP®) for Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches.
Rowan holds a WSQ Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP) from the Singapore Institute for Adult Learning (IAL).
Rowan has played project management roles in the U.K. and Australia. This includes taking a high-profile online business to launch, and safely introducing frequent change to critical infrastructure processing AUD $250 billion worth of financial transactions daily.
Rowan is passionate about developing leaders skilled at developing teams and simplifying their organisations to compete at scale on the basis of agility, innovation and highest customer value.
Accreditations:
Frequently Asked Questions:
What’s the difference between Kanban and Scrum?
Kanban is a change management method focused on improving the flow of work from start to finish. Scrum, is an organisational framework focused on team-based agility (as in adaptability), and by leveraging that, discovering and delivering the highest value work.
Kanban is a lighter method than Scrum that can be used without any special roles and with less meetings/cadences than Scrum. Scaled-up and higher maturity Kanban adoptions do however tend to have a couple of special roles and additional cadences.
Kanban and Scrum have quite different adoption approaches. Kanban prescribes gradual change, evolving gradually from what you do now. Scrum prescribes a radical change to a cross-functional team structure with special roles before pursuing continuous improvement.
For work comprising frequent small requests that are varied and don’t follow an overall roadmap, Kanban may be a good fit. For multi-month projects and ongoing product development, Scrum may be a more appropriate choice.
If there are significant benefits to be realised by making more informed choices about what to develop and/or a need to collaborate regularly with users/stakeholders to maximise value, the Scrum is likely to be a good choice. If this is not the case then Kanban may be a good starting point.
Why spend 1 day on a course on how to use a Kanban board?
Kanban Method involves much more than simply making work visible on a Kanban board.
Kanban Method also includes instituting and respecting Work in Progress (WiP) limits, making policies explicit, managing flow, measuring and visualising flow metrics, using data to guide improvements, various cadences, a maturity model and more.
Adoption of the Kanban Method, beyond the lowest maturity level, represents a fundamental change in the system of work, core beliefs about managing work and day-to-day behaviours.
The difference between a kanban (lower case “k”), a Kanban board and the Kanban Method are covered during the course.
Is this relevant for a group that does not do software development?
Yes. Unlike Scrum, which is appropriate for complex problem spaces with a singular offering/product, the Kanban Method can be used for any knowledge work including services that vary per request.
We have implemented Kanban with people doing portfolio management, insurance deals, cyber security uplift, IT support and production operations. We are aware of Kanban implementations in marketing, sales, inventory management, fast-moving fashion, healthcare, car design and 3D animation.
Why do this training rather than read about Kanban?
Past course participants report that the biggest benefit from the course is experiencing just how much better the outcome and individual experience is when WiP limits are introduced and respected. This is a counterintuitive revelation that provides a big motivation to implement the Kanban method properly rather than stopping at just visualising work on a board. You are unlikely to have a similar epiphany without experiencing the simulation during this course.
Also, implementing effective Kanban requires a shift in day-to-day thinking and behaviours. This training accelerates your progress toward these behaviours so that you and your team can realise the benefits sooner and to greater advantage than without such training.
Is this course relevant if we are using Scrum?
Yes. Scrum benefits greatly from the improved flow of work that Kanban provides.
You can use Kanban within Scrum Sprints. Kanban can wrapper Scrum to orchestrate a portfolio. Additionally, Scrumban is a transition approach. We are happy to provide initial guidance on what may be appropriate upon request.
Does this course cover what electronic tools to use for Kanban?
Yes and this can be extended upon request. There are some excellent electronic tools for Kanban currently available in the following categories.
- Kanban Method specialised tools.
- General purpose work management tools with extensive plugin and customisation options.
- Work management tools with plugin and customisation options.