Kanban is a visual workflow management method that originated in Toyota's manufacturing system and has since been widely adopted in software development and knowledge work. It uses a board-based system where tasks move through defined stages, typically columns like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done," giving teams a clear, real-time picture of work status and bottlenecks.
Unlike Scrum and other time-boxed agile frameworks, Kanban emphasizes continuous flow rather than fixed iterations. Its core principles include visualizing work, limiting work in progress (WIP), managing flow, making process policies explicit, and pursuing incremental improvement. By capping the number of items allowed in any stage, Kanban prevents teams from becoming overwhelmed and encourages the completion of existing tasks before starting new ones.
Kanban is valued for its flexibility and low barrier to adoption, as it can be layered on top of existing processes without requiring a complete restructuring. Tools like Jira, Trello, and Azure DevOps offer built-in Kanban board functionality, making it straightforward for both small teams and large enterprises to implement. Its emphasis on transparency and steady delivery makes Kanban an effective methodology for teams looking to optimize throughput and reduce cycle times.