Agile Mentors Podcast from Mountain Goat Software

#12: Kanban with Kert Peterson

14 snips

Aug 10, 2022

In this episode, Kert Peterson, an expert in Kanban and agile methodologies, joins Brian to discuss the origin and principles of Kanban, common misconceptions, the five pillars of Kanban, and how to get started and improve your Kanban process.

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ANECDOTE

Origin Of Kanban From Japanese Signboards

Kert traces 'kanban' to a 1600s Japanese signboard used by merchants to advertise goods.
Taiichi Ohno later adapted the concept as signal cards to manage inventory on Toyota assembly lines.

INSIGHT

Kanban And Scrum Share Pull-System DNA

Kanban and Scrum share the same pull-system DNA: teams pull work in based on capacity.
Both methods enable just-in-time delivery by reacting to the latest feedback and needs.

ADVICE

Enforce WIP Limits To Reduce Multitasking

Limit work in progress with explicit column/WIP limits to reduce multitasking and cognitive load.
Enforce limits so teams stop starting new items and focus on finishing current work.

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Kert joins Brian again to talk about Kanban

Kanban is a pull system of working where work is ‘pulled’ in based on a team’s capacity. Whether it’s a card from a backlog, or a bin of items on a manufacturing floor, the concept of pulling in work is common to both kanban and scrum. It supports the idea of being agile because whenever you’re pulling work in, you’re basing it on the latest feedback and emergent needs so that you can focus on delivering the most value. Listen now for an overview of Kanban as well as common mistakes to avoid.

Listen now to discover:

00:48 - The origin of Kanban’s meaning

04:34 - How the principles of Kanban are expressed in Scrum

07:00 - Common misconceptions people have about Kanban

09:00 - The five pillars of Kanban

12:58 - How to get started

19:41 - How to improve your current Kanban process

Listen next time when we’ll be discussing…

I’ll be joined by Lance Dacy as we talk about cross-functional teams.

References and resources mentioned in the show

Kanban University

The Official Guide to the Kanban Method

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This episode’s presenters are:

Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He’s passionate about making a difference in people’s day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work.

Kert began his professional career as a Software Engineer in NASA's Space Shuttle program, affording him practical insights into the daily challenges faced by engineers, designers, and testers. Driven by the belief that learning unlocks potential, Kert has pioneered educational programs for Dell, Rockwell Collins, Amazon.com, and Capital One Financial. Kert is one of the few trainers world-wide to be actively credentialed as both a Scrum and Kanban trainer by Scrum Alliance and Kanban University, respectively.

Show edited by Rhett Gill.