Kanban Board - A Kanban board is a work and workflow visualization tool that enables you to optimize the flow of your work. Physical Kanban boards, typically use sticky notes on a whiteboard to communicate status, progress, and issues. Online Kanban boards draw upon the whiteboard metaphor in a software setting.

The Kanban technique emerged in the late 1940s as Toyota's re-imagined approach to manufacturing and engineering. Line-workers displayed colored Kanbans – actual cards – to notify their downstream counterparts that demand existed for parts and assembly work. (Kanban is the Japanese word for "visual signal" or "card.") The system's highly visual nature allowed teams to communicate more easily on what work needed to be done and when. It also standardized cues and refined processes, which helped to reduce waste and maximize value.

The application of Kanban to knowledge work, influenced not only by the Toyota Production System but also by Lean systems thinking, began as early as 2005. Kanban's core principles are the same in industries like software development and human resource management as they are in manufacturing.

Whether physical or virtual, Kanban boards make your process transparent, give you at-a-glance visibility of the status of your work in progress, and help you optimize your flow of work for improved effectiveness.

Install Kanban Board app and learn more.