Recently I read an article related to a method of Kanban " Kanban method practice system ", summarized here share. This article is divided into two parts, the first part of the article will do a rough sort and summarize, from the second part of my personal point of view to talk about feelings of the Kanban method.
Firstly, it will be the whole chapter Kanban split into five parts:
- The value of flow visualization, focusing on three elements:
- Visualization of the value of the unit should be user value, value to user-oriented, each value should be a verifiable, user requirements can be delivered.
- To reflect the value of the user-end process flow, is the value from a proposal to process delivery.
- Issues to be visualized out from billboards seen or impede the flow of poor links.
In addition the article also gives a visual modeling value: the value flow analysis to select visual elements, modeling flow value. This portion is biased time, then, not described here, friends who are interested can be the venue article.
- Display of process rules, the paper proposes a three-step process rules:
- Organization and clear rules of procedure, including the transfer rule (circulation in all aspects of the rules) the value of planning, rules recurring event (station will demand publishing, on-line, etc.), other coordination rules.
- Team co-owner process rules, team members must be clear and understand the rules, understanding of the rules consistent team of independent decision-making and collaboration.
- Continuous improvement process rules, clear rules to improve and implement.
- Controlling the number of products, where the sermon three concepts:
- Water for Sand, fewer products will be faster in circulation, the value of fast flow (acceleration value delivery), corresponding to the obstacles and problems will be prominent (instant exposure problem).
- Suspend the start, the focus is complete, the number of control in the ideological core products, "the more the more complete before delivery, rather than the start delivery of more more."
- Rock lake effect, feasible but useful values from the beginning, and gradually expose and solve problems, asymptotic improve delivery capabilities.
- Manage the flow of work items, here is also divided into three terms of practice complaint:
- Kanban station will be, will be the destination station is: Look at the value of the flow state, and promote the smooth flow of value.
- Ready queue is filled, ensure that the input can meet the standard input (can reasonably rapid flow) team; establish a reasonable rhythm input (fill frequency too low will harm the quality of decision-making and team agility, filling frequency is too high additional cost ).
- Release planning meetings, release planning to establish DoD, decoupling deployment and release (blue-green deployment, switching characteristics, simulated environment).
- Feedback and improve the establishment, by feedback metrics billboards, tools are available: the cumulative flow charts, control charts, lead time profile.
End summary article, then share some personal views, above all personal Kanban method summarized in three core:
- Visualization value
- Articles advocating customer value as the core unit and, in my opinion is slightly different, I think in order to deliver the core value would be more appropriate number. There are two reasons: First, to face directly to the user's projects, delivering value equal to the value of the user, but in some non-direct-to-user projects, the concept of customer value may be very vague and difficult to define; secondly, I Kanban method should be considered a tool, a method that can be extracted replicated in other similar areas or small-scale activities, then use the concept of delivering value will be more accurate, easy multiplexing method.
- Detailed process flow of information reflects in part, because each person different perception, so the problem with the bottleneck is not the only objective, the problem can be focused through a billboard in the value of the flow, can exist objectively reflects the problem, but also to reverse team members to promote awareness.
- Control the flow of value, I will show the value of rules and management processes in the integrated flow within the entry, both of which are in fact the value of the control unit. Here these also point to re-divided into two categories:
- First, the value of the type of flow, link / value transfer rule itself (automated rule that the value of units in circulation in all aspects of the rules, abide by the team members, the implementation process without changing); intermediate process rules (corresponding to the manual rules, For example, is a daily station will be worth monitoring unit, flow control mechanisms of human intervention).
- Second, the type of change in the value of the number of input values (demand planning, emergency needs), output (value delivery).
- The establishment of feedback continuous improvement, based on the problems identified bottlenecks, such as the implementation process of experience feedback, make the adjustment and optimization and customization of all the whole Kanban methods and development.
Kanban method is a tool, although the method is complete and relatively easy to implement, but in practice it still has many difficulties, I think the following points:
- "People of honey, I of arsenic" Kanban method can not simply be applied to all projects, this point has mentioned in the article, you need the corresponding case team to carry out specific implementation and improvement, and this is a rely on experience and long-term implementation process, the team needs to continue to tread the pit of trial and error to improve to succeed.
- In fact, as a tool for learning in terms of the threshold and the high cost, the implementation of the entire program with a certain complexity. For example, a full-Kanban method described in the article, there are nearly 20 steps and concepts, and each point has a certain degree of difficulty and depth of understanding, Kanban method as a "method" is very dependent on experience; article speaks on the part of than theoretical, such as visual presentation when the value of the case is omitted specific transformation process, which for learners more difficult to understand, let alone the specific application to the situation on the whole team. I think we should be dismantling of the Kanban method, split into several independent functional modules, combined with the current status of the team, for the sick knot where the "right", while small step fast iterative trial and error, reduce the difficulty of implementation.
- "Kanban method should be owned by the team," a tool that should bring value to the team and the implementation of each of us. In fact, as a management tool, Kanban method needs to be associated with self-interest of the team, if the team can not feel the benefits brought tools allow teams from spontaneous promote and implement, it just means an additional burden for the team, and then rely on a team of people responsible for pushing in the implementation, which in turn produces several situations: person in charge of administrative tasks too heavy can not take into account the development and management of the event in the development of high-intensity work easy to overlook the management, it will lead to the implementation of stagnation is difficult to continue to drive; or the person in charge of too much emphasis on management and implementation, just follow the instructions member operation, carried out due to the lower non-autonomous, prone to negative burnout, mistakes, feedback slow and so all sorts of problems after long-term management task more onerous, creating a vicious cycle, management difficulties will continue to climb, eventually leading to implementation failure.
Finally, Kanban method is excellent and well advanced project management method has been proven in the industry, but at the same time, Kanban methods are often misunderstood and used. In fact, the Kanban method is a tool that should be understood by the team, should be owned by the team, the team should order the service.