Kanban for Prioritization: A Guide

If you’re struggling to prioritize tasks and projects, you may benefit from implementing a Kanban system. Kanban is a visual method for managing tasks and workflows that originated in the manufacturing industry but has since been adapted by many other industries, including software development, project management, and marketing.

The basic premise of Kanban is to limit work in progress and focus on completing tasks before moving on to new ones. This helps to prevent overload and ensure that the most important tasks are completed first.

Kanban boards typically consist of columns that represent different stages of a workflow, such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done,” with cards representing individual tasks moved between the columns as they are worked on and completed. By visualizing the workflow in this way, it becomes easier to identify bottlenecks, prioritize tasks, and ensure that everyone on the team is on the same page.

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Photo byShannyn Schroeder

Kanban Basics

History of Kanban

Kanban is a Japanese term that means “visual signal” or “card”. It was originally developed by Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer at Toyota, as a way to improve their manufacturing processes. The system was designed to help manage inventory levels and production efficiency by using visual cues to signal when more materials were needed and when production could be increased or decreased.

Key Principles

There are several key principles that are fundamental to the Kanban system. First, it emphasizes the importance of visualizing work in progress. This means creating a visual representation of the tasks that need to be completed and their status, so that everyone involved in the process can easily see what needs to be done and what has already been accomplished.

Second, Kanban focuses on limiting work in progress. This means that only a certain number of tasks can be in progress at any given time, which helps prevent overloading team members (or yourself) and ensures that work is completed in a timely manner.

Finally, Kanban emphasizes continuous improvement. This means that the system is constantly being evaluated and refined to improve efficiency and productivity.

Kanban Board Layout

A Kanban board is a visual representation of the tasks that need to be completed and their status. It typically consists of three columns: “To Do”, “In Progress”, and “Done”. Tasks are represented as cards or sticky notes that move across the board as they are completed.

The Kanban board can be customized to fit the specific needs of your team or project. For example, you can add additional columns to represent different stages of the process, or you can use color-coding to indicate the priority of each task.

Using a Kanban board can help you and your team stay organized, improve communication, and increase productivity. By visualizing the work that needs to be done and limiting work in progress, you can ensure that your team is focused on the most important tasks and that work is completed in a timely manner.

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Implementing Kanban for Prioritization

Visualizing Work

To implement Kanban for prioritization, you must first visualize your work. This means creating a visual representation of your tasks and their status. A Kanban board is a great tool for this. It allows you to see at a glance what tasks are in progress, what tasks are waiting, and what tasks are done.

You can use columns on the board to represent different stages of completion. For example, you might have columns for “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” You can also use color coding or labels to indicate priority levels.

Limiting Work in Progress

Once you have visualized your work, the next step is to limit work in progress. This means setting a maximum number of tasks that can be in progress at any given time. Limiting work in progress helps to prevent overload and ensures that tasks are completed in a timely manner.

The upside of using Kanban for my attention-challenged friends is that you can be working on more than one thing at a time. You can bounce from one in-progress task to another to stave off boredom.

However, the downside is that for some of you, your in-progress board becomes overwhelming because there are too many tasks there, and nothing is getting finished.

You can use a Kanban board to enforce work in progress limits. For example, you might have a rule that no more than three tasks can be in progress at any given time. If a fourth task is started, it must wait until one of the other tasks is completed.

Managing Flow

The final step in implementing Kanban for prioritization is to manage flow. This means ensuring that tasks move smoothly through the system and that there are no bottlenecks or delays.

You can use a Kanban board to identify bottlenecks and areas where flow is slow. For example, if tasks are piling up in the “In Progress” column, it may be a sign that there is a bottleneck in the system. Why aren’t things getting done? What’s the hold-up? You can then take steps to address the bottleneck and improve flow.

For people who do well with visual cues and reminders of what tasks need to be done, a Kanban board can be an excellent tool. It helps you prioritize things that need to get done and you can watch your progress as the project goes on.