If you're not using a kanban board, you're not as productive as you could be

3 years ago 307

Jack Wallen's eyes were precocious opened to the thought of kanban boards. If you've yet to recognize however adjuvant these tools tin be, work connected and observe the productivity magic that awaits.

I'm precocious to the party. Way late. This was mostly by design. What I bash for a surviving isn't thing that typically benefits from the likes of task absorption tools. But past I was tasked with covering kanban boards and discovered the instrumentality isn't conscionable for bundle engineers and task managers.

SEE: The aboriginal of work: Tools and strategies for the integer workplace (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

It took maine possibly 2 days to find a kanban solution I could tweak conscionable close to acceptable my needs. So alternatively of statuses similar New, Ready, In Progress, Ready for Test, Done and Archived, I could usage Idea, First Draft, Beta Readers, First Round Edits, Second Round Edits, Third Round Edits, Proof Reading and Sent to Publisher. Once I had that setup, the "Ah-ha" airy went disconnected implicit my caput and I realized wherefore truthful galore radical astir the globe beryllium upon specified tools.

They marque enactment and beingness a batch much productive.

A lot.

Seriously.

It's not conscionable astir productivity, but besides astir accuracy, accountability, trackability and organization. As idiosyncratic who tends to person respective penning projects going astatine once, it tin sometimes get a spot confusing arsenic to which task is successful which state. By utilizing a kanban board, I tin present archer precisely wherever each publication is successful its workflow, who has the manuscript and what's near to beryllium done. I tin besides get a amended thought arsenic to erstwhile 1 task mightiness beryllium finished and however acold different projects are from that state.

It each makes truthful overmuch consciousness now.

I utilized to judge kanban boards were designed for managers who liked to get mode excessively micro with their unit and task them into oblivion, instrumentality power of their each moving moment, and person the quality to clasp feet to occurrence erstwhile 1 country of a task had fallen behind.

Now, I recognize this methodology is much astir empowering the users, beryllium they developers, designers, information analysts, admins oregon support. Honestly, it doesn't substance what presumption you hold. You don't adjacent person to beryllium employed by a institution oregon employed astatine each to payment from a kanban.

Consider these:

A kanban chore board.
A kanban cooking board.
A kanban survey board.
A kanban penning board.
A kanban committee for phantasy sports.

This database tin spell connected and on. In fact, if you tin interruption a task down into constituent parts, chances are bully you tin usage a kanban board.

What is simply a kanban board?

Before I continue, let's reply this elemental question (because not everyone comes into this successful the know). Kanban means signboard and is simply a thin method to negociate and amended enactment crossed systems that beryllium connected humans. Items for tasks are visualized to springiness those progressive a presumption of the advancement of the task.

Imagine a spreadsheet that is divided into columns similar this:

Beginning	In advancement	Peer Review	Testing	Done	Archived
			Task 1
Task 2
		Task 3
				Task 4

Each file represents a authorities for each task. On the acold near is wherever each task begins and connected the acold close is wherever each is completed. As you tin spot we person 4 tasks (1, 2, 3 and 4), each of which is successful a antithetic state. Task 1 is successful Testing, Task 2 is successful Beginning, Task 3 is successful Peer Review and Task 4 is Done. You tin rapidly see, at-a-glance, wherever each task stands successful its workflow.

Let's marque this much relatable.

CHORE	ASSIGNED	IN PROGRESS	DONE
BATHROOM
	DISHES
			HOMEWORK
		TRASH

So the bath chore hasn't been assigned, the dishes task has been assigned, trash is successful advancement and homework is done. A genitor could look astatine that kanban committee and cognize precisely wherever chores basal each day.

That's progress.

That's efficiency.

That's effective.

Why it took maine this agelong to recognize that kanban tin use to conscionable astir thing is beyond me. And present that truthful galore radical are moving from home, without the added bonus of a manager looking implicit their shoulders astatine each times, immoderate mightiness request a spot of assistance staying focused connected the lifecycle of a task.

The benefits of utilizing a kanban committee

Yes, kanban boards are typically employed by bundle developers and managers. But fixed however flexible astir kanban platforms are, they tin beryllium made utile for immoderate task, squad oregon topic. The benefits of kanban include:

Better visualization of workflow
Improved ratio
Improved collaboration
Increased and balanced productivity
Avoid implicit tasking squad members
Increased focus
Waste reduction
Flexibility
Better clip management
Empowers users
Better assets allocation

Not each payment volition use to each situation, but that shortlist unsocial should person you earnestly reconsidering your stance that kanban isn't the instrumentality for you. Chances are bully a kanban committee would marque your beingness easier.

I'm not present to merchantability you connected immoderate fixed kanban committee solution. Although I've recovered the 1 that works for me, your needs and demands volition vary. What I'm present to bash is motion disconnected that unreality of enigma that whitethorn oregon whitethorn not situation kanban boards for you. If you're similar me, you've ignored these tools, due to the fact that they simply didn't use to your situation. But if you conflict to negociate immoderate benignant of task oregon person go truthful engaged you could usage a spot of assistance keeping your workflow organized, a kanban committee mightiness beryllium conscionable the thing. And it doesn't substance if you're a portion of a squad oregon a one-person show, kanban boards tin inactive help. Although I bash enactment straight with editors, they don't needfully person to cognize wherever immoderate fixed manuscript oregon nonfiction is successful its lifecycle. I, connected the different hand, do. And fixed however overmuch I write, having thing to support maine connected task and organized has been a existent eye-opener.

If you've not fixed a kanban committee consideration, bash so. Your regular beingness volition convey you.

Subscribe to TechRepublic's How To Make Tech Work connected YouTube for each the latest tech proposal for concern pros from Jack Wallen.

Best of the Week Newsletter

Our editors item the TechRepublic articles, downloads, and galleries that you cannot miss to enactment existent connected the latest IT news, innovations, and tips. Fridays