Kanban Agile Methodology
An Agile approach does not fit all oganisations and when adopting one several factors must be reviewed. One approach is that of the Kanban Agile Methodology.
The Kanban Agile Methodology is one of the simplest Agile Methodologies. In essence it is a to-do list with priorities and each item/task is tracked by its current status in the Kanban stage (e.g. To-Do, In Development, Under Test or Done).
The Kanban idea was originally developed by the car manufacturer Toyota, from their own website, their definition of Kanban is detailed below:
Kanban (English: Signboard): A system that conveys information between processes and automatically orders parts as they are used up. Every item or box of items that flows through the production process carries its own kanban. Kanbans come off items that have been used or transported and go back to the preceding processes as orders for additional items
Kanban tasks are based on priority and therefore when the Developer assigned to the project is ready to pick up they next item of work, they will pick it from the To-Do list. With less documentation and a prioritised approach, developments will be quicker to market than the traditional waterfall approach but remember that with waterfall, the end user knows up front what they are to receive come the end of the testing phase. With Agile, any item may not actually make it into the initial product release.
Like all Agile Methodologies the Agile Team (Product Owner, Project Manager, Developers and Testers) should be in constant communication and take ownership of their task.
Rockin the Kanban
Here are 3 simple tips when selecting Kanban as your Agile Methodology choice:
- Communication is KEY, make sure a Daily Standup takes place.
- Encourage all team members to play a part to avoid any bottlenecks (eg. Dev to help with Test Execution)
- Use a development/issue tracking tool such as JIRA to increase visibility with planning and prioritising.
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