You are viewing a free preview of this lesson.
Subscribe to unlock all 10 lessons in this course and every other course on LearningBro.
Kanban is an Agile method that focuses on visualising work, limiting work in progress (WIP), and optimising the flow of value. Unlike Scrum, Kanban does not prescribe roles, events, or time-boxed iterations. Instead, it provides a set of principles and practices that can be applied to any existing workflow.
The word "kanban" is Japanese for "signboard" or "visual card". The concept originated in the Toyota Production System in the late 1940s, where Taiichi Ohno developed a system of visual cards to signal demand and control inventory in manufacturing.
In 2007, David J. Anderson adapted these ideas for knowledge work and software development, creating what is now known as the Kanban Method.
| Era | Development |
|---|---|
| 1940s-50s | Taiichi Ohno develops kanban cards for Toyota's just-in-time manufacturing |
| 2004 | David Anderson applies kanban concepts at Microsoft |
| 2007 | Anderson's work at Corbis formalises the Kanban Method for software development |
| 2010 | Anderson publishes Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business |
| 2020s | Kanban is widely used alongside Scrum (often as "Scrumban") |
Subscribe to continue reading
Get full access to this lesson and all 10 lessons in this course.