Kanban Made Simple

Kanban Made Simple is the first simple "how-to" guide for incorporating the just-in-time ingenuity of the Kanban system into any manufacturing environment. From the Japanese word for "visual record", the technique dictates that suppliers deliver parts to the warehouse only as they are needed, reducing storage in the production area. Using before-and-after case studies, this easy-to-follow guide contains information on establishing project goals, forming a Kanban team, and designing the process.

"Productivity books focus on doing more. Jim and Tonianne want you to focus on doing better ... Personal Kanban takes the same Lean principles from manufacturing that led the Japanese auto industry to become a global leader in quality, and applies them to individual and team work. Personal Kanban asks only that we visualize our work, and limit our work-in-progress."--Back cover.

Your team is stressed; priorities are unclear. You're not sure what your teammates are working on, and management isn't helping. If your team is struggling with any of these symptoms, these four case studies will guide you to project success. See how Kanban was used to significantly improve time to market and to create a shared focus across marketing, IT, and operations. Each case study comes with illustrations of the Kanban board and diagrams and graphs to help you see behind the scenes. Learn a Lean approach by seeing how Kanban made a difference in four real-world situations. You'll explore how four different teams used Kanban to make paradigm-changing improvements in software development. These teams were struggling with overwork, unclear priorities, and lack of direction. As you discover what worked for them, you'll understand how to make significant changes in real situations. The four case studies in this book explain how to: Improve the full value chain by using Enterprise Kanban Boost engagement, teamwork, and flow in change management and operations Save a derailing project with Kanban Help an office team outside IT keep up with growth using Kanban What seems easy in theory can become tangled in practice. Discover why "improving IT" can make you miss your biggest improvement opportunities, and why you should focus on fixing quality and front-end operations before IT. Discover how to keep long-term focus and improve across department borders while dealing with everyday challenges. Find out what happened when using Kanban to find better ways to do work in a well-established company, including running multi-team development without a project office. You'll inspire your team and engage management to make it easier to develop better products. What You Need: This is a case study book, so there are no software requirements. The book covers the relevant bits of theory before presenting the case studies.

Kanban is the name given to the inventory control card used in a pull system. The primary benefit of kanban is to reduce overproduction, the worst of the seven deadly wastes. A true kanban system produces exactly what is ordered, when it is ordered, and in the quantities ordered. It is essentially a dynamic work order that moves with the material. Each kanban identifies the part or subassembly unit and indicates where each one came from and where each is going. Used this way, kanban acts as a system of information that integrates your plant, connects all processes one to another, and connects the entire value stream to customer demand. Kanban for the Shopfloor provides a working manual for those seeking to implement this method of production control in any operation. It defines the various terms and methods employed in kanbans, and illustrates how when adhered to, kanban is an element of continuous improvement that ultimately leads to the ideal of one-piece flow." In addition to reducing the waste of overproduction, kanban will help your company increase flexibility to respond to customer demand, coordinate production of small lots and wide product variety, and simplify the procurement process. About the Shopfloor Series: Put proven improvement tools in the hands of your entire workforce! Progressive shopfloor improvement techniques are imperative for manufacturers who want to stay competitive and to achieve world class excellence. And it's the comprehensive education of all shopfloor workers that ensures full participation and success when implementing new programs. The Shopfloor Series books make practical information accessible to everyone by presenting major concepts and tools in simple, clear language and at a reading level that has been adjusted for operators by skilled instructional designers. One main idea is presented every two to four pages so that the book can be picked up and put down easily. Each chapter begins with an overview and ends with a summary section. Helpful illustrations are used throughout. Other topics in the Shopfloor Series: Kanban, 5S, Quick Changeover, Mistake-Proofing, Just-in-Time, TPM, Cellular Manufacturing

Kanban is a simple and elegant Agile framework that helps to control and improve development processes. Originating in traditional 20th century manufacturing in Japan, Kanban has a renewed relevance today, being a crucial methodology in the world of software development. This book explores the key features of Kanban, and demonstrates how to put it into practice through exercises that will help you make the most of this unique approach to managing collaboration and production. Designed as a 30 day action plan, this book will help you understand and implement Kanban – and start seeing results – in a month. Analyze your current situation and define your goals and wider strategic aims, and begin developing a plan to help you and your team confidently work towards achieving them. Involve your team to drive cultural change, learn how to prioritize and organize tasks and projects to efficiently use your time and resources. Create your own value stream map to better understand your processes and identify improvement areas, and adapt and use the features tips and examples to overcome challenges you may face when implementing Kanban. Pick up this book and experience the full results of this vital Agile methodology – fast.

Have you tried Kanban? How much do you really know about it? How much of the world of agile is still a major mystery to you, and how much of it do you really know how to bring into your professional life? How much of an unknown is Kanban to you, still? We know you have a lot of questions--and we hope the book at hand will help you to discover the answers. After a fascinating journey through the Beginner Kanban Project Management and Intermediate Kanban Project Management books, you are finally ready to make the leap and learn more about the advanced techniques and methods that will help you push your Kanban one step further. If you are looking for a magic spell to miraculously upgrade your Kanban and bring your entire organization to a whole new level of efficiency, we are sorry to disappoint, but this book is not it. We do not claim to offer you everything on a silver platter--and, in all honesty, nobody can do that for you. Nobody can give you a set, golden recipe for success in project management (agile or not, Kanban, Scrum, or waterfall). Unfortunately, like it or not, this is something you will have to find on your own because every company has its own approach to the specific project management techniques and the implementation they choose. What we can do, however, is offer you all the information you need to upgrade your Kanban to a higher level--the kind of information that will allow you to create more efficiency in your processes and reap all the benefits that come with this. In short, this is what you will learn from this book: • How to scale Kanban How to embrace Kanban in a large organization • Kanban games to help your team understand the basics of this project management methodology • How to use estimates in Kanban How to create plans in Kanban • How to create a risk management plan in Kanban • How to use Scrum as an adjacent to Kanban and create your own Scrumban technique • How to truly make the most out of Kanban as a system • Understanding the principles of Kanban to make it work for you • How Kanban will change you and the way you work • An overview of Kanban and how it can be adapted for any business model • Introducing Kanban to your workplace • Challenges you will face and how to overcome them • Easy tips for problem solving Are you ready to experience the full power of Kanban? The information you need is but one click away. Get it today, and step into a world full of productivity, opportunities and success! Get your copy now!

Kanban is a method of organizing and managing professional services work. It uses Lean concepts such as limiting work in progress to improve results. A Kanban system is a means of balancing the demand for work to be done with the available capacity to start new work. This book provides a distillation of Kanban: the "essence" of what it is and how it can be used. This brief overview introduces all the principal concepts and guidelines in Kanban and points you to where you can find out more. Essential Kanban Condensed is a great resource to get started or continue exploring ideas for evolutionary change and improvement in business agility.

While there are numerous Lean Certification programs, most companies have their own certification paths whereby they bestow expert status upon employees after they have participated in or led a certain number of kaizen events. Arguing that the number of kaizen events should not determine a person's expert status, The Lean Practitioner's Field Book: Proven, Practical, Profitable and Powerful Techniques for Making Lean Really Work outlines a true learning path for anyone seeking to understand essential Lean principles. The book includes a plethora of examples drawn from the personal experiences of its many well-respected and award-winning contributors. These experts break down Lean concepts to their simplest terms to make everything as clear as possible for Lean practitioners. A refresher for some at times, the text provides thought-provoking questions with examples that will stimulate learning opportunities. Introducing the Lean Practitioner concept, the book details the five distinct Lean Practitioner levels and includes quizzes and criteria for each level. It highlights the differences between the kaizen event approach and the Lean system level approach as well as the difference between station balancing and baton zone. This book takes readers on a journey that begins with an overview of Lean principles and culminates with readers developing professionally through the practice of self-reliance. Providing you with the tools to implement Lean tools in your organization, the book includes discussions and examples that demonstrate how to transition from traditional accounting methods to a Lean accounting system. The book outlines an integrated, structured approach identified by the acronym BASICS (baseline, analyze, suggest solutions, implement, check, and sustain), which is combined with a proven business strategy to help ensure a successful and sustainable transformation of your organization.