Kanban: you may have heard of it. Kanban is often used, especially in a corporate environment. But it is often not fully used: it applies to many more jobs than people often think. This is why a Kanban training is of added value, even in jobs where you might not immediately expect it.
What is Kanban
Kanban is a visual system that companies use to manage work processes. It is even used by some families. Kanban comes from the Japanese word for visual signal and the aim is to make processes visual. Kanban works with cards: a task is a card that you place in different columns to have a quick overview of what is in which phase.
A Kanban training
During Kanban training, experienced trainers give you tools to apply Kanban properly. You visualize the work process and that is why it is nice to follow such a training with your colleagues: you can then train very specifically on your tasks during the training. Kanban is more than just showing what needs to be done: you must also determine together how you will collaborate. Moreover, during this training you will also learn how to manage the flow: how do you optimize those tasks in the system, where are the bottlenecks?
Using Kanban for an organization
Kanban can make an organization considerably more efficient, but it also makes it easier for new people, for example, to gain clarity about what the department does and what their role is in it. Companies will notice that problems literally and figuratively become visible more quickly, so they can be addressed more quickly and a responsible person can be linked to the map, making it clear to everyone who they can contact if they have questions.
What it can mean for a team
It also helps enormously with communication between colleagues and this transparency ensures that communication problems are less likely to arise. And that contributes to a better working atmosphere. You also don’t have to keep asking each other how far something is, because that can be seen in the Kanban board. A well-known way of applying Kanban is, for example, Trello, a widely used collaboration platform.
A future-proof choice
Even at the largest tech companies in the world, we hear that people are being laid off, these are economically uncertain times and streamlining activities makes great sense. Working as efficiently as possible helps with productivity, but also with creating clarity for each other. In that respect, Kanban is an important form of communication. Kanban is a good choice for now and the future, because it limits the number of tasks to maintain an overview. Kanban also allows you to quickly identify a problem in the process, so that action can be taken to tackle it differently in the future. It offers the opportunity for continuous improvement: now and in the future.
Does Kanban apply to your job?
There are few jobs that you do completely alone, but you are often busy with others. But even if you were to work completely alone: ​​Kanban applies to many situations. From the baker who wants to make baking bread and maintaining the store clear for himself, to a marketing department of 15 people who set up new campaigns and evaluate old ones and want to make all these activities clear to everyone. You can even use it in your personal life, for example, if you are ordering a new kitchen to keep track of what needs to be done to demolish the old kitchen, replace the power points, and so on. Kanban is there to create an overview and is so versatile that it is almost difficult to think of projects where it would not be useful.
[Fotocredits – WrightStudio © Adobe Stock]
