Aging Work in Kanban: Tasks that Linger in Your Flow
One of the most quoted sayings in Kanban translates to: ”stop starting and start finishing.” This principle of not starting new work until the task at hand is completed, also called a Kanban pull system, is one of the central ideologies in Kanban. A well-implemented pull system increases workflow efficiency and prevents teams from overcapacity and burnout. Essentially, tasks are moving forward if and only if a pull signal has been triggered to indicate a new slot has freed up….
Productive Synergy: Kanban vs Scrum
Both Kanban and Scrum are designed to help teams build better products and services with fewer obstacles along the way. However, a lot of product teams still question whether they should use Kanban or Scrum in order to deliver outstanding value to their customers. But the reality is that you shouldn’t choose between the two; rather, you should discover which practices work best for your team and flex the system accordingly. And by flexing, we mean using Kanban and Scrum…
5 Key Qualities Successful Project Managers Have in Common
Managing a project, whether we’re talking about software development or planning a corporate event, can be daunting to say the least. The reality is that there is no secret formula that will make your project unwrap flawlessly; very often you’ll stumble upon a series of challenges and obstacles before you reach success. And the ability to overcome those unexpected challenges and deal with them on the go is what makes a successful project manager. A well-versed project manager will be…
Kanban Pull System: A Simple Way to Increase Efficiency
Unlike a push system, where work is pushed onto teams regardless of their capacity, pull systems prevent team overburden and increase workflows efficiency. Teams pull work as they finish what they started, while keeping their focus on the highest priorities. Kanban pull systems significantly improve productivity and decrease delivery times. How Does the Kanban Pull System Work? To implement and maintain a pull system with the Kanban Method, you need to follow four main steps: visualise your workflow, establish a…
Workflow Efficiency: Balancing Demand Against Throughput
Every process has a bottleneck. The Theory of Constraints states that, in order to improve any system, the weakest link must be eliminated. Once a bottleneck has been identified and resolved, the flow of work moves on to the next one to deal with. This is a continuous improvement process that optimises the efficiency of your system. Workflow efficiency is determined by the consistency and predictability of your workflow. A stable and predictable workflow is enabled through balancing demand against…
Team Commitment in Kanban: How to Set Achievable Goals without Trimming Down Your User Stories
The Kanban Method revolves around the concept that work should be released early and often. To that end, product teams are focused on the constant delivery of value. The challenge lies in defining realistic goals that help teams commit to releasing work quickly. Kanban teams manage to eliminate multitasking and focus on current priorities by limiting the amount of work in progress. However, supporting an environment in which timeframes and goals aren’t present leads to accumulating waste and team demotivation….
A Big Thank You from Nave!
It’s been a busy year for us here at Nave, so it’s time to let our hair down, have some fun & celebrate the end of a successful year. But, none of it would have been possible without your trust and help. To that end, we’d like to extend a big thank you to everyone who supported us during this incredible year! To Our Customers We have always put our customers first, which is why we’ve worked hard to bring…
How to Read the Cumulative Flow Diagram [Infographic]
The Kanban Method can help teams manage their workflows more efficiently but relying on your Kanban board alone isn’t going to help you achieve a stable process. You also need a way to identify bottlenecks and stabilise your workflow using data visualisation tools. In this infographic, we’ll be explaining how to do that with the cumulative flow diagram. The Kanban Method is built around optimising cycle times, limiting WIP, and continuously delivering. There is a lot of critical flow information…
How to Reduce Cycle Times to Boost Customer Satisfaction and Build a More Productive Workforce
The cycle times of your workflow is the period required for a product team to develop and deliver a valuable outcome to a customer. There are two things that are important here – how quickly the customer needs the results to be ready, and how much time it takes your product team to develop and deliver them. To that end, it refers to the synchronisation between the requirements of the customer and what your internal processes can achieve. Although product…
How to Use Kanban Project Management to Harness the Power of Visual Insights and Maximise the Delivery of Value
Successful projects always start and finish with a plan, but it’s how you put that plan into motion that will ultimately make or break your project. Without a clearly defined process, project managers end up unable to manage their work efficiently, while teams work overtime to meet impossible demands. All too often, the result of a poorly executed project is a failed product delivered late by a team that’s lost motivation due to burnout. Kanban project management solves these problems…
Team burnout is real and your workflow is the cause
The best teams are highly motivated to perform. They show engagement, professionalism, and dedication. When unrealistic goals and impossible demands are placed on your team, their active engagement leads to rising levels of stress. If you notice your productivity and efficiency levels beginning to drop, this is a sign of burnout sneaking up on your team. Finding and attracting highly committed and engaged individuals for your team is a constant business struggle. Introducing these individuals to your internal processes and…
Roads Untravelled: Value Stream Mapping
In an increasingly saturated market, you must be able to deliver value to your customers faster and more consistently than your competitors do. Value stream mapping shows you exactly how your process delivers value to your customers, which steps suffer from excess waste and helps you identify areas of improvement. What is value stream mapping The value stream is the series of steps required to deliver a product or a service to your customer. Regardless of the nature of the…
How We Increased Our Productivity By 250%
Are you always short on time and budget, even though your team is motivated and skilled? Do you struggle to keep up with ever-changing demands from your clients? Do you often find yourself being unable to deliver on your commitments? We know these feelings because we’ve been there. This is the story of how our team at Nave turned our Kanban process around and increased our productivity by 250%. Managing emergencies In a fast-paced environment, clients want results yesterday –…