Practical relevance
Core practices in the Kanban framework are:
• Visualization of the workflow: Representation of work in a Kanban system (board) to make bottlenecks visible.
• WIP limits (work in progress limits): Limiting parallel tasks to avoid overload.
• Flow management: Optimizing throughput and shortening lead times.
• Feedback loops: Regular meetings (e.g., replenishment, delivery planning, service review).
• Explicit policies: Clear definition of rules for when work is considered "finished" or how priorities are set.
• Evolutionary change: Improvements are introduced gradually, not through a "big bang" transformation.
Kanban is particularly suitable where complex knowledge work is coordinated (IT, product development, service organizations), but also in traditional environments such as HR, purchasing, or marketing.
Typical misunderstandings
❌ "Kanban = Kanban board" – the board is only a tool. The framework encompasses principles, values, and practices.
❌ "Kanban is only for IT" – in fact, it can be used across all industries.
❌ "Kanban replaces Scrum" – it is not a replacement, but often a supplement or alternative, depending on the context.
❌ "Kanban means everything stays the same" – Kanban means change, but evolutionary and continuous, not disruptive.
Relevance for organizations
• Focus: Teams work on fewer things at the same time, which increases quality.
• Transparency: Bottlenecks and blockages become visible.
• Flexibility: Kanban can be applied to existing processes without completely restructuring them.
• Sustainability: An evolutionary approach that makes organizations continuously more adaptable.
Kanban is particularly helpful in areas of complexity (Stacey Matrix) because it enables gradual improvements instead of overwhelming organizations with a major transformation.
Practical example
An HR team introduced Kanban to improve its recruiting processes. First, all application processes were made visible on a board. With the introduction of WIP limits, overload was reduced: fewer open positions at the same time, but faster filling. Result: Throughput times fell by 30%, and collaboration with specialist departments became more efficient.
SAFe Kanban
In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Kanban is used in several contexts—e.g., at the team, ART, solution, and portfolio levels.
Here, it primarily serves to visualize and control backlogs (e.g., portfolio Kanban for epics, ART Kanban for features, team Kanban for stories).
Important difference: SAFe Kanban is not a standalone framework, but rather an artifact within SAFe that creates transparency across value streams and decision-making processes.
The distinction here is critical:
• The Kanban framework (according to David J. Anderson, Kanban University) is a standalone approach to organizational development.
• SAFe Kanban is a specific tool within a more comprehensive framework.
Use outside of SAFe
Kanban can be used independently of any framework. It complements other approaches (Scrum, LeSS, Flight Levels) or stands alone. Typical areas of application:
• Service teams (e.g., IT operations, HR, purchasing).
• Portfolio management (visualization and prioritization of initiatives).
• Transformations (evolutionary starting point for organizations seeking change without a "big bang").
CALADE perspective
At CALADE, we see Kanban as a key building block for sustainable change. Its strength lies in evolution rather than revolution: organizations can learn at their own pace, improve flow, and create transparency. In our projects, we often combine Kanban with other frameworks such as SAFe, Flight Levels, or Living Transformation®—not dogmatically, but in a way that fits the context and culture of the customer.
Related terms
• Work in Progress (WIP)
• Flow Efficiency
• Portfolio Kanban (SAFe)
• Scrum vs. Kanban
• Evolutionary Change
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