This document discusses Kanban metrics and how they can help teams improve. It introduces four key Kanban metrics: the cumulative flow diagram, which shows work progress over time; the control chart, which tracks how lead time varies; lead time distribution, which shows how lead times are distributed; and the throughput chart, which tracks throughput over weeks. These metrics provide transparency into the workflow and can help teams identify areas for improvement through collaborative experimentation and kaizen.
1. The Power of
Kanban Metrics
Sanjay Kumar
Agile Coach and Trainer
AKT, KCP, ICP-ACC, KMP, CSP, PMI-ACP, ICP-ATF
2. The Power of Kanban Metrics
Sanjay Kumar
Introduction – Sanjay Kumar
Agile Trainer & Coach:
Lean Kanban Certifications (KMP1, KMP2)
Certified Professional Agile Coach (ICP-ACC)
Corporate Training/Coaching – Agile, Scrum, Kanban,
Scrumban
Experience with Agile – 2006 onwards
15+ years of software development experience
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Kanban in IT = Kanban Method
Six core practices in Kanban Method:
1. Visualize work
2. Limit work in progress
3. Manage Flow
4. Make policies explicit
5. Implement feedback loops
6. Improve collaboratively, evolve experimentally
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What does Kanban Deliver?
1. Transparent and consistent process
2. Smooth flow of work
3. Better Predictability
4. Balance demand with capability
5. Make business “Fit for Purpose”
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Why Teams adopt Kanban?
1. For Support Projects
2. To minimize pain and risk of transition
Teams transitioning from Waterfall
3. Scrum is not working well !
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-most-common-
challenges-facing-scrum-teams-sanjay-kumar
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The Initial Success Phase
Better transparency – clarity of process
Work flows smoothly - it gets done
Improvement in Throughput and/or Lead Time
Better collaboration
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BIG Challenge with new Kanban
Implementations
After initial success, complacency (inertia) sets in…
Lack of Predictability:
o How much?
o How fast?
Lack of kaizen culture
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The Need for Kanban Metrics!
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Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD)
Shows how many items have crossed important
points in the flow.
It is cumulative – items so far
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Sample Kanban Board
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CFD – Another Sample
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CFD – Comparing Releases
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Control Chart (or Run Chart)
How Lead Time varies over a period of time
Day
LeadTime
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0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
May/25 Jun/14 Jul/4 Jul/24 Aug/13 Sep/2 Sep/22 Oct/12
CycleTime
Date Done
Control Chart – Sample
Is the team performance
getting better or worse?
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Control Chart – Sample
y = -0.0122x + 531.88
R² = 0.0039
0
5
10
15
20
25
21/11/17
1/12/17
11/12/17
21/12/17
31/12/17
10/1/18
20/1/18
30/1/18
9/2/18
19/2/18
1/3/18
CYCLETIME
DAY COMPLETED
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Lead Time Distribution
How Lead Time is distributed for a given time period
Lead Time
NumberofItems
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Lead Time Distribution – Sample
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 25 26 27 32 34 37 40 42 44 46 48 51 54 55 56 60 61 62 84
NUMBEROFITEMS
LEAD TIME
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Numberofworkitems
Improvement
Opportunity #1
Improvement
Opportunity #3Improvement
Opportunity #2
Lead Time Distribution
– Improvement Opportunities
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Lead Time Distribution
– Improvement Opportunities
1. Make the distribution “tall and narrow” rather
than “flat & wide”
2. Move the distribution to the left
3. Slim or trim the tail
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Lead Time Dist. – Comparing Releases
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 22 25 29 41
NumberofItems
Lead Time (days)
Release 2
85% confidence
– 17 days
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 26 27 41
NumberofItems
Lead Time (days)
Release 3
85% confidence
– 12 days
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16
40
27
21
6
25
30
17
24
26 26
20
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
48 49 50 51 52 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Throughput(Points)
Week Number
Throughput Chart
How Throughput varies over a period of time
Do you see weekly throughput stabilizing?
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Kanban Metrics – Summary
Four most common metrics to enable kaizen:
Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD)
Control Chart
Lead Time Distribution
Throughput Chart
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Questions?
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THANK YOU!
Stay in touch…
Sanjay Kumar
Agile Trainer & Coach
SunjayKumar@gmail.com
LinkedIn.com/in/SunjayKumar
Twitter.com/AgilityDelivers