Say it like this
- Let's move this card across the kanban board
- We're using kanban to manage our workflow
- The kanban board shows our current work in progress
Use it at work
Process
- We use kanban, so there are no sprints.
- Move the card to In Review on the kanban board.
Improving
- Let's set a WIP limit on the kanban board.
- Too many cards are stuck in Testing.
Comparing
- Kanban works better for our support team than Scrum.
- Should we switch from Scrum to kanban?
Don't say this
Kanban is a noun and system, not a verb. You cannot 'kanban' something; you track it on a kanban board.
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| kanban | Continuous flow, no sprints | Teams | Support, ops |
| Scrum | Work in fixed sprints | Teams | Product development |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. Your manager asks how you are tracking the new feature work. What do you say?
2. We pull new work into the development phase only when there is capacity in our _______ limit.
3. Which sentence uses kanban incorrectly?
4. Rewrite this in natural tech English using kanban: 'We have a system where we show work items moving through different stages visually, and we do not use time-based sprints.'
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"Let's move this card across the kanban board"
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More about kanban
Real examples(3)
- in a standup
"I moved the authentication feature to in-progress on our kanban board this morning."
- in a team meeting
"Our kanban board is getting crowded in the in-progress column, so we need to limit new work."
- in a retrospective
"Since we adopted kanban, our average cycle time has dropped from three weeks to five days."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Kanban is a noun referring to a methodology or board, not a verb. Do not use it as 'to kanban something.' Also, it is not synonymous with Agile—it is one Agile framework among several.
- ✕Kanban is the same thing as Agile.✓Kanban is one framework within the broader Agile methodology.
Kanban is a specific approach to Agile delivery, not synonymous with Agile itself. Scrum is another popular Agile framework.
- ✕Our kanban works best with two-week sprints.✓Our kanban uses continuous flow rather than time-boxed sprints.
Kanban is not sprint-based; it emphasizes continuous delivery. Sprint-based delivery is a Scrum concept.
Other forms(3)
- kanban noun
"Our kanban board tracks tasks across four stages: backlog, ready, in-progress, and done."
- kanban board noun
"The kanban board is displayed on the wall next to the developer workstations."
- kanban card noun
"Each kanban card represents one user story or bug."
Often used with(5)
- kanban board · The physical or digital board used in kanban methodology
- kanban card · Individual work items represented as cards on the board
- work in progress (WIP) limit · A kanban practice that restricts how many cards can be in the in-progress column
- kanban column · Each vertical section of a kanban board representing a stage in the workflow
- kanban workflow · The entire process of moving work items through the kanban system
Similar words(3)
- kanban system · Broader term referring to the entire methodology and implementation
- visual workflow · General term for any system using visual representation of work
- continuous flow · The underlying principle of kanban, emphasizing ongoing delivery rather than sprints
Opposites(2)
- waterfall
- Scrum
Questions(5)
- What does kanban mean in software engineering?
- Kanban is a visual project management methodology where work items are represented as cards on a board and move through columns representing different stages of completion. It emphasizes continuous delivery, limiting work in progress, and improving workflow efficiency. Unlike Scrum, kanban does not use fixed sprints.
- How do you use kanban in a sentence at work?
- You typically use kanban as a noun: 'We use a kanban board to track our work,' 'I moved the task to the in-progress column on our kanban,' or 'Our kanban has really improved our cycle time.' Avoid using it as a verb (e.g., 'to kanban something').
- Is kanban formal or informal?
- Kanban is neutral in formality. It is used in both casual team conversations and formal documentation. You can say 'We are using kanban' in a standup meeting, a presentation, or a written process document equally appropriately.
- What is the difference between kanban and Scrum?
- Both are Agile frameworks, but Scrum uses fixed time-boxed sprints (usually two weeks), while kanban uses continuous flow. Kanban emphasizes limiting work in progress and pulling new work as capacity allows, whereas Scrum plans work for each sprint. Teams can use one or the other, or even combine elements of both (a practice called Scrumban).
- What is a WIP limit in kanban?
- A WIP (work in progress) limit is a rule in kanban that restricts the maximum number of cards allowed in the in-progress column at any time. This prevents the team from taking on too much work simultaneously and helps identify bottlenecks early.
