Have you heard about the Kanban process? If
you haven’t, then chances are that it is probably already implemented in one
form or another in your workplace, you just didn’t know it was the Kanban
process! If you are unfamiliar with the world of Kanban, essentially what this
is, is a method of managing knowledge work and there is an emphasis on work
being completed just in time, whilst not overloading team members. Kanban is a
process that was first used in the mechanical engineering process, however, it
is now used across all industries, and IT development is a sector has recently
also adopted the Kanban method.
Visual
Project Management
The Kanban process is fantastic for those
who are visual thinkers. With this process, you will be able to see all your work
laid out on the task board and you can see exactly what work you need to
achieve in order to complete a task. The Kanban process is also great as it
acknowledges that workers will be overwhelmed when there are too many tasks on
their board and that keeping work pared down to the basics will ensure workers
continue to stay motivated.
So, how do online Kanban boards work? Well,
each time you have a task that needs to be completed, this should be written on
its own specific card and it should then be placed on the Kanban board online.
Kanban boards are great to organise work as you can categorise them according
to their own criteria and you can then move them along your board to show how
far along they are in the process and this will also give you a good idea of
how much work still has to be completed for this task. It is also very
satisfying to see the cards eventually end up in the done column at the very
end of your board.
While Kanban was once restricted to just
being a physical board, it has now moved online and into the digital world and
there are now some amazing visual project management apps that can really
benefit the efficiency of your workplace. These online digital boards and apps
will help managers get the most out of their team and will allow you to
complete projects smoothly, on time and to a high quality.
Are
Online Kanban Boards the Future?
So, you may be wondering whyyou need an online kanban board and what an app
can offer you that a physical board cannot. The biggest advantage with using
Kanban boards online is that everything is happening in real time. This is
especially important for those businesses who have staff and offices based
across the world as anyone can make a change anywhere in the world and staff in
all other offices will be able to see these changes in real time.
Another major reason
why digital Kanban boards are far more popular nowadays than physical boards is
simply due to the fact that they are portable. So, team members don’t have to
be glued to a physical Kanban board and instead they can access and modify task
boards while on the go. Many digital Kanban boards also have apps now too,
which means team members can access all of their work tasks with just the touch
of a button. These apps will give you a process for managing documents and it is
far easier to provide other team members with the documents that they need to
be able to work on the tasks that they have been assigned to.
What many people find great about online
Kanban boards and Kanban apps is that they are a communal place too. A Kanban
board quickly becomes the natural gathering hub where members of staff can
discuss any issues that they may be facing with their assigned tasks,
colleagues can help each other to solve problems and you can also learn from
each other. Kanban boards show the accountable record of workflow and as everyone
can see the discussion being held on here, this promotes
transparency and a collaborative approach within the work place which is
absolutely essential for effective project management.
Final
Thoughts
As more and more businesses implement
online digital Kanban boards into their workplace, it looks like we are only
set to see a rise in this being used in future project management projects. If
you feel like your current project management structure is not up to task, why
not implement a Kanban digital board. This will allow staff to be held
accountable for their own tasks, improveproductivity and you will be able to make your business, as a whole, more
efficient.
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