The Official Guide to The Kanban Method | Kanban University

Official guide to the Kanban Method. Not a methodology but a method applied on top of existing workflows. Rooted in lean manufacturing, adapted for knowledge work. Six general practices: visualize, limit WIP, manage flow, make policies explicit, implement feedback loops, improve collaboratively/evolve experimentally. Core metrics: lead time, delivery rate, WIP. Pull system: work enters only when capacity exists (WIP limits create pull signals). Cadences provide feedback loops at varying frequencies. STATIK (Systems Thinking Approach To Introducing Kanban) for system design. Key distinction from Scrum: no fixed iterations — continuous flow with pull-based scheduling instead of time-boxed sprints.