Practical Kanban: Visual Workflow Management for Agile Teams

This immersive one-day workshop is designed for professionals who want to enhance their Agile capabilities by mastering the use of Kanban to visualise and manage workflow effectively.

Building on the foundational knowledge gained in our Agile Scrum certification courses -  including Scrum Essentials, Scrum Master, and Product Owner -  this course deepens understanding of Lean Kanban principles and demonstrates how Kanban can be used as a standalone method or integrated with Scrum.

Participants will learn how to design and implement Kanban systems tailored to the needs of in-person, remote, and hybrid teams. The course includes practical guidance on visualising work, managing flow, limiting work-in-progress, and using feedback loops to continuously improve team performance.

To support immediate application, participants will receive customisable templates for:

• User Stories - to capture functional and business requirements
• Improvement Stories - to frame process and performance enhancements

Course Overview

Module 1: Lean and Kanban Foundations

• Lean principles and the roots of Kanban
• The core Kanban practices
• Kanban vs Scrum: similarities, differences, and synergies

Module 2: Visualising and Managing Work

• Designing Kanban boards: columns, swimlanes, card types
• Pull-based workflow and WIP limits
• Customising workflows for different types of work
• Template: Creating effective User Stories

Module 3: Integrating Kanban with Agile and Scrum

• Using Kanban within Scrum (Scrumban)
• Managing product/sprint backlogs visually
• Handling support work and unplanned tasks
• Role alignment: Scrum Master, Product Owner, and team members

Module 4: Kanban for Every Way of Working

• Physical board set-ups for in-person teams
• Digital Kanban tools: Trello, Jira, Miro etc.
• Best practices for remote and hybrid teams
• Ensuring shared understanding and engagement

Module 5: Metrics, Feedback Loops, and Kaizen

• Understanding cycle time, lead time, throughput
• Cumulative flow diagrams and flow efficiency
• Kanban cadences: stand-ups, retrospectives, reviews
• Template: Writing and using Improvement Stories

Module 6: Application and Real-World Scenarios

• Group activity: design a Kanban system for your own team
• Real-world case studies from Agile teams in various industries
• Common anti-patterns and how to overcome them

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Explain key concepts of Lean and Kanban
• Understand how Kanban complements Agile Scrum practices
• Create Kanban boards adapted for physical, digital, and hybrid work environments
• Use Kanban practices to manage flow, reduce waste, and improve delivery
• Apply story templates to plan, track, and refine work effectively
• Use metrics and feedback loops to drive continuous improvement

Who should attend

This course is designed for anyone in any part of the organisation whose focus is on maximising the delivery of value, finding adaptive solutions to complex problems, and increasing customer satisfaction. 

Pre-requisites

There are no pre-requisites for this course, but we do recommend the Agile Scrum Essentials course, or equivalent, would be helpful. 

Exam & Certification

There is no exam or certification with this workshop. A certificate of attendance can be provided. 

Course Material

Material for this course will be provided as downloadable soft copy files that can be viewed in a variety of devices. Attendees may print a hard copy of the files in whatever format best meets their needs.