Global Accreditation Body for Kanban certifications
Important Terms and Concepts
(Take printouts and Fold at the center to make Flashcards for quick reference)
| Terms | Definition |
|---|---|
| Acceptance/Rejection Criteria | Predefined conditions that determine whether a deliverable is ready for release, such as functional tests and user acceptance testing (UAT). |
| AI-enabled Digital Kanban Tools | Tools that utilize artificial intelligence to generate insights, detect trends, and enhance workflow analysis. |
| A/B Testing | An experimental approach to compare different Kanban configurations to identify the most effective workflow strategies. |
| Blocker Clustering and Analysis Report | A report that groups workflow impediments to analyze common patterns and bottlenecks. |
| Burndown Chart | A visualization tool used to track work completion against a defined timeline. |
| Capacity Utilization Report | A report that evaluates how effectively team capacity is being used relative to the workload. |
| Collaborative Leadership | A Kanban principle that encourages leadership at all levels within an organization. |
| Control Chart | A statistical process control tool used to track variations in cycle time and lead time. |
| Cross-Team Syncs and Standups | Regular short meetings between dependent teams to discuss progress and resolve cross-team workflow issues. |
| Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) | A chart used to visualize work item accumulation and movement through workflow stages. |
| Cycle Time | The total duration a work item remains in the ‘Work in Progress’ phase. |
| Definition of Workflow (DoW) Criteria | Criteria defining the workflow stages that a work item progresses through from initiation to completion. |
| Delivery Review Meeting | A session to evaluate workflow effectiveness and customer value delivery. |
| Dependencies and Integrations | Identifying external systems, APIs, or third-party services affecting the Kanban Workflow. |
| DevOps | A methodology combining development (Dev) and operations (Ops) to streamline software delivery and maintenance. |
| Empirical Process Control | A Kanban principle where workflow decisions are made based on observation and empirical data. |
| Escalation Workflow for Dependencies | A structured process for addressing unresolved cross-team dependencies. |
| Existing Forms and Templates | Predefined templates used to document blockers, standard operating procedures, and incident reports. |
| Existing Kanban Reports | Structured visualizations of Kanban metrics that provide insights into workflow performance. |
| Flow Efficiency | The ratio of value-adding time to total cycle time, measuring workflow efficiency. |
| Forms | A key means of collaboration in Kanban used to document, communicate, and manage work efficiently. |
| Forecasting Report | A predictive analysis report based on historical data to estimate workflow completion times. |
| Histograms | A visual representation of cycle time or lead time distributions used to analyze workflow efficiency. |
| Iterative Development | A Kanban principle that emphasizes incremental workflow improvements based on stakeholder feedback. |
| Kanban | An Agile methodology used to manage workflows and processes. |
| Kanban Backlog | A dynamic repository of work items or task groups to be completed by Kanban Teams. |
| Kanban Board | A visual tool used to manage tasks, workflows, and service delivery activities. |
| Kanban Cadences | Recurring meetings that facilitate collaboration and workflow refinement. |
| Kanban Manager | The role responsible for implementing and managing Kanban Workflows. |
| Kanban Release | A set of deliverables released together at a predefined interval. |
| Kanban Team Members | Individuals responsible for executing and managing workflow tasks. |
| Lead Time | The total time taken from work item request to completion. |
| Lean Kanban | A methodology combining Lean principles with Kanban Workflow visualization and continuous improvement practices. |
| Limit Work in Progress (WIP) | A key principle in Kanban that prevents overloading the system by limiting active tasks. |
| Line Graphs | A tool used to depict trends such as average cycle time over a specified period. |
| Monte Carlo Simulation | A statistical method used for forecasting delivery timelines in Kanban. |
| Non-Value-Adding Time | The time a task remains idle without progress. |
| Planning or Replenishment Meeting | A meeting where teams select and prioritize new tasks from the Kanban Backlog. |
| Prioritized Product Backlog | A list of prioritized work items managed by the Product Owner. |
| Product Owner | The individual responsible for defining business needs and ensuring work aligns with customer expectations. |
| Queue Length | The number of tasks waiting to be processed at each workflow stage. |
| Release Deliverables | Features or outputs successfully deployed to end-users or production. |
| Release Notes | Documentation summarizing changes, enhancements, and fixes in a Kanban release. |
| Retrospective Meeting | A session where the team evaluates workflow effectiveness and discusses potential improvements. |
| Risk and Issue Review Meeting | A discussion focused on identifying and mitigating workflow risks. |
| Root Cause Analysis | A technique used to determine the underlying causes of workflow inefficiencies and blockers. |
| ScrumBan | A hybrid framework combining Scrum and Kanban methodologies. |
| Self-Organization | A Kanban principle where teams autonomously manage and optimize their workflow. |
| Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) | Agreed timeframes for completing tasks impacting another Kanban Board or team. |
| Statistical Process Control (SPC) | A method for monitoring process variability and improving workflow predictability. |
| Sub-task | A smaller component of a task, often represented as a checklist item. |
| Summary Tables | Data tables used for comparing cycle times and lead times across different teams or workflows. |
| Swimlanes | Horizontal sections on a Kanban Board that organize tasks based on criteria such as team or priority. |
| Takt Time | The average time between the start of production of one unit and the next. |
| Task | A set of work activities assigned to a Kanban Team member. |
| Task Group | A collection of related tasks contributing to a single deliverable. |
| Throughput | The number of completed work items within a specific period. |
| Updated Kanban Backlog | A continually adjusted work backlog reflecting changing priorities. |
| Updated Kanban Metrics | Revised performance metrics based on completed work and workflow trends. |
| Updated Kanban Workflows | Adjusted workflows designed to optimize efficiency and remove bottlenecks. |
| User Story | A brief description of a feature or functionality from an end-user perspective. |
| Value-Adding Time | The total duration a team actively works on a task. |
| Value-Based Prioritization | A principle that ensures the highest-value work items are completed first. |
| Visualization of Workflow | A Kanban principle emphasizing transparency and visual tracking of progress. |
| Visualization Tools | Graphs, charts, and dashboards that help teams track Kanban metrics. |
| WIP Aging Charts | Reports that highlight tasks that have remained in progress longer than expected. |
| WIP Limits | The maximum number of work items a team can handle at any given time. |
| Workflow | The sequence of steps a work item follows from initiation to completion. |
| Work In Progress (WIP) | The total number of tasks actively being worked on by a team. |