For more details check: http://leanagileprojects.blogspot.se/2013/03/depth-of-kanban-good-coaching-tool.html

1. Assessing the Depth
of a Kanban Implementation
Operation Excellence Support
Sandvik IT
(2012/08)
Christophe Achouiantz – Lean/Agile Coach
@ChrisAch
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2. Christophe Achouiantz – @ChrisAch
Why Assessing the Depth
of a Kanban Implementation?
Teams, Managers and Coaches can quickly evaluate the current
capability of a team/group, in order to:
• See how the capability measures against the recommended level
for sustainable improvements
• Guide the team/group on what to improve next
• See, over time, the evolution of the capability (positive or negative
trend)
• See the impact of the team/group improvement work
• See the impact of organizational/structural changes that are
outside the team/group’s control (costs reductions, distributed,
etc.)
• Motivate! Get acheivements and recognition for reaching deeper
implementation

3. Christophe Achouiantz – @ChrisAch
Assessing the Depth
of a Kanban Implementation
• Improve continuously in a Effects (12) • See & Understand
sustainable way (WIP, Blocks, Queues)
Improve (10) Visualize (13)
10
7 12
6 10
• Generate actionable • Improve Predictability
Lean 4 7
feedback (information) 4 • Reduced Task Switching
Necessary for • Reduced Lead times
from stakeholders to 2 sustainable
improve • Reduced Overburding
improvements (quality, sustainability)
Feedback 6 3 2
Limit WIP (4)
Loops 1 2 3
(7) 2
5
Improving Sustainably
8 6 • Increase Liquidity
Excellence • Measure Flow / capability
10 (WIP, throughput, Queues,
• Set Standards to improve upon lead time)
10 • Defer Commitment
Explicit Policies (12) Manage Flow (11)

4. Visualize Limit Work in Progress Manage Flow Christophe Achouiantz – @ChrisAch
1. Work (all, according to current policies) 1. No WIP limit, but commitment to finishing work over 1. Daily planning meetings (as “daily” as agreed by policies)
2. Work Types starting new (eventually reaching a WIP level that “feels 2. Blocks out of team control are escalated for resolution
3. Workflow (“process”, way-of-working, value stream) OK” for the team) 3. Next is re-prioritized continuously (no commitment in Next)-
4. ‘Next’ & ‘Done’ 2. Some explicit WIP limits, at lower level than workflow Deferred Pull decisions (dynamic prioritization)
5. Current Team Focus (avatars) (a.k.a Proto-Kanban): personal Kanban, WIP limit per 4. CFDs (updated at least once a week)
6. Blocks person, WIP limits for some columns or swim- 5. Control Charts (updated at least once a week)
7. Current Policies (DoD, DoR, capacity allocations, etc.) lanes, workflow with infinite limits on “done” queues, etc. 6. Size of ongoing work items is limited (large work is broken
8. Ready for Pull (“done” within the workflow/in columns) 3. Explicit WIP limit at workflow level - Single workflow full down)
9. Metrics (lead-times, local cycle times, SLA targets, etc.) pull 7. Flexible staff allocation (swarming)
10. WIP limits 4. Multiple interdependent workflows with pull system 8. Cadence is established (planning, delivering, retrospective)
11. Inter-work dependencies (hierarchical, parent-child, etc.) 9. Flow metrics (number of days blocked, lead-time efficiency)
12. Inter-workflow dependencies 10. SLA expectations and forecasts (lead-time targets)
13. Risk dimensions (cost-of-delay, technical risk, market risk) 11. Capacity Allocations
Make Policies Explicit - All Policies must be CURRENT (known & actually used) Implement Feedback Loops Improve
1. Definition of Work Types and Work Item (template) 1. Daily Team standups 1. The group knows why it exists and its criteria for success
2. How to pull work (selection from ‘Next’/prioritization of WIP) 2. Key stakeholders (mngt, customers, other groups) are 2. Regular Retrospectives / Kaizen events
3. Who and when manages the ‘Next’ and ‘Done’ queues regularly updated on the current situation 3. The team knows its current condition (may require metrics)
4. Staff allocation / work assignment (individual focus) 3. Managers go and see (walk the ‘gemba’) regularly 4. True North exists, is communicated and shared by the team
5. Definition of Ready for ‘Next’ 4. Regular discussions with upstream and downstream 5. The team knows the current target condition (the challenge)
6. Who, when and how to estimate work size partners 6. There is a validation criteria (test) for the current target condition to
7. Limit size of work items (work breakdown) 5. Regular presentations and discussions about Financial know when the target condition is reached
8. How to select & prepare work for the ‘Next’ queue performance 7. The team knows what obstacles are preventing them from reaching
9. Definition of Done at all steps (seen as a Target Condition) 6. Regular presentations and discussions about Quality KPI the target condition
10. Knowledge spreading/sharing strategy (defect rate, customer satisfaction, etc.) 8. The team knows what obstacle is being currently addressed
11. Class-of-Service 7. “Regularly” means once per month or more often 9. The team knows what is the next step in resolving the current obstacle
12. Capacity allocation (PDCA)
10. The team go and see what they have learned from taking that step
Effects (12)
Effects (seeing Evidence of…)
1. Team members are seeing and understanding the Big Picture Improve (10) Visualize(13)
(team-level vs. local situations)
10
2. Better “team spirit” (helping each-others to complete
work, respect)
3. Focus on removing blocks 7 12
4. Focusing on finishing work rather than starting new work 6 10
5. Team is working on the “right” thing (“right” prioritization)
Lean 4 7
6. Limiting work to team’s capacity (limited stress, optimal lead- 4
times) 2
7. Team has motivation to drive improvements
8. Local process evolution (visualization, workflow, policies, WIP Feedback 6 3 2
Necessary
limits) Limit WIP
9. Increase depth of Kanban implementation Loops 1 2 3
10. Process evolution was model-driven (7) (4)
2
11. Process or management policy evolution as a result of mentor-
5 Baseline
mentee
12. Inter-workflow or management policy evolution due to
operations review 8 Excellence 6
10
Depth of Kanban Implementation 10
Explicit Policies(12) Manage Flow (11)
Team: Date:

5. Christophe Achouiantz – @ChrisAch
Team Name (date)
Effects (12)
00 Improve (10)
10
Visualize (13)
Current
”Score”
7 12
6 10
Lean 4 7
4
Trend
2
Necessary
Feedback 6 3 2
Limit WIP
Loops 1 2 3
(7) (4)
2
5 Baseline
8 Excellence 6
10
10
Explicit Policies (12) Manage Flow (11)

6. Christophe Achouiantz – @ChrisAch
Team X (2012-10-11)
Effects (12)
45 Improve (10)
10
Visualize (13)
Current
”Score”
2012-10-11 12
7
6 10
4
2012-08-20
Lean 7
4
Trend
2
Necessary
Feedback 6 3 2
Limit WIP
Loops 1 2 3
(7) (4)
2
5 Baseline Next Target Condition
8 Excellence 6
10
10
Explicit Policies (12) Manage Flow (11)

7. Christophe Achouiantz – @ChrisAch
Team Y (2012-10-02)
Effects (12)
24 Improve (10)
10
Visualize (13)
Current
”Score”
7 12
6 10
Lean 4 7
4
Trend
2
Necessary
Feedback 6 3 2
Limit WIP
Loops 1 2 3
(7) (4)
2
5 Baseline
8 Excellence 6
10
10
Explicit Policies (12) Manage Flow (11)