Kanban Cards

5 minutes 5 Questions

Kanban Cards are the visual representation of the work items in a Kanban system. They provide an at-a-glance view of the tasks in progress, the team members responsible for them, and the current state of work. Each card typically contains key information like the title, description, priority, due date, and any relevant attachments or links. By using Kanban Cards, team members can easily communicate changes in task status, identify bottlenecks, and take action to improve the flow of work. The cards also serve as a way to track progress and facilitate better communication among team members, contributing to increased productivity and a greater sense of shared responsibility.

Guide: Understanding Kanban Cards in Agile Project Management

What is it:
The term 'Kanban Cards' in Agile Project Management refers to a visual tool used in Kanban methodology. Each Kanban Card represents an individual task or work item, providing key details about that task. The card typically includes information such as a summary of the task, the person responsible for it, and its status.

Why it is Important:
Kanban Cards are a vital component of the Kanban system as they aid in visualizing the work and workflow, limiting work-in-progress, and managing flow. They enable team members to see the status of every piece of work at any time which leads to transparency, ease of collaboration and effective process improvement.

How it Works:
Kanban Cards are moved across a Kanban board, a visual representation of the process, which is segmented into different stages of the work lifecycle. As work progresses, the corresponding Kanban Card is moved to the appropriate section of the board. This provides a visual signal of where work items are in the process.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Kanban Cards:
Analyze the question properly, and remember key points about the purpose, functioning of Kanban Cards, and its benefits. When asked to compare with other Agile methodologies, focus on the visual nature and workflow management benefits of Kanban Cards. If the question pertains to problem-solving, remember that Kanban Cards are powerful tools for identifying bottlenecks and improving workflow efficiency.

Practice Answering Exam Questions:
It's essential to familiarise yourself with how kanban cards operate in various situations. Practice scenario-based questions. Remember instances when Kanban Cards enabled improved communication, increased efficiency, or reduced waste in a project.

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Question 1

Your team is working on a new project and you just introduced Kanban to manage tasks. Alice notices that there are too many tasks in progress. What should she do to optimize the workflow?

Allow team members to work on as many tasks as they like Increase the team size to handle more tasks Ignore the issue as it may resolve itself over time Suggest implementing work in progress (WIP) limits on the team's Kanban board Assign more tasks to team members who are finishing tasks more quickly Ask team members to work longer hours to complete tasks faster

Correct Answer: Suggest implementing work in progress (WIP) limits on the team's Kanban board

Implementing WIP limits helps control the amount of tasks in progress, preventing bottlenecks and improving overall workflow efficiency.

Question 2

A stakeholder requests a high-priority change in your project, which will affect some tasks that were added recently to the Kanban board. What should you do?

Alter the tasks and priorities on the board without discussing with the team Add a new high-priority task to the board, discuss the change with the team, and adjust WIP limits if necessary Adjust the project deadline to account for the change Ignore the request and hope the stakeholder forgets about it Reject the change as it will disrupt the current workflow Ask your team to work extra hours to accommodate the change

Correct Answer: Add a new high-priority task to the board, discuss the change with the team, and adjust WIP limits if necessary

In an agile environment, you should embrace changes. Add the high-priority task, discuss it with your team, and adjust the workflow if necessary.

Question 3

A new member joins your team, and they have some experience with other project management methodologies, but not with Kanban. You want to help them quickly adapt to the Kanban system. What would be a helpful resource to provide?

Ignore the problem as they will learn Kanban eventually after making errors Give them access to the team's Kanban board and guidelines on how to interpret and update the cards Provide them with a book on traditional project management methodologies Tell them to work independently for a week and then learn from their mistakes Assign them the most complex task on the board Ask them to watch a video about the history of agile development

Correct Answer: Give them access to the team's Kanban board and guidelines on how to interpret and update the cards

Providing access to the team's Kanban board and guidelines on how to work with it will help the new member quickly adapt to the Kanban system in your specific team.

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