In a previous article, we talked about how you can shift your talent management system to the cloud. There are many other business solutions that you can use to streamline processes and move business operations to the cloud. Once certain business solutions are integrated, you can leverage cloud computing to facilitate other things such as remote working.
When it comes to project management, switching to a digital Kanban board is the way to go. Kanban is a tried and tested methodology that will help keep your projects organized. Even better, you can do everything from time tracking to measuring output on the same digital Kanban board. Before you switch to Kanban, however, you need to know about these top tips from the Kanban experts.
#1. Make the Transition Gradual
Moving to Kanban is not always easy, especially if there were no project management tools in place before the implementation of Kanban. Turning tasks into cards and adding enough details to them will take some getting used to.
Unfortunately, the switch to Kanban will not work if it is done abruptly. Kanban will feel like an extra step to take (i.e. employees have to update their cards when doing their job) rather than a solution that streamlines everything.
Some digital project management tools are better than others when it comes to user-friendliness. The tools are designed to make transitioning to Kanban-based project management easy, regardless of the methodology or approach that you want to implement in the process.
#2. Go Lean
Going lean doesn’t mean skimping on resources or limiting what you can integrate into projects and tasks. Now that the tasks are represented as Kanban cards, you have the opportunity to really push boundaries and complete projects faster and better.
The key to this is lean project management. Kanbanize, the best digital Kanban board available today, offers tools that let you monitor capacity utilization for maximum performance. You can even keep track of individual team members and what they are doing to balance tasks.
Kanbanize actually has some very good articles on agile and lean project management. As you browse through the company’s site, you will also find ways to maximize a digital Kanban board and opportunities to supercharge your ability to manage projects.
#3. Pool Information
The beauty of using digital Kanban boards is that you can be very flexible with the information you add to each card. You can add long descriptions, an online article, a newspaper section, and virtually every other detail you can add about the project.
Briefs are not the only thing you can attach either. The digital Kanban cards are also good for storing discussions (in the Comments section) and tracking progress based on the information available on the cards. That actually brings us to another feature: chat and discussions.
Comments, chats, or discussions on a particular Kanban card need to be contextual. On the other hand, discussions conducted outside of the digital Kanban board must be added to the Comments or Discussions section of that board. That’s how you maintain comprehensive project information.
#4. Define a Standard
The hardest thing to do when implementing Kanban is usually getting everyone involved. When you have hundreds of employees to convince, it is also difficult to make sure that everyone uses the digital Kanban board accordingly.
Simple things such as checking for comments, replying to requests, and completing the description of the task or adding a contextual title needs to be made a habit of everyone in the company. Titles and descriptions can be standardized. You can even create formats and templates for projects.
The real benefit of standardizing how the Kanban board must be used is better access to your information. Your board becomes more searchable when everyone follows a predetermined format. You can archive tasks and keep the board clean easily as well.
#5. Customize!
The introduction of custom labels, custom ledgers, and other customization options for digital Kanban boards takes the Kanban system to a whole new level. You don’t just have the opportunity to customize the dimensions of the board, but also details such as sorting and grouping.
Customizing your Kanban board is almost a necessity these days. While there are many templates and ready-made structures for different startups, companies, and departments, having that ability to create custom boards is still a huge plus.
As a bonus, here’s another tip you want to keep in mind: customize the looks of your board too. Kanban tools now let you customize more aspects of the user experience, resulting in a more pleasant working experience for everyone.
When everyone is happy, productivity goes up. That’s what the Kanban system is all about; it lets you do more without sacrificing more. With the 5 tips and tricks we discussed in this article, you will have no trouble implementing Kanban and taking your startup to new business success.