Kanban

Work Item Types vs Classes of Service in Kanban: Definitions, Examples & Practical Tips

Agile, Kanban, Scrum
Visual comparison of Work Items, Work Item Types, and Classes of Service in Kanban using a coffee shop analogy. Shows different coffee orders as work items (e.g. espresso, cappuccino), service formats as work item types (to-go, to-stay), and prioritisation policies as classes of service (expedite, fixed date, standard). Includes concise definitions under each concept.

One of the most common challenges when designing Kanban is the confusion between work item types and classes of service. These core concepts directly influence delivery speed, team productivity, and customer satisfaction. One potential reason your Kanban system lacks clarity and consistent flow is confusion between work item types and classes of service. Exploring this […]

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Food for thought: How to use customer emotions and emotional AI to improve product and service delivery

Agile, Business Transformation, Kanban, Leadership, Scrum
Flowchart showing how customer emotions and non-emotional inputs influence Classes of Service assignment through emotional recognition and ongoing reassessment, supported by Emotional AI.

A dissatisfied customer will complain and, at most, won’t do business with a service or use the service again. When a customer is angry, they typically take other types of action: discourage others from using the product or service, or go to court against the company. Emotion has a significant impact on customer experience and

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Can You Move Cards Backwards on a Kanban Board? Insights from Toyota for Knowledge Work

Agile, Business Transformation, Kanban, Other, Scrum
Visual showing six benefits of not moving cards backwards in Kanban: promotes problem-solving, increases transparency, keeps WIP limits, reduces cognitive load, focuses on flow efficiency, and keeps graphs relevant.

Can you move cards backwards on a Kanban board? This is one of the most common questions and concerns of people learning about Kanban. In the following article, I share a few thoughts on this question. This article will be relevant if you are: In the following paragraphs, I will elucidate what moving cards backwards

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Upstream Kanban: 7 Essential Metrics for Product Backlog Management

Agile, Kanban, Scrum
Diagram showing 7 essential upstream Kanban metrics, including throughput, work in progress, discard rate, validation success and failure rates, work item age, and number of blockers.

Upstream Kanban is a Kanban system designed to uncover new knowledge and assess delivery options. The upstream process is a highly creative, collaborative, and unpredictable activity. Consequently, the Upstream Kanban requires a specific set of metrics that can help guide your decisions. This article explores seven essential Upstream Kanban metrics to support agile decision-making, portfolio

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Scrum Team 3D Reality Model: Path to Agile Product-Oriented Organisation

Agile, Business Transformation, Kanban, Leadership, Scrum
Diagram of Scrum team at the center of three dimensions: portfolio, value flow, and cross-organization collaboration

Why do fewer than half of Agile practitioners report success at scale? The answer lies in rethinking Scrum implementation in these organisations. The challenge is how to become Agile Product-Oriented Organisation. How the Scrum Teams thrive in midsize and large organisations has been a challenge that has not been fully addressed for many years. Roughly

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Product Backlog Management with Upstream Kanban – from chaos to clarity

Agile, Kanban, Scrum
Diagram comparing a traditional product backlog with an upstream Kanban approach, showing the transition from backlog refinement to structured workflow management.

Product Backlog Management is challenging. Imagine you’re a Product Owner with a backlog of 300+ items. Stakeholders keep adding requests, developers feel lost in prioritization, and every refinement session is a painful, drawn-out discussion. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. If you have ever thought, ‘There must be a better way!’—this article is for

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10 pieces of advice to improve Kanban Service Delivery Review

Agile, Kanban, Leadership
Picture present 10 pieces of advice to improve Service Delivery Review

How to conduct Service Delivery Review; 10 pieces of advice to improve Service Delivery Review Introduction As part of my professional activities, I help the customer learn Kanban skills and improve their internal capabilities in Kanban. This activity has led me to conclude that many Delivery Managers and leaders often face challenges regarding service delivery

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