A Comprehensive Analysis of the Kanban Framework: From Foundational Principles to Practical Mastery [7 min]

AI provides a comprehensive analysis of the Kanban framework, detailing its origins in the Toyota Production System (TPS) and its evolution into a modern method for knowledge work, primarily credited to David Anderson. It thoroughly explains Kanban's foundational principles, which emphasize evolutionary change and customer-focused service delivery, alongside its six core practices, such as visualizing workflow and the critical constraint of limiting Work in Progress (WIP) to establish a pull system. Furthermore, the text contrasts Kanban with the iterative Scrum framework, highlighting differences in cadence, roles, and metrics, and explores how Kanban is scaled in organizations using models like Portfolio Kanban and the Kanban Maturity Model. Finally, it outlines key flow metrics (Lead Time, Cycle Time, Throughput) used to achieve data-driven predictability and continuous process improvement.