What Is Kanban? Understanding the Kanban Board
Kanban is a way of making the flow of work visible. The word is Japanese for “signboard” or “signal card,” and it was originally used in Toyota’s production system to release only as much work as the next stage actually needed. Today it is used wherever there is work to manage, from software development to personal task management.
What Makes Up a Kanban Board
A Kanban board can be described through three elements.
- Columns: The stages that work passes through. The simplest form has three columns: To Do, Doing, and Done.
- Cards: A single task. As a card moves from a column on the left to one on the right, it shows how far the work has come.
- Flow: The movement of cards through the columns toward completion. Watching where cards stop reveals where things get stuck.
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| To Do | Work that is still ahead |
| Doing | Work you are handling now |
| Done | Work you have finished |
How Kanban Differs From Other Methods
A to-do list focuses on writing items down and crossing them off. Kanban also shows which stage each item is in. This lets you read not only “what needs to be done” but also “what is currently stuck, and where.”
Kanban does not come with many fixed procedures or roles. You move the way you already work onto the board, and then refine it little by little as you watch the flow.
WIP Limits — One Thing at a Time
One of Kanban’s key mechanisms is the WIP (Work In Progress) limit. By setting how many cards the “Doing” column can hold, you focus on the work you have chosen now instead of spreading yourself across many things at once. The rhythm of finishing one thing at a time reduces switching costs and keeps the flow smooth. This is covered in more detail in Building a Work Flow That Sustains Focus.
Kanban and Personal Kanban
Personal Kanban is Kanban adapted to your own work and daily life. Without team agreements or complex rules, it keeps only the minimum structure needed for your own flow.
Getting Started With Kanban in toodoori
toodoori provides a ready-to-use Kanban board with a default flow of Inbox · Planning · In Progress · Finished. Within each stage you can freely create detailed columns (stages) and shape your own flow by dragging cards between them. You can follow the setup step by step in Getting Started With toodoori.