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Kanban

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The Kanban system is a workflow management method designed to help visualise work, limit work-in-progress, and maximise efficiency. Originating from Japanese manufacturing, specifically Toyota, it's a technique now widely used in various industries, including software development and service work. It employs a visual board (either physical or digital) to track the progress of work items, categorised typically into columns like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done." This allows teams to quickly understand the status of tasks and helps manage flow and workload.

Origin of the Kanban

The Kanban system was initially developed by Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer at Toyota, to improve manufacturing efficiency. Ohno drew inspiration from the supermarket model of inventory management, seeking to apply a similar "just-in-time" approach to Toyota's operations. While it originated in the automotive industry, the concept of Kanban has been adapted and is widely used across various industries today, including software development and other knowledge work.

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Trevor O'Sullivan

Trevor O'Sullivan

General Manager. Since the early 2000s, Trevor has worked with thousands of Talent Management professionals to develop and apply assessment-based talent management solutions for selecting, developing and managing people. Trevor is an active member of the TTI Success Insights (TTISI) Global Advisory Council, contributes to TTISI product development and is a regular presenter at TTISI-R3. He is honoured to have received multiple Blue Diamond Awards and, more recently, the Bill Brooks Impact Award recognising his contributions to the TTISI global network.

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