At LSG Solutions, we’re firm believers in the fact that systematic processes lead to more predictable outcomes, and that lessons learned create even more predictability over time. It’s a lesson I learned while working at a manufacturing plant during college. They allocated time for employees to think about process improvement and implement ideas, which had a significant impact on the company over time.

These process improvement strategies, which are frequently used in product engineering and manufacturing, continue to trickle down to the software development process. The software development process isn’t always predictable, but there are still steps you can take to improve the process.

For us, Kanban is less about the tool and more about the philosophy. It’s a way of thinking that embraces the need to think and reflect on projects when they’re complete and identify areas for continual improvement.

There are a lot of great things about Kanban and how it has impacted our company. Here are my top nine.

  1. Creates a more efficient flow of work. Everyone can see the visual layout of tasks and projects.
  2. Allows people to be thinkers. It builds reflection time into each project to ensure that important steps aren’t overlooked.
  3. Focuses on implementing manageable change, not dreams. There’s still a place for the dream projects, but projects have to be broken into manageable chunks.
  4. Empowers all levels to lead. If someone notices a bottleneck in the process, they can change it.
  5. Prevents spreading people too thin. If too many things are in progress, there’s not enough time to ensure proper completion.
  6. Encourages open communication. It creates transparency around the issues, especially those that affect efficiency.
  7. Takes assumptions and guess work out of the equation. Instead, it encourages asking questions to seek clarity.
  8. Encourages people to be savvy in the theories of risk, processes, and workflow. Many people are afraid of risk, but it’s necessary in the business world, and it’s easier to manage when you understand it.
  9. Helps make decisions, predict outcomes, and compare to actual results. You can’t improve what you don’t measure, and Kanban helps us measure what we do.

There’s no magic scientific formula for creating a perfect software product, but there are some things you can do to influence the outcomes. At LSG Solutions, Kanban has changed the way we think and approach software development. We have in-house software developers who understand risk, workflow, and processes, which is something that differentiates us in the market.

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