Kanban overview in Software Engineering - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Kanban overview

Start: Work Items Created

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Add Items to To Do Column

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Move Items to In Progress

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Work on Items

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Move Items to Done

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Review Completed Items

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End

Kanban visualizes work items moving through stages from To Do to Done, showing progress and helping manage flow.

Execution Sample

Software Engineering

To Do -> In Progress -> Done

Shows how tasks move step-by-step through Kanban columns.

Analysis Table

Step	Action	Board State	Work Item Status
1	Create task 'Write report'	To Do: ['Write report']	Task 'Write report' created, status: To Do
2	Move 'Write report' to In Progress	To Do: [] | In Progress: ['Write report']	Task 'Write report' status: In Progress
3	Work on 'Write report'	In Progress: ['Write report']	Task 'Write report' being worked on
4	Move 'Write report' to Done	Done: ['Write report']	Task 'Write report' status: Done
5	Review 'Write report'	Done: ['Write report']	Task 'Write report' reviewed and completed
6	No more tasks	Board steady	No active tasks left

💡 All tasks moved to Done and reviewed; workflow complete

State Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 4	Final
To Do	[]	['Write report']	[]	[]	[]
In Progress	[]	[]	['Write report']	[]	[]
Done	[]	[]	[]	['Write report']	['Write report']

Key Insights - 2 Insights

Why do tasks move from 'To Do' to 'In Progress' instead of directly to 'Done'?

Tasks must be actively worked on before completion; the execution_table rows 2 and 4 show the task moving stepwise to reflect actual work stages.

What happens if too many tasks stay in 'In Progress'?

It can cause bottlenecks and slow progress; Kanban limits work in progress to keep flow smooth, as seen in the steady movement in the execution_table.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table at Step 3, what is the status of the task?

A Task is in To Do

B Task is in In Progress

C Task is Done

D Task is reviewed

💡 Hint

Check the 'Work Item Status' column at Step 3 in execution_table

At which step does the task move to the Done column?

A Step 2

B Step 3

C Step 4

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Board State' column to see when 'Write report' appears under Done

If a new task is added at Step 6, what would change in the variable_tracker?

A To Do would have the new task listed

B In Progress would have the new task listed

C Done would have the new task listed

D No change in any column

💡 Hint

New tasks start in To Do as shown in Step 1 of variable_tracker

Concept Snapshot

Kanban is a visual workflow tool.
Tasks move through columns: To Do, In Progress, Done.
Limits work in progress to avoid overload.
Shows real-time status of tasks.
Helps teams manage flow and improve efficiency.

Full Transcript

Kanban is a method to visualize and manage work by moving tasks through stages on a board. Tasks start in the To Do column, then move to In Progress when work begins, and finally to Done when completed. This flow helps teams see progress and avoid too many tasks being worked on at once. The execution table shows a task created, moved through stages, and reviewed. Variables track where tasks are at each step. Key moments clarify why tasks move stepwise and the importance of limiting work in progress. The quiz tests understanding of task status at different steps and how adding tasks affects the board.