Online Kanban System Design With Helen Meek

Why is this course important?

In the fast-moving and complex times, organisations are looking for every advantage they can find to increase their competitive edge. Kanban is a set of values, practices and principles that bring the benefits of Lean theory to organisations.

Benefits include;

• increasing the flow of value
• visualising and establishing an optimum workload for the team's capacity
• reducing waste
• creating better organisational alignment
• building a culture of engaged workers

The Kanban method focuses on making incremental, iterative changes that evolve business processes into more efficient and manageable work streams while avoiding the risks associated with complex change programmes.

The Course

The course shows you how Kanban fits within the Agile context and how it complements your existing Agile or non-Agile ways of working. You will leave with practical insights on how to implement or improve Kanban within your organisation.

This workshop is hands-on, using various exercises, games and Kanban simulations alongside instructor-led discussions and presentations.

Topics covered include:

Kanban Overview

• What is Kanban?
• Facts and myths of Kanban
• Revolutionary vs Evolutionary Change
• Principles of the Kanban Method
• Core Practices of the Kanban Method
• Depth of Implementation
• When is Kanban typically used?

Visualising the Workflow Work Items

• Identifying Work Item Types
• Modelling the Process
• Demand Analysis
• Kanban Boards

Kanban Simulation

• Team-based realistic simulation of using a Kanban system in action

Limiting Work in Progress

• Little's Law
• Limiting WIP
• Input Queues
• Output Buffers
• Setting WIP Limits

Managing Flow

• Cumulative Flow Diagrams
• Measuring Flow
• WIP as an indicator of Lead Time
• Identifying Problems
• Removing Bottlenecks

Making Process Policies Explicit

• Classes of Service
• Cost of Delay
• Scheduling Policies
• Service Level Agreements

Feedback Mechanisms

• Cadences of Kanban

Kaizen - Collaborative Improvement

• Improvement and experimentation cycles

Schedule

The course will run from 9.00 to 17:00 UK Time. There will also be regular breaks for tea and coffee and to stretch your legs.  There will be lots of interactivity to keep you busy and active.

Why do I need to take part in this course?

The most obvious thing you will need is a good WiFi and Internet connection with a nice quiet environment for you to both hear and also interact with your fellow course attendees and trainer! Don't worry about the odd child/dog/cat/partner wondering past or interrupting occasionally, we'll just roll with it :-)

We recommend a laptop or desktop with good sound and microphone. Course participants have struggled on phones and tablets. We will be using Zoom for the video conference functionality with a waiting room and password configured to provide a reasonable level of security. If you can, we recommend installing the Zoom app on your device but the web version should work as a plan B.

Course Outcomes

This course has been accredited by David J Anderson (creator of the Kanban method) and Kanban University (KU). Each attendee will receive a certificate.

Those attendees taking a KU-accredited course will be eligible to become members of the Kanban University. To read about the benefits and learn more, visit the KU website.

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An electronic version of course slides, materials and workshop output will also be provided after the course closes.

Kanban+ Trial: Students receive a one-month full access trial to Kanban+, which includes access to the latest books and artefacts.

Your Trainer

Helen is an outgoing and driven coach and trainer who is passionate about supporting individuals, teams, and organisations on their road to agility. She has worked with a wide range of teams across diverse industries and brings this wealth of experience and knowledge to every engagement.

Taking a holistic approach to coaching, Helen partners with individuals, teams, leaders, managers, and executives across both technical and non-technical domains. You’ll often find her helping clients roll out enterprise-level Kanban or Scrum implementations that truly transform how they work.

Helen is an Accredited Kanban Trainer (AKT) with Kanban University (KU) and one of the few to hold the Train the Trainer title. She also holds the Kanban Coaching Professional (KCP) and Accredited Kanban Consultant (AKC) credentials.

In addition, Helen is a Certified Scrum Alliance Trainer (CSAT) and regularly delivers classes across the Scrum Alliance portfolio. Her clients benefit from her expertise in both Scrum and Kanban, making her uniquely positioned to blend the two approaches effectively. She also holds the Certified Team Coach (CTC) and Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC) credentials.

A strong people person, Helen has achieved Professional Certified Coach (PCC) status with the International Coaching Federation (ICF), specialising in personal and business coaching.

Passionate about knowledge-sharing and community growth, Helen regularly speaks at conferences and meetups and co-organises two active Agile and Kanban community groups.

Authentic, experienced, and grounded in real-world practice, Helen brings not just theory but the lived experience, and a few battle scars from her own Agile journey, making her a trusted coach, trainer, and leader.

Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenjmeek/

Twitter:https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenjmeek/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/he…; @Helen_J_Meek