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- Agile Glossary
- SAFe Glossary
- Project Management
- Kanban Glossary
- Business Analysis Glossary
- Testing Glossary
- DevOps Glossary
A
Acceptance Criteria
Specific conditions that a product or service must satisfy to be accepted by a user, customer, or other stakeholders. Acceptance criteria are used to determine if a story or feature is complete and works as expected.
Agile Manifesto
A declaration of four foundational values and twelve principles that guide Agile project management and development. The Agile Manifesto emphasizes individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and responding to change.
Agile Coach
A person who facilitates and guides Agile teams, helping them understand and implement Agile practices effectively. Agile coaches work with teams to improve their processes and collaboration, often providing training and mentorship.
Automated Testing
The use of software tools to execute pre-scripted tests on a software application before it is released into production. Automated testing helps to quickly identify defects, ensures code quality, and supports continuous integration and delivery.
Agile Framework
A specific approach to implementing Agile principles and practices, such as Scrum, Kanban, or SAFe. Organizations choose an Agile framework that best fits their needs and context to guide their Agile adoption.
Agile Release Planning
A planning process that outlines how a product will be developed over a series of iterations or releases. Release planning helps teams and stakeholders align on the delivery timeline and scope.
Agile Transformation
The process of transitioning an entire organization or a part of it from traditional project management methods to Agile practices. Agile transformation involves changes in culture, processes, and tools to support Agile principles.
Agile Maturity Model
A framework used to assess and guide the adoption and improvement of Agile practices within an organization. The Agile maturity model helps organizations understand their current state and identify areas for growth.
Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD)
A collaborative practice where developers, testers, and customers define acceptance criteria and tests before development begins. ATDD ensures that all stakeholders have a common understanding of the requirements and expected outcomes.
Agile Contracts
Contracts designed to support Agile projects, often focusing on flexibility, collaboration, and incremental delivery rather than fixed scope and timelines. Agile contracts promote a partnership approach between clients and vendors.
Agile Mindset
A way of thinking and behaving that embraces Agile values and principles, focusing on collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement.Cultivating an Agile mindset is crucial for successful Agile adoption and practice.
B
Backlog
A prioritized list of features, tasks, and requirements to be completed by the team.
Backlog Grooming
The process of refining and prioritizing the backlog items to ensure they are ready for upcoming sprints.
Burn-Down Chart
A graphical representation of work left to do versus time, used to track progress in a sprint.
Burn-Up Chart
A visual representation of work completed versus the total work, showing progress toward the project goals.
Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)
An Agile software development process that encourages collaboration among developers, QA, and non-technical or business participants.
Baseline
A fixed reference point in the project schedule that is used to measure progress and performance.
Brainstorming
A status indicating that a task cannot be completed due to an obstacle or impediment.
Business Value
The importance or worth of a feature or task from a business perspective, often used to prioritize backlog items.
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C
Cross-Functional Team
A team composed of members with various skills needed to complete a project, such as developers, testers, and designers, working together collaboratively.
Continuous Integration (CI)
A development practice where team members frequently integrate their work into the main branch of the codebase, allowing for early detection of integration issues.
Customer Collaboration
One of the core principles of Agile, emphasizing the importance of ongoing communication and cooperation with customers to ensure the delivered product meets their needs.
Capacity Planning
The process of determining the team's available capacity for a sprint or iteration, ensuring realistic workload allocation based on team members' availability and skills.
Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD)
A visual tool used to track the flow of work through various stages in a process, helping teams identify bottlenecks and optimize workflow.
Cadence
The regular, predictable pattern of delivery and events in Agile, such as sprints or iterations, providing a rhythm for the team to follow.
Ceremonies
Structured meetings in Scrum, including Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-up, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective, designed to facilitate collaboration and continuous improvement.
Continuous Delivery (CD)
An approach where code changes are automatically prepared for a release to production, ensuring that the software can be reliably released at any time.
D
Daily Stand-up (Daily Scrum)
A short, daily meeting where team members discuss their progress, plans for the day, and any obstacles they're facing, fostering transparency and collaboration.
Definition of Done (DoD)
A shared understanding within the Scrum team of what it means for a product increment to be considered complete, including criteria such as code review, testing, and documentation.
Definition of Ready (DoR)
Criteria that must be met for a user story or task to be considered ready to be pulled into a sprint, ensuring that work items are clear, feasible, and actionable.
>Demo
A presentation at the end of a sprint where the team showcases the completed work to stakeholders, gathering feedback and validating the increment.
Development Team
The group of professionals responsible for delivering potentially shippable product increments at the end of each sprint, including developers, testers, designers, and other specialists.
Dual-Track Agile
A methodology that combines discovery (research and design) and delivery (development and deployment) tracks to ensure a balanced focus on both innovation and execution.
Daily Build
The process of automatically compiling the source code into executable code every day to detect integration errors early.
E
Engineering Practices
Technical practices used by Agile teams to ensure the quality and maintainability of their code, such as test-driven development (TDD) and continuous integration (CI).
Extreme Programming (XP)
An Agile software development methodology that emphasizes iterative development, continuous feedback, and high-quality code.
Empirical Process Control
A control method in which decision-making is based on the empirical data gathered from the process, rather than on predefined rules.
Epic
A large user story that is too big to be completed in a single iteration and is broken down into smaller, more manageable user stories.
Estimation Poker
A collaborative technique used by Agile teams to estimate the effort required to complete a user story, often using a deck of cards with values representing different levels of effort.
Evolutionary Design
A design approach that allows the design of a system to evolve over time based on changing requirements and feedback.
Escaped Defects
Defects that are found by customers or end users after the product has been released, indicating a failure in the development or testing process.
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F
Feedback Loop
A mechanism in Agile processes that allows for regular inspection and adaptation, typically involving stakeholders, customers, and team members.
Functional Requirement
A description of a system's behavior and functionality, often expressed as user stories or acceptance criteria.
Fibonacci Sequence
A series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc.), often used in Agile for story point estimation.
Feature Driven Development (FDD)
An Agile software development methodology that focuses on building features incrementally, emphasizing design and development best practices
Follow the Sun
A strategy used in distributed Agile teams where work is passed between team locations in different time zones, allowing for continuous progress.
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
A technique used to identify and prioritize potential points of failure in a system or process, helping teams proactively address risks.
G
Gherkin Language
A business-readable, domain-specific language used for writing test scenarios in Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) frameworks like Cucumber.
Generalizing Specialist
A team member who possesses a broad set of skills and knowledge across multiple areas while also having deep expertise in a specific area.
Growth Mindset
The belief that skills and abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, which is crucial for Agile teams to embrace continuous improvement.
Guiding Coalition
A group of key stakeholders or leaders who provide guidance, support, and direction for an Agile transformation or initiative.
H
High-Level Design (HLD)
An overview of the system architecture and design that outlines the main components and their interactions
Hackathon
An event where developers come together to work intensively on a project, often used in Agile environments to foster innovation and rapid prototyping.
High-Performance Team
An Agile team that consistently performs at a high level, achieving superior results through effective collaboration, communication, and continuous improvement.
Hybrid Agile
A methodology that combines Agile practices with other project management approaches, such as Waterfall, to suit specific project needs.
I
Increment
A functional and complete piece of the product that adds value to the previous increments and is potentially releasable.
Iteration
A time-boxed period during which development takes place, usually lasting 1 to 4 weeks, at the end of which a deliverable is produced.
Iteration Planning
The process of planning the tasks and goals for the upcoming iteration, aligning team efforts with the overall project objectives.
Information Radiator
A visual representation of project data displayed prominently, such as burndown charts, to keep the team and stakeholders informed.
INVEST
A guideline for writing good user stories, standing for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable.
>Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
>
The practice of managing and provisioning computing infrastructure through machine-readable scripts, enhancing automation and consistency in Agile projects.
J
Just-in-Time (JIT)
An approach to production and inventory management that reduces waste by receiving goods only as they are needed in the production process.
Journey Mapping
A technique used to visualize and understand the end-to-end experience of a customer, identifying pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Jidoka
A Lean manufacturing principle that involves stopping the production line when a defect is detected to address the problem immediately.
Jira
A popular tool used for Agile project management and issue tracking, enabling teams to plan, track, and manage Agile projects.
K
Kanban
A visual management method used in Agile to manage workflow, emphasizing continuous delivery without overburdening the team.
Kanban Board
A visual tool that displays work items and their status, typically used in Kanban methodology to help teams visualize their workflow and manage work-in-progress.
Kaizen
A philosophy of continuous improvement, where small, incremental changes are made regularly to improve processes and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Metrics used to evaluate the success of an organization, team, or individual in achieving key business objectives.
Kickoff Meeting
The initial meeting at the start of a project where the team discusses objectives, deliverables, timelines, and roles to ensure everyone is aligned.
Knowledge Base
A repository of information, documentation, and resources that is accessible to team members to support learning and decision-making in Agile environments.
L
Lean
A methodology focused on delivering value to the customer by minimizing waste and optimizing processes.
Lean Startup
A methodology that focuses on creating a sustainable business by developing products that customers want, with minimal waste.
Lead Time
The total time taken from the start of a process until its completion, important for measuring the efficiency of Agile workflows.
>Limit Work in Progress (WIP)
A Lean principle that involves limiting the amount of work that is in progress at any given time to improve flow and reduce bottlenecks.
Lean-Agile Mindset
A way of thinking that embraces Lean and Agile principles, focusing on delivering value, continuous improvement, and respect for people.
M
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
A version of a new product that includes just enough features to be usable by early customers who can then provide feedback for future product development.
Minimum Marketable Feature (MMF)
The smallest set of functionality in a product that can be delivered and marketed to customers.
Metrics
Quantifiable measures used to track performance and progress in Agile projects, such as velocity, burn-down charts, and cycle time.
>Milestone
A significant point or event in the project timeline used to measure progress and often associated with key deliverables.
Mindset
The Agile mindset refers to the attitudes and behaviors that support Agile principles, such as embracing change, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
MoSCoW
A prioritization technique used in Agile to classify requirements or features into four categories: Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have.
N
Non-functional Requirements (NFRs)
Specifications that describe the system's operational capabilities and constraints, such as performance, security, and usability.
Net Present Value (NPV)
A financial metric used to evaluate the profitability of an investment by comparing the present value of cash inflows and outflows.
O
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
A goal-setting framework used to define and track objectives and their outcomes, often used in Agile to align team efforts with organizational goals.
Organizational Agility
The ability of an organization to quickly adapt to market changes and external pressures by fostering a culture of flexibility and continuous learning.
Outcome-Based Planning
A planning approach that focuses on the desired outcomes or benefits rather than just the outputs or deliverables.
P
Product Owner (PO)
A key role in Scrum responsible for defining the features of the product and prioritizing the backlog to max.
Product Backlog
A prioritized list of work items (user stories, features, bug fixes, etc.) that the team needs to work on to develop and maintain the product.
Planning Poker
An estimation technique used by Agile teams to assign story points to user stories by using a consensus-based approach.
Product Increment (PI)
The sum of all completed product backlog items during a sprint and the value they deliver, representing a potentially shippable product.
Potentially Shippable Product Increment
The product increment at the end of a sprint that meets the definition of done and is potentially ready for release.
Pair Programming
A practice where two developers work together at one workstation, collaborating on the same code to improve quality and share knowledge.
Persona
A fictional character that represents a user type or stakeholder in the product, used to guide decisions about product features and design.
Product Vision
A high-level, long-term goal for the product that provides direction and inspiration to the team and stakeholders.
Progressive Elaboration
The process of continuously refining and detailing the project plan and requirements as more information becomes available.
Prioritization
The process of determining the order in which backlog items should be addressed, typically based on value, urgency, and dependencies.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA)
The process of ensuring that the product meets the required quality standards through testing and other quality control activities.
Quality Control (QC)
The operational techniques and activities used to fulfill requirements for quality, including inspection and testing.
Quality Gate
A checkpoint in the development process where specific quality criteria must be met before proceeding to the next phase.
Quantitative Metrics
Numeric measurements used to assess the performance and progress of Agile teams and processes, such as velocity, cycle time, and defect rates.
Queue
A list or sequence of work items waiting to be processed, often managed using a Kanban board in Agile methodologies.
R
Refinement
The process of ensuring that the product meets the required quality standards through testing and other quality control activities.
Retrospective
A meeting held at the end of each sprint where the team reflects on what went well, what didn't, and how to improve in the next sprint.
Release Planning
The process of defining and planning the scope, timeline, and deliverables for an upcoming release of the product.
Roadmap
A high-level, strategic plan that outlines the vision, direction, and priorities for the product over a specified period.
Review (Sprint Review)
A meeting held at the end of each sprint where the team presents the completed work to stakeholders and receives feedback.
Risk Management
The process of identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks, and implementing strategies to mitigate or manage them.
Root Cause Analysis
A method used to identify the underlying reasons for problems or defects, often performed during retrospectives to drive continuous improvement.
Relative Estimation
Estimating the size of user stories or tasks by comparing them to other items rather than using absolute units of time or effort.
S
Scrum
An Agile framework used for managing and delivering complex projects, especially in software development.
Sprint
A time-boxed iteration of work, usually lasting 1-4 weeks, where a potentially shippable product increment is created.
Scrum Master
The facilitator and servant leader for the Scrum team, responsible for ensuring the team follows Scrum practices and removes impediments.
Sprint Planning
A meeting at the start of each sprint where the team plans the work to be done and commits to completing a set of backlog items.
Stakeholder
Anyone with an interest in the project, including customers, users, managers, and executives.
Stand-up
A daily meeting where the team gathers to discuss progress, plans for the day, and any impediments.
Story Points
A unit of measure for expressing the overall size or complexity of a user story, relative to other stories.
Spike
A time-boxed research or investigation task, used to gather information or reduce uncertainty.
Scrum of Scrums
A meeting where representatives from different Scrum teams meet to discuss inter-team coordination and dependencies.
Scaling Agile
The process of applying Agile principles and practices to large, complex projects or organizations.
Self-Organizing Team
A team that has the authority and responsibility to manage their own work and make decisions.
T
Time-Boxing
A technique used in Agile to limit the amount of time spent on a task or activity.
Test-Driven Development (TDD)
A software development process where tests are written before the code is implemented.
Technical Debt
The implied cost of additional rework caused by choosing an easy or quick solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer.
Time to Market
The time it takes for a product to be developed and released to the market.
Technical User Story:
A user story that focuses on technical improvements or maintenance tasks rather than new features.
Stand-up
A daily meeting where the team gathers to discuss progress, plans for the day, and any impediments.
Story Points
A unit of measure for expressing the overall size or complexity of a user story, relative to other stories.
Spike
A time-boxed research or investigation task, used to gather information or reduce uncertainty.
Scrum of Scrums
A meeting where representatives from different Scrum teams meet to discuss inter-team coordination and dependencies.
Scaling Agile
The process of applying Agile principles and practices to large, complex projects or organizations.
Self-Organizing Team
A team that has the authority and responsibility to manage their own work and make decisions.
U
User Story
A description of a feature from an end-user perspective, typically written on a note card.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
The process of verifying that a solution works for the user.
User Experience (UX)
The overall experience of a person using a product such as a website or computer application.
User Interface (UI)
The means by which a user interacts with a computer, website, or application.
User Persona
A fictional character created to represent a user type that might use a site, brand, or product in a similar way.
Unified Modeling Language (UML)
A standardized modeling language used to specify, visualize, construct, and document the artifacts of a software system.
V
Value
The worth of a product or service to its users.
Value Stream
The series of steps that an organization uses to deliver a product or service to a customer.
Value Stream Mapping
A visual representation of the steps involved in delivering a product or service, used to identify waste and improve efficiency.
Velocity
The rate at which a team delivers work in a sprint, often used to predict future progress.
Vision
A high-level description of what a project or product aims to achieve, often used to align team members and stakeholders.
Value-Based Prioritization
The practice of prioritizing work based on the value it delivers to the customer.
W
Work In Progress (WIP)
The amount of work that has been started but is not yet completed.
Waterfall
A traditional project management approach where work is completed sequentially, often with distinct phases such as planning, design, implementation, and testing.
Wireframe
A visual representation of a user interface or design, often used in the early stages of a project to outline the structure and layout.
Working Agreement
A set of guidelines or rules that team members agree to follow to ensure effective collaboration and communication.
War Room
A dedicated space where a team can work together intensively on a project, often used for planning, problem-solving, or crisis management.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A hierarchical decomposition of the work to be done to achieve the project objectives, often used in project planning and management.
X
XP (Extreme Programming)
An Agile software development framework that aims to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements.
Y
YAGNI (You Ain't Gonna Need It)
A principle of extreme programming (XP) that states a programmer should not add functionality until deemed necessary.
A
Agile Release Train (ART)
A long-lived team of Agile teams, which, along with other stakeholders, incrementally develops, delivers, and operates one or more solutions in a value stream.
Architectural Runway:
The infrastructure needed to support upcoming features without excessive redesign and delay.
Agile Teams:
Cross-functional groups that have the responsibility to define, build, test, and possibly deploy some element of solution value—all in a short iteration timebox.
Acceptance Criteria
Conditions that a software product must meet to be accepted by a user, customer, or other stakeholder.
Agile Product Delivery
The ability to release valuable solutions to customers and stakeholders frequently.
Agile Coach
A person who assists teams and organizations in adopting Agile practices and methods.
Agile Lifecycle
The process of delivering Agile projects from inception through completion.
Agile Modeling
A practice-based methodology for effective modeling and documentation of software-based systems.
Agile Estimation
A technique used to estimate the size, effort, and cost of tasks or user stories in an Agile project.
B
Business Owners
A small group of stakeholders who have the primary business and technical responsibility for governance, compliance, and return on investment (ROI) for a solution developed by an ART.
Backlog Refinement
The process of adding detail, estimates, and order to items in the Product Backlog.
Built-In Quality
Practices ensuring that each solution element, at every increment, meets appropriate quality standards throughout development.
Business Agility
The ability of an organization to rapidly respond to change by adapting its initial stable configuration.
Epics
Large initiatives that need to be broken down into smaller pieces to be implemented.
Business Value
The value derived by the business from a product, project, or initiative.
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C
Continuous Delivery Pipeline
The workflows, activities, and automation needed to guide new functionality from ideation to an on-demand release of value to the end user.
Customer Centricity
Putting the customer at the center of every decision and process.
Capacity Allocation
The process of assigning a portion of the team’s capacity to different types of work.
Capability
A higher-level solution behavior that typically spans multiple Agile Release Trains.
Continuous Exploration
A process that fosters innovation and applies a Lean startup cycle to ensure the ongoing evolution of the portfolio backlog.
Continuous Integration
A software development practice where code changes are automatically tested and merged to the main branch frequently.
Core Values
The fundamental beliefs or guiding principles of an organization.
D
DevOps
A culture and set of practices that bring development and operations teams together to deliver high-quality software at a higher velocity.
Design Thinking
A user-centered approach to innovation that integrates the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.
Development Value Stream
The sequence of activities needed to design, build, and test the system.
Digital Transformation
The integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers.
E
Epic Owner
The person responsible for coordinating portfolio Epics through the Portfolio Kanban system.
Economic Framework
A set of decision guidelines that align everyone with the financial objectives of the solution and portfolio.
Enterprise Architect
Provides the strategic technical direction and enterprise context in alignment with business strategy.
Enterprise Solution Delivery
Describes how to apply SAFe principles and practices to large, integrated solutions.
Enablers
Technical initiatives that support the efficient development and delivery of future business capabilities.
Empirical Process Control
Making decisions based on what is known.
Essential SAFe
The most basic configuration of the SAFe framework, providing the minimal elements necessary to be Agile.
Epic Hypothesis Statement
A structured format for capturing, organizing, and communicating Epics as they move through the Portfolio Kanban system.
F
Features
Services provided by the system that fulfill a stakeholder need.
Five Whys
A problem-solving technique that involves asking “Why?” five times to drill down into the root cause of a problem.
Full SAFe
The most comprehensive configuration of the SAFe framework, addressing the needs of large enterprises.
Feedback Loop
A system where outputs are circled back as inputs, enabling continuous improvement.
Functional Requirements
Specific behaviors or functions of a system.
Facilitator
A person who helps teams achieve their goals by providing guidance and support.
Framework
A structure for implementing Agile practices in an organization.
G
Guardrails
Policies that guide and constrain decision-making in an organization.
Governance
The framework of rules and practices by which an organization ensures accountability, fairness, and transparency.
Gemba Walks
A practice where leaders observe the work being done to identify opportunities for improvement.
Growth Mindset
The belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work.
Guiding Coalition
A group of influential stakeholders who support and drive change within an organization.
H
Hypothesis
An assumption that can be tested to validate its truth.
Horizon Planning
Planning over different timeframes to address both immediate and long-term needs.
High-Performance Team
Teams that consistently perform at a high level and achieve exceptional results.
I
Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration
An iteration dedicated to activities such as innovation, planning, and retrospection.
Inspect and Adapt (I&A)
A regular event where teams reflect on their progress and identify ways to improve.
Investment Horizons
The timeframes over which investments are expected to yield returns.
Information Radiator
A visual representation of project data displayed prominently, such as burndown charts, to keep the team and stakeholders informed.
Incremental Delivery
Delivering work in small, manageable pieces to provide value more quickly.
J
Journey Maps
Visual representations of the steps a user takes to achieve a goal.
K
Kanban System
A visual method for managing work, emphasizing continuous flow and limiting work in progress (WIP) to optimize delivery.
Kaizen
A Japanese term meaning "change for better" or continuous improvement, used to describe the practice of making incremental improvements.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively an organization is achieving key business objectives.
Knowledge Workers
Individuals whose primary job involves handling or using information.
L
Large Solution
A complex system of interconnected features or capabilities delivered incrementally by multiple teams. May necessitate coordination across value streams.
Lead Time
The average time it takes to complete a work item, from initiation to delivery.
Lean-Agile Leadership
A leadership style that promotes continuous improvement, empowers teams, and fosters a culture of learning and experimentation.
Lean Budgeting
A financial governance process that supports Lean-Agile principles, providing decentralized decision-making and flexibility.
Lean Portfolio Management (LPM)
Aligns strategy and execution by applying Lean principles to portfolio-level management.
Lean-Agile Mindset
A set of beliefs, assumptions, and actions focused on delivering value quickly and efficiently.
Little’s Law
A principle that states the average number of items in a queuing system equals the average arrival rate multiplied by the average time an item spends in the system.
M
Milestone
A significant event or point in a project timeline used to measure progress.
Minimum Marketable Feature (MMF)
The smallest set of functionality that provides value to the customer and can be delivered to market.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
A version of a new product that includes just enough features to be usable by early customers who can then provide feedback for future product development.A product with a core set of features that validates core customer assumptions and provides early learning opportunities.
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
An approach to systems engineering that uses models to support system requirements, design, analysis, verification, and validation.
N
Non-functional Requirements (NFRs)
Specifications that describe the system's operational capabilities and constraints, such as performance, security, and usability. Requirements that specify criteria that can be used to judge the operation of a system, rather than specific behaviors.
NPS (Net Promoter Score)
A customer loyalty metric that measures customers' willingness to recommend a company's products or services to others.
Network of Dependencies
The relationships and interactions between different work items or teams that need to be managed to ensure smooth workflow.
O
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
A goal-setting framework that aligns strategic objectives with measurable key results to track progress.A framework for defining and tracking objectives and their outcomes.
Operational Value Stream
The sequence of activities needed to deliver a product or service to a customer.
Outcome Metrics
Measures used to determine the results or outcomes of specific actions or processes.
P
PI (Program Increment)
A timebox in which an Agile Release Train (ART) delivers incremental value in the form of working, tested software and systems.
PI Planning
A cadence-based event that serves as the heartbeat of the Agile Release Train (ART), aligning all teams on the ART to a shared mission and vision.
Portfolio Backlog
A prioritized list of epics and other work items that the portfolio intends to deliver to achieve business goals.
Portfolio Kanban
A system used to visualize, manage, and analyze the flow of portfolio epics, from ideation through implementation and completion.
Portfolio
A collection of epics or features that align to strategic themes and objectives.
Program
A collection of value streams delivering solutions within a PI, aligned around a common objective.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA)
The process of ensuring that the product meets the required quality standards through testing and other quality control activities.
Quality Control (QC)
The operational techniques and activities used to fulfill requirements for quality, including inspection and testing.
Quality Gate
A checkpoint in the development process where specific quality criteria must be met before proceeding to the next phase.
Quantitative Metrics
Numeric measurements used to assess the performance and progress of Agile teams and processes, such as velocity, cycle time, and defect rates.
Queue
A list or sequence of work items waiting to be processed, often managed using a Kanban board in Agile methodologies.
R
Release Train Engineer (RTE)
A servant leader and coach for the Agile Release Train (ART), facilitating ART processes and execution.
Roadmap
A high-level, strategic plan that outlines the vision, direction, and priorities for the product over a specified period. A schedule of events and milestones that communicate planned releases and other activities over a timeline.
Release Management
The process of managing, planning, scheduling, and controlling a software build through different stages and environments.
S
Scrum of Scrums
A meeting where representatives from different Scrum teams meet to discuss inter-team coordination and dependencies.
SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
A knowledge base of proven, integrated principles, practices, and competencies for achieving business agility using Lean, Agile, and DevOps.
Solution Train
A SAFe construct that helps coordinate the work of multiple ARTs and suppliers to deliver large and complex solutions.
Stakeholder
An individual or group with an interest in the outcome of a project or program.
System Demo
A showcase of the work completed during a PI to stakeholders, fostering transparency and collaboration.
T
Team Backlog
The list of work items, including stories, defects, and enablers, that are identified as part of the team’s workflow.
Team Kanban
A method used by Agile teams to visualize their work, identify bottlenecks, and enhance flow.
Test-Driven Development (TDD)
A software development process that relies on the repetition of a very short development cycle where requirements are turned into specific test cases.
Timebox
A fixed period during which a task or activity is undertaken, ensuring work does not extend indefinitely.
Team PI Objectives
The specific goals set by Agile teams for a Program Increment, aligned with the objectives of the Agile Release Train.
U
User Story
A description of a feature from an end-user perspective, typically written on a note card.
User Experience (UX)
The overall experience of a person using a product such as a website or computer application.
User Interface (UI)
The means by which a user interacts with a computer, website, or application.
User Persona
A fictional character created to represent a user type that might use a site, brand, or product in a similar way.
V
Value
The worth of a product or service to its users.
Value Stream
The series of steps that an organization uses to deliver a product or service to a customer.
Value Stream Mapping
A visual representation of the steps involved in delivering a product or service, used to identify waste and improve efficiency.
Voice of the Customer (VoC)
The process of capturing customers’ expectations, preferences, and aversions.
W
Wireframe
A skeletal outline of a web page or app, used as a visual guide for user interface design.
WIP Limits
Constraints set to limit the amount of work in progress at any one time to improve flow and reduce bottlenecks.
Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)
A prioritization model used to sequence jobs (features, capabilities, and epics) based on the economics of product development flow.
Wireframe
A skeletal outline of a web page or app, used as a visual guide for user interface design.
Working Agreement
A set of guidelines and expectations that a team agrees upon to facilitate effective collaboration.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A hierarchical decomposition of the work to be done to achieve the project objectives, often used in project planning and management.
X
XP (Extreme Programming)
An Agile software development framework that aims to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements.
Y
YAGNI (You Ain't Gonna Need It)
A principle of extreme programming (XP) that states a programmer should not add functionality until deemed necessary.
A
Agile: A project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress, commonly used in software development.
Acceptance Criteria: The conditions or requirements a project deliverable must meet to be accepted by stakeholders.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
B
Baseline: An approved version of the project plan, including
scope, schedule, and cost, used as a benchmark to measure project progress.
Budget: The estimated cost of completing a project,
including all resources, labor, and materials.
Burndown Chart
: A visual representation used in Agile projects to track the amount of work
remaining versus time available.
C
Change Control: The process for managing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, or budget.
Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for a project, highlighting tasks that directly impact the project completion date.
Contingency Plan: A backup plan for dealing with potential risks or unexpected changes in a project.
D
Deliverable: A tangible or intangible output, such as a report, product, or service, that must be produced to complete a project.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
E
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
F
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
G
Gantt Chart: A visual project schedule showing tasks, durations, and dependencies, typically used for tracking project timelines.
Governance: The framework of policies, rules, and processes that define project oversight and decision-making authority.
Goal: The end objective a project or activity aims to achieve, providing direction for project tasks and activities.
H
Handoff: The process of transferring responsibility for a project deliverable or phase from one team or department to another.
Horizon Planning: A technique for planning activities over specific time horizons, focusing on immediate tasks while forecasting long-term needs.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
J
JIT (Just-in-Time): A project and resource management technique focused on receiving materials and resources only as they are needed.
Job Description: A detailed outline of a role's responsibilities, skills, and qualifications within a project team.
K
Kanban: An Agile framework using visual boards to manage workflow and limit work-in-progress, emphasizing continuous delivery and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A metric used to measure the success of an individual or project in achieving objectives.
L
Lifecycle: The sequence of phases a project goes through, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure.
Lag: A delay between the completion of one task and the start of another in a project schedule.
M
Milestone: A significant point or event in a project timeline that marks progress or a phase transition.
Monitoring: The ongoing process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting on project performance and progress.
N
Non-functional Requirements: The criteria defining how a system performs, such as usability, reliability, and performance, rather than specific features.
Network Diagram: A visual representation of project tasks, dependencies, and paths, often used for critical path analysis.
O
Objective: A specific, measurable target that a project aims to achieve, providing clear goals for project tasks and activities.
- Outcome: The end result of a project, ideally aligning with the project’s goals and objectives.
P
Project Charter: A document that formally authorizes a project, outlining its objectives, scope, and stakeholders.
Project Management Office (PMO): A centralized department responsible for setting project standards, governance, and support across an organization.
Project Scope: The boundaries and deliverables of a project, defining what is and isn’t included in the final product.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA): Processes and procedures to ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
Quality Control (QC): The practice of inspecting project outputs to verify they meet the established quality standards.
R
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact a project’s success.
Resource Allocation: Assigning available resources (personnel, time, and budget) to various project tasks for optimal productivity.
S
Scope Creep: The uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope due to unauthorized changes or additional requirements.
Sprint: A time-boxed iteration in Agile project management where a set amount of work is completed.
Stakeholder: Any person or group with an interest in the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, and management.
T
Timeline: The chronological order of events and tasks in a project, used to track milestones and deadlines.
Triple Constraint: The three primary constraints of any project: scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced for project success.
U
User Story: In Agile, a brief description of a feature from an end-user perspective, outlining desired functionality.
Utilization: The measure of how effectively resources are used in a project, often expressed as a percentage.
V
Value Stream: The end-to-end set of actions and processes that create value for the customer in a project.
Variance: The difference between planned and actual project performance, often used to measure deviations in schedule or budget.
W
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable sections or tasks.
Workflow: The sequence of steps or activities required to complete a task or process within a project.
X
XP (Extreme Programming): An Agile methodology focused on improving software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements through frequent releases.
Y
Yield: The amount of usable output generated from a process, often used in quality control to measure efficiency.
Z
Zero Defects: A quality management concept where the project’s goal is to produce deliverables with no defects, aiming for perfection in output.
A
Agile: A project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress, commonly used in software development.
Acceptance Criteria: The conditions or requirements a project deliverable must meet to be accepted by stakeholders.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
B
Baseline: An approved version of the project plan, including
scope, schedule, and cost, used as a benchmark to measure project progress.
Budget: The estimated cost of completing a project,
including all resources, labor, and materials.
Burndown Chart
: A visual representation used in Agile projects to track the amount of work
remaining versus time available.
C
Change Control: The process for managing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, or budget.
Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for a project, highlighting tasks that directly impact the project completion date.
Contingency Plan: A backup plan for dealing with potential risks or unexpected changes in a project.
D
Deliverable: A tangible or intangible output, such as a report, product, or service, that must be produced to complete a project.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
E
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
F
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
G
Gantt Chart: A visual project schedule showing tasks, durations, and dependencies, typically used for tracking project timelines.
Governance: The framework of policies, rules, and processes that define project oversight and decision-making authority.
Goal: The end objective a project or activity aims to achieve, providing direction for project tasks and activities.
H
Handoff: The process of transferring responsibility for a project deliverable or phase from one team or department to another.
Horizon Planning: A technique for planning activities over specific time horizons, focusing on immediate tasks while forecasting long-term needs.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
J
JIT (Just-in-Time): A project and resource management technique focused on receiving materials and resources only as they are needed.
Job Description: A detailed outline of a role's responsibilities, skills, and qualifications within a project team.
K
Kanban: An Agile framework using visual boards to manage workflow and limit work-in-progress, emphasizing continuous delivery and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A metric used to measure the success of an individual or project in achieving objectives.
L
Lifecycle: The sequence of phases a project goes through, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure.
Lag: A delay between the completion of one task and the start of another in a project schedule.
M
Milestone: A significant point or event in a project timeline that marks progress or a phase transition.
Monitoring: The ongoing process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting on project performance and progress.
N
Non-functional Requirements: The criteria defining how a system performs, such as usability, reliability, and performance, rather than specific features.
Network Diagram: A visual representation of project tasks, dependencies, and paths, often used for critical path analysis.
O
Objective: A specific, measurable target that a project aims to achieve, providing clear goals for project tasks and activities.
- Outcome: The end result of a project, ideally aligning with the project’s goals and objectives.
P
Project Charter: A document that formally authorizes a project, outlining its objectives, scope, and stakeholders.
Project Management Office (PMO): A centralized department responsible for setting project standards, governance, and support across an organization.
Project Scope: The boundaries and deliverables of a project, defining what is and isn’t included in the final product.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA): Processes and procedures to ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
Quality Control (QC): The practice of inspecting project outputs to verify they meet the established quality standards.
R
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact a project’s success.
Resource Allocation: Assigning available resources (personnel, time, and budget) to various project tasks for optimal productivity.
S
Scope Creep: The uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope due to unauthorized changes or additional requirements.
Sprint: A time-boxed iteration in Agile project management where a set amount of work is completed.
Stakeholder: Any person or group with an interest in the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, and management.
T
Timeline: The chronological order of events and tasks in a project, used to track milestones and deadlines.
Triple Constraint: The three primary constraints of any project: scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced for project success.
U
User Story: In Agile, a brief description of a feature from an end-user perspective, outlining desired functionality.
Utilization: The measure of how effectively resources are used in a project, often expressed as a percentage.
V
Value Stream: The end-to-end set of actions and processes that create value for the customer in a project.
Variance: The difference between planned and actual project performance, often used to measure deviations in schedule or budget.
W
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable sections or tasks.
Workflow: The sequence of steps or activities required to complete a task or process within a project.
X
XP (Extreme Programming): An Agile methodology focused on improving software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements through frequent releases.
Y
Yield: The amount of usable output generated from a process, often used in quality control to measure efficiency.
Z
Zero Defects: A quality management concept where the project’s goal is to produce deliverables with no defects, aiming for perfection in output.
A
Agile: A project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress, commonly used in software development.
Acceptance Criteria: The conditions or requirements a project deliverable must meet to be accepted by stakeholders.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
B
Baseline: An approved version of the project plan, including
scope, schedule, and cost, used as a benchmark to measure project progress.
Budget: The estimated cost of completing a project,
including all resources, labor, and materials.
Burndown Chart
: A visual representation used in Agile projects to track the amount of work
remaining versus time available.
C
Change Control: The process for managing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, or budget.
Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for a project, highlighting tasks that directly impact the project completion date.
Contingency Plan: A backup plan for dealing with potential risks or unexpected changes in a project.
D
Deliverable: A tangible or intangible output, such as a report, product, or service, that must be produced to complete a project.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
E
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
F
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
G
Gantt Chart: A visual project schedule showing tasks, durations, and dependencies, typically used for tracking project timelines.
Governance: The framework of policies, rules, and processes that define project oversight and decision-making authority.
Goal: The end objective a project or activity aims to achieve, providing direction for project tasks and activities.
H
Handoff: The process of transferring responsibility for a project deliverable or phase from one team or department to another.
Horizon Planning: A technique for planning activities over specific time horizons, focusing on immediate tasks while forecasting long-term needs.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
J
JIT (Just-in-Time): A project and resource management technique focused on receiving materials and resources only as they are needed.
Job Description: A detailed outline of a role's responsibilities, skills, and qualifications within a project team.
K
Kanban: An Agile framework using visual boards to manage workflow and limit work-in-progress, emphasizing continuous delivery and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A metric used to measure the success of an individual or project in achieving objectives.
L
Lifecycle: The sequence of phases a project goes through, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure.
Lag: A delay between the completion of one task and the start of another in a project schedule.
M
Milestone: A significant point or event in a project timeline that marks progress or a phase transition.
Monitoring: The ongoing process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting on project performance and progress.
N
Non-functional Requirements: The criteria defining how a system performs, such as usability, reliability, and performance, rather than specific features.
Network Diagram: A visual representation of project tasks, dependencies, and paths, often used for critical path analysis.
O
Objective: A specific, measurable target that a project aims to achieve, providing clear goals for project tasks and activities.
- Outcome: The end result of a project, ideally aligning with the project’s goals and objectives.
P
Project Charter: A document that formally authorizes a project, outlining its objectives, scope, and stakeholders.
Project Management Office (PMO): A centralized department responsible for setting project standards, governance, and support across an organization.
Project Scope: The boundaries and deliverables of a project, defining what is and isn’t included in the final product.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA): Processes and procedures to ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
Quality Control (QC): The practice of inspecting project outputs to verify they meet the established quality standards.
R
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact a project’s success.
Resource Allocation: Assigning available resources (personnel, time, and budget) to various project tasks for optimal productivity.
S
Scope Creep: The uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope due to unauthorized changes or additional requirements.
Sprint: A time-boxed iteration in Agile project management where a set amount of work is completed.
Stakeholder: Any person or group with an interest in the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, and management.
T
Timeline: The chronological order of events and tasks in a project, used to track milestones and deadlines.
Triple Constraint: The three primary constraints of any project: scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced for project success.
U
User Story: In Agile, a brief description of a feature from an end-user perspective, outlining desired functionality.
Utilization: The measure of how effectively resources are used in a project, often expressed as a percentage.
V
Value Stream: The end-to-end set of actions and processes that create value for the customer in a project.
Variance: The difference between planned and actual project performance, often used to measure deviations in schedule or budget.
W
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable sections or tasks.
Workflow: The sequence of steps or activities required to complete a task or process within a project.
X
XP (Extreme Programming): An Agile methodology focused on improving software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements through frequent releases.
Y
Yield: The amount of usable output generated from a process, often used in quality control to measure efficiency.
Z
Zero Defects: A quality management concept where the project’s goal is to produce deliverables with no defects, aiming for perfection in output.
A
Agile: A project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress, commonly used in software development.
Acceptance Criteria: The conditions or requirements a project deliverable must meet to be accepted by stakeholders.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
B
Baseline: An approved version of the project plan, including
scope, schedule, and cost, used as a benchmark to measure project progress.
Budget: The estimated cost of completing a project,
including all resources, labor, and materials.
Burndown Chart
: A visual representation used in Agile projects to track the amount of work
remaining versus time available.
C
Change Control: The process for managing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, or budget.
Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for a project, highlighting tasks that directly impact the project completion date.
Contingency Plan: A backup plan for dealing with potential risks or unexpected changes in a project.
D
Deliverable: A tangible or intangible output, such as a report, product, or service, that must be produced to complete a project.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
E
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
F
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
G
Gantt Chart: A visual project schedule showing tasks, durations, and dependencies, typically used for tracking project timelines.
Governance: The framework of policies, rules, and processes that define project oversight and decision-making authority.
Goal: The end objective a project or activity aims to achieve, providing direction for project tasks and activities.
H
Handoff: The process of transferring responsibility for a project deliverable or phase from one team or department to another.
Horizon Planning: A technique for planning activities over specific time horizons, focusing on immediate tasks while forecasting long-term needs.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
J
JIT (Just-in-Time): A project and resource management technique focused on receiving materials and resources only as they are needed.
Job Description: A detailed outline of a role's responsibilities, skills, and qualifications within a project team.
K
Kanban: An Agile framework using visual boards to manage workflow and limit work-in-progress, emphasizing continuous delivery and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A metric used to measure the success of an individual or project in achieving objectives.
L
Lifecycle: The sequence of phases a project goes through, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure.
Lag: A delay between the completion of one task and the start of another in a project schedule.
M
Milestone: A significant point or event in a project timeline that marks progress or a phase transition.
Monitoring: The ongoing process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting on project performance and progress.
N
Non-functional Requirements: The criteria defining how a system performs, such as usability, reliability, and performance, rather than specific features.
Network Diagram: A visual representation of project tasks, dependencies, and paths, often used for critical path analysis.
O
Objective: A specific, measurable target that a project aims to achieve, providing clear goals for project tasks and activities.
- Outcome: The end result of a project, ideally aligning with the project’s goals and objectives.
P
Project Charter: A document that formally authorizes a project, outlining its objectives, scope, and stakeholders.
Project Management Office (PMO): A centralized department responsible for setting project standards, governance, and support across an organization.
Project Scope: The boundaries and deliverables of a project, defining what is and isn’t included in the final product.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA): Processes and procedures to ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
Quality Control (QC): The practice of inspecting project outputs to verify they meet the established quality standards.
R
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact a project’s success.
Resource Allocation: Assigning available resources (personnel, time, and budget) to various project tasks for optimal productivity.
S
Scope Creep: The uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope due to unauthorized changes or additional requirements.
Sprint: A time-boxed iteration in Agile project management where a set amount of work is completed.
Stakeholder: Any person or group with an interest in the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, and management.
T
Timeline: The chronological order of events and tasks in a project, used to track milestones and deadlines.
Triple Constraint: The three primary constraints of any project: scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced for project success.
U
User Story: In Agile, a brief description of a feature from an end-user perspective, outlining desired functionality.
Utilization: The measure of how effectively resources are used in a project, often expressed as a percentage.
V
Value Stream: The end-to-end set of actions and processes that create value for the customer in a project.
Variance: The difference between planned and actual project performance, often used to measure deviations in schedule or budget.
W
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable sections or tasks.
Workflow: The sequence of steps or activities required to complete a task or process within a project.
X
XP (Extreme Programming): An Agile methodology focused on improving software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements through frequent releases.
Y
Yield: The amount of usable output generated from a process, often used in quality control to measure efficiency.
Z
Zero Defects: A quality management concept where the project’s goal is to produce deliverables with no defects, aiming for perfection in output.
A
Agile: A project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress, commonly used in software development.
Acceptance Criteria: The conditions or requirements a project deliverable must meet to be accepted by stakeholders.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
B
Baseline: An approved version of the project plan, including
scope, schedule, and cost, used as a benchmark to measure project progress.
Budget: The estimated cost of completing a project,
including all resources, labor, and materials.
Burndown Chart
: A visual representation used in Agile projects to track the amount of work
remaining versus time available.
C
Change Control: The process for managing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, or budget.
Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for a project, highlighting tasks that directly impact the project completion date.
Contingency Plan: A backup plan for dealing with potential risks or unexpected changes in a project.
D
Deliverable: A tangible or intangible output, such as a report, product, or service, that must be produced to complete a project.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
E
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
F
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
G
Gantt Chart: A visual project schedule showing tasks, durations, and dependencies, typically used for tracking project timelines.
Governance: The framework of policies, rules, and processes that define project oversight and decision-making authority.
Goal: The end objective a project or activity aims to achieve, providing direction for project tasks and activities.
H
Handoff: The process of transferring responsibility for a project deliverable or phase from one team or department to another.
Horizon Planning: A technique for planning activities over specific time horizons, focusing on immediate tasks while forecasting long-term needs.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
J
JIT (Just-in-Time): A project and resource management technique focused on receiving materials and resources only as they are needed.
Job Description: A detailed outline of a role's responsibilities, skills, and qualifications within a project team.
K
Kanban: An Agile framework using visual boards to manage workflow and limit work-in-progress, emphasizing continuous delivery and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A metric used to measure the success of an individual or project in achieving objectives.
L
Lifecycle: The sequence of phases a project goes through, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure.
Lag: A delay between the completion of one task and the start of another in a project schedule.
M
Milestone: A significant point or event in a project timeline that marks progress or a phase transition.
Monitoring: The ongoing process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting on project performance and progress.
N
Non-functional Requirements: The criteria defining how a system performs, such as usability, reliability, and performance, rather than specific features.
Network Diagram: A visual representation of project tasks, dependencies, and paths, often used for critical path analysis.
O
Objective: A specific, measurable target that a project aims to achieve, providing clear goals for project tasks and activities.
- Outcome: The end result of a project, ideally aligning with the project’s goals and objectives.
P
Project Charter: A document that formally authorizes a project, outlining its objectives, scope, and stakeholders.
Project Management Office (PMO): A centralized department responsible for setting project standards, governance, and support across an organization.
Project Scope: The boundaries and deliverables of a project, defining what is and isn’t included in the final product.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA): Processes and procedures to ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
Quality Control (QC): The practice of inspecting project outputs to verify they meet the established quality standards.
R
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact a project’s success.
Resource Allocation: Assigning available resources (personnel, time, and budget) to various project tasks for optimal productivity.
S
Scope Creep: The uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope due to unauthorized changes or additional requirements.
Sprint: A time-boxed iteration in Agile project management where a set amount of work is completed.
Stakeholder: Any person or group with an interest in the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, and management.
T
Timeline: The chronological order of events and tasks in a project, used to track milestones and deadlines.
Triple Constraint: The three primary constraints of any project: scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced for project success.
U
User Story: In Agile, a brief description of a feature from an end-user perspective, outlining desired functionality.
Utilization: The measure of how effectively resources are used in a project, often expressed as a percentage.
V
Value Stream: The end-to-end set of actions and processes that create value for the customer in a project.
Variance: The difference between planned and actual project performance, often used to measure deviations in schedule or budget.
W
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable sections or tasks.
Workflow: The sequence of steps or activities required to complete a task or process within a project.
X
XP (Extreme Programming): An Agile methodology focused on improving software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements through frequent releases.
Y
Yield: The amount of usable output generated from a process, often used in quality control to measure efficiency.
Z
Zero Defects: A quality management concept where the project’s goal is to produce deliverables with no defects, aiming for perfection in output.
A
Agile: A project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress, commonly used in software development.
Acceptance Criteria: The conditions or requirements a project deliverable must meet to be accepted by stakeholders.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
B
Baseline: An approved version of the project plan, including
scope, schedule, and cost, used as a benchmark to measure project progress.
Budget: The estimated cost of completing a project,
including all resources, labor, and materials.
Burndown Chart
: A visual representation used in Agile projects to track the amount of work
remaining versus time available.
C
Change Control: The process for managing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, or budget.
Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for a project, highlighting tasks that directly impact the project completion date.
Contingency Plan: A backup plan for dealing with potential risks or unexpected changes in a project.
D
Deliverable: A tangible or intangible output, such as a report, product, or service, that must be produced to complete a project.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
E
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
F
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
G
Gantt Chart: A visual project schedule showing tasks, durations, and dependencies, typically used for tracking project timelines.
Governance: The framework of policies, rules, and processes that define project oversight and decision-making authority.
Goal: The end objective a project or activity aims to achieve, providing direction for project tasks and activities.
H
Handoff: The process of transferring responsibility for a project deliverable or phase from one team or department to another.
Horizon Planning: A technique for planning activities over specific time horizons, focusing on immediate tasks while forecasting long-term needs.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
J
JIT (Just-in-Time): A project and resource management technique focused on receiving materials and resources only as they are needed.
Job Description: A detailed outline of a role's responsibilities, skills, and qualifications within a project team.
K
Kanban: An Agile framework using visual boards to manage workflow and limit work-in-progress, emphasizing continuous delivery and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A metric used to measure the success of an individual or project in achieving objectives.
L
Lifecycle: The sequence of phases a project goes through, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure.
Lag: A delay between the completion of one task and the start of another in a project schedule.
M
Milestone: A significant point or event in a project timeline that marks progress or a phase transition.
Monitoring: The ongoing process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting on project performance and progress.
N
Non-functional Requirements: The criteria defining how a system performs, such as usability, reliability, and performance, rather than specific features.
Network Diagram: A visual representation of project tasks, dependencies, and paths, often used for critical path analysis.
O
Objective: A specific, measurable target that a project aims to achieve, providing clear goals for project tasks and activities.
- Outcome: The end result of a project, ideally aligning with the project’s goals and objectives.
P
Project Charter: A document that formally authorizes a project, outlining its objectives, scope, and stakeholders.
Project Management Office (PMO): A centralized department responsible for setting project standards, governance, and support across an organization.
Project Scope: The boundaries and deliverables of a project, defining what is and isn’t included in the final product.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA): Processes and procedures to ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
Quality Control (QC): The practice of inspecting project outputs to verify they meet the established quality standards.
R
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact a project’s success.
Resource Allocation: Assigning available resources (personnel, time, and budget) to various project tasks for optimal productivity.
S
Scope Creep: The uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope due to unauthorized changes or additional requirements.
Sprint: A time-boxed iteration in Agile project management where a set amount of work is completed.
Stakeholder: Any person or group with an interest in the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, and management.
T
Timeline: The chronological order of events and tasks in a project, used to track milestones and deadlines.
Triple Constraint: The three primary constraints of any project: scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced for project success.
U
User Story: In Agile, a brief description of a feature from an end-user perspective, outlining desired functionality.
Utilization: The measure of how effectively resources are used in a project, often expressed as a percentage.
V
Value Stream: The end-to-end set of actions and processes that create value for the customer in a project.
Variance: The difference between planned and actual project performance, often used to measure deviations in schedule or budget.
W
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable sections or tasks.
Workflow: The sequence of steps or activities required to complete a task or process within a project.
X
XP (Extreme Programming): An Agile methodology focused on improving software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements through frequent releases.
Y
Yield: The amount of usable output generated from a process, often used in quality control to measure efficiency.
Z
Zero Defects: A quality management concept where the project’s goal is to produce deliverables with no defects, aiming for perfection in output.
A
Agile: A project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress, commonly used in software development.
Acceptance Criteria: The conditions or requirements a project deliverable must meet to be accepted by stakeholders.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
B
Baseline: An approved version of the project plan, including
scope, schedule, and cost, used as a benchmark to measure project progress.
Budget: The estimated cost of completing a project,
including all resources, labor, and materials.
Burndown Chart
: A visual representation used in Agile projects to track the amount of work
remaining versus time available.
C
Change Control: The process for managing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, or budget.
Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for a project, highlighting tasks that directly impact the project completion date.
Contingency Plan: A backup plan for dealing with potential risks or unexpected changes in a project.
D
Deliverable: A tangible or intangible output, such as a report, product, or service, that must be produced to complete a project.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
E
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
F
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
G
Gantt Chart: A visual project schedule showing tasks, durations, and dependencies, typically used for tracking project timelines.
Governance: The framework of policies, rules, and processes that define project oversight and decision-making authority.
Goal: The end objective a project or activity aims to achieve, providing direction for project tasks and activities.
H
Handoff: The process of transferring responsibility for a project deliverable or phase from one team or department to another.
Horizon Planning: A technique for planning activities over specific time horizons, focusing on immediate tasks while forecasting long-term needs.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
J
JIT (Just-in-Time): A project and resource management technique focused on receiving materials and resources only as they are needed.
Job Description: A detailed outline of a role's responsibilities, skills, and qualifications within a project team.
K
Kanban: An Agile framework using visual boards to manage workflow and limit work-in-progress, emphasizing continuous delivery and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A metric used to measure the success of an individual or project in achieving objectives.
L
Lifecycle: The sequence of phases a project goes through, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure.
Lag: A delay between the completion of one task and the start of another in a project schedule.
M
Milestone: A significant point or event in a project timeline that marks progress or a phase transition.
Monitoring: The ongoing process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting on project performance and progress.
N
Non-functional Requirements: The criteria defining how a system performs, such as usability, reliability, and performance, rather than specific features.
Network Diagram: A visual representation of project tasks, dependencies, and paths, often used for critical path analysis.
O
Objective: A specific, measurable target that a project aims to achieve, providing clear goals for project tasks and activities.
- Outcome: The end result of a project, ideally aligning with the project’s goals and objectives.
P
Project Charter: A document that formally authorizes a project, outlining its objectives, scope, and stakeholders.
Project Management Office (PMO): A centralized department responsible for setting project standards, governance, and support across an organization.
Project Scope: The boundaries and deliverables of a project, defining what is and isn’t included in the final product.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA): Processes and procedures to ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
Quality Control (QC): The practice of inspecting project outputs to verify they meet the established quality standards.
R
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact a project’s success.
Resource Allocation: Assigning available resources (personnel, time, and budget) to various project tasks for optimal productivity.
S
Scope Creep: The uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope due to unauthorized changes or additional requirements.
Sprint: A time-boxed iteration in Agile project management where a set amount of work is completed.
Stakeholder: Any person or group with an interest in the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, and management.
T
Timeline: The chronological order of events and tasks in a project, used to track milestones and deadlines.
Triple Constraint: The three primary constraints of any project: scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced for project success.
U
User Story: In Agile, a brief description of a feature from an end-user perspective, outlining desired functionality.
Utilization: The measure of how effectively resources are used in a project, often expressed as a percentage.
V
Value Stream: The end-to-end set of actions and processes that create value for the customer in a project.
Variance: The difference between planned and actual project performance, often used to measure deviations in schedule or budget.
W
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable sections or tasks.
Workflow: The sequence of steps or activities required to complete a task or process within a project.
X
XP (Extreme Programming): An Agile methodology focused on improving software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements through frequent releases.
Y
Yield: The amount of usable output generated from a process, often used in quality control to measure efficiency.
Z
Zero Defects: A quality management concept where the project’s goal is to produce deliverables with no defects, aiming for perfection in output.
A
Agile: A project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress, commonly used in software development.
Acceptance Criteria: The conditions or requirements a project deliverable must meet to be accepted by stakeholders.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
B
Baseline: An approved version of the project plan, including
scope, schedule, and cost, used as a benchmark to measure project progress.
Budget: The estimated cost of completing a project,
including all resources, labor, and materials.
Burndown Chart
: A visual representation used in Agile projects to track the amount of work
remaining versus time available.
C
Change Control: The process for managing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, or budget.
Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for a project, highlighting tasks that directly impact the project completion date.
Contingency Plan: A backup plan for dealing with potential risks or unexpected changes in a project.
D
Deliverable: A tangible or intangible output, such as a report, product, or service, that must be produced to complete a project.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
E
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
F
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
G
Gantt Chart: A visual project schedule showing tasks, durations, and dependencies, typically used for tracking project timelines.
Governance: The framework of policies, rules, and processes that define project oversight and decision-making authority.
Goal: The end objective a project or activity aims to achieve, providing direction for project tasks and activities.
H
Handoff: The process of transferring responsibility for a project deliverable or phase from one team or department to another.
Horizon Planning: A technique for planning activities over specific time horizons, focusing on immediate tasks while forecasting long-term needs.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
J
JIT (Just-in-Time): A project and resource management technique focused on receiving materials and resources only as they are needed.
Job Description: A detailed outline of a role's responsibilities, skills, and qualifications within a project team.
K
Kanban: An Agile framework using visual boards to manage workflow and limit work-in-progress, emphasizing continuous delivery and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A metric used to measure the success of an individual or project in achieving objectives.
L
Lifecycle: The sequence of phases a project goes through, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure.
Lag: A delay between the completion of one task and the start of another in a project schedule.
M
Milestone: A significant point or event in a project timeline that marks progress or a phase transition.
Monitoring: The ongoing process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting on project performance and progress.
N
Non-functional Requirements: The criteria defining how a system performs, such as usability, reliability, and performance, rather than specific features.
Network Diagram: A visual representation of project tasks, dependencies, and paths, often used for critical path analysis.
O
Objective: A specific, measurable target that a project aims to achieve, providing clear goals for project tasks and activities.
- Outcome: The end result of a project, ideally aligning with the project’s goals and objectives.
P
Project Charter: A document that formally authorizes a project, outlining its objectives, scope, and stakeholders.
Project Management Office (PMO): A centralized department responsible for setting project standards, governance, and support across an organization.
Project Scope: The boundaries and deliverables of a project, defining what is and isn’t included in the final product.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA): Processes and procedures to ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
Quality Control (QC): The practice of inspecting project outputs to verify they meet the established quality standards.
R
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact a project’s success.
Resource Allocation: Assigning available resources (personnel, time, and budget) to various project tasks for optimal productivity.
S
Scope Creep: The uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope due to unauthorized changes or additional requirements.
Sprint: A time-boxed iteration in Agile project management where a set amount of work is completed.
Stakeholder: Any person or group with an interest in the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, and management.
T
Timeline: The chronological order of events and tasks in a project, used to track milestones and deadlines.
Triple Constraint: The three primary constraints of any project: scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced for project success.
U
User Story: In Agile, a brief description of a feature from an end-user perspective, outlining desired functionality.
Utilization: The measure of how effectively resources are used in a project, often expressed as a percentage.
V
Value Stream: The end-to-end set of actions and processes that create value for the customer in a project.
Variance: The difference between planned and actual project performance, often used to measure deviations in schedule or budget.
W
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable sections or tasks.
Workflow: The sequence of steps or activities required to complete a task or process within a project.
X
XP (Extreme Programming): An Agile methodology focused on improving software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements through frequent releases.
Y
Yield: The amount of usable output generated from a process, often used in quality control to measure efficiency.
Z
Zero Defects: A quality management concept where the project’s goal is to produce deliverables with no defects, aiming for perfection in output.
A
Agile: A project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress, commonly used in software development.
Acceptance Criteria: The conditions or requirements a project deliverable must meet to be accepted by stakeholders.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
B
Baseline: An approved version of the project plan, including
scope, schedule, and cost, used as a benchmark to measure project progress.
Budget: The estimated cost of completing a project,
including all resources, labor, and materials.
Burndown Chart
: A visual representation used in Agile projects to track the amount of work
remaining versus time available.
C
Change Control: The process for managing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, or budget.
Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for a project, highlighting tasks that directly impact the project completion date.
Contingency Plan: A backup plan for dealing with potential risks or unexpected changes in a project.
D
Deliverable: A tangible or intangible output, such as a report, product, or service, that must be produced to complete a project.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
E
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
F
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
G
Gantt Chart: A visual project schedule showing tasks, durations, and dependencies, typically used for tracking project timelines.
Governance: The framework of policies, rules, and processes that define project oversight and decision-making authority.
Goal: The end objective a project or activity aims to achieve, providing direction for project tasks and activities.
H
Handoff: The process of transferring responsibility for a project deliverable or phase from one team or department to another.
Horizon Planning: A technique for planning activities over specific time horizons, focusing on immediate tasks while forecasting long-term needs.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
J
JIT (Just-in-Time): A project and resource management technique focused on receiving materials and resources only as they are needed.
Job Description: A detailed outline of a role's responsibilities, skills, and qualifications within a project team.
K
Kanban: An Agile framework using visual boards to manage workflow and limit work-in-progress, emphasizing continuous delivery and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A metric used to measure the success of an individual or project in achieving objectives.
L
Lifecycle: The sequence of phases a project goes through, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure.
Lag: A delay between the completion of one task and the start of another in a project schedule.
M
Milestone: A significant point or event in a project timeline that marks progress or a phase transition.
Monitoring: The ongoing process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting on project performance and progress.
N
Non-functional Requirements: The criteria defining how a system performs, such as usability, reliability, and performance, rather than specific features.
Network Diagram: A visual representation of project tasks, dependencies, and paths, often used for critical path analysis.
O
Objective: A specific, measurable target that a project aims to achieve, providing clear goals for project tasks and activities.
- Outcome: The end result of a project, ideally aligning with the project’s goals and objectives.
P
Project Charter: A document that formally authorizes a project, outlining its objectives, scope, and stakeholders.
Project Management Office (PMO): A centralized department responsible for setting project standards, governance, and support across an organization.
Project Scope: The boundaries and deliverables of a project, defining what is and isn’t included in the final product.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA): Processes and procedures to ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
Quality Control (QC): The practice of inspecting project outputs to verify they meet the established quality standards.
R
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact a project’s success.
Resource Allocation: Assigning available resources (personnel, time, and budget) to various project tasks for optimal productivity.
S
Scope Creep: The uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope due to unauthorized changes or additional requirements.
Sprint: A time-boxed iteration in Agile project management where a set amount of work is completed.
Stakeholder: Any person or group with an interest in the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, and management.
T
Timeline: The chronological order of events and tasks in a project, used to track milestones and deadlines.
Triple Constraint: The three primary constraints of any project: scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced for project success.
U
User Story: In Agile, a brief description of a feature from an end-user perspective, outlining desired functionality.
Utilization: The measure of how effectively resources are used in a project, often expressed as a percentage.
V
Value Stream: The end-to-end set of actions and processes that create value for the customer in a project.
Variance: The difference between planned and actual project performance, often used to measure deviations in schedule or budget.
W
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable sections or tasks.
Workflow: The sequence of steps or activities required to complete a task or process within a project.
X
XP (Extreme Programming): An Agile methodology focused on improving software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements through frequent releases.
Y
Yield: The amount of usable output generated from a process, often used in quality control to measure efficiency.
Z
Zero Defects: A quality management concept where the project’s goal is to produce deliverables with no defects, aiming for perfection in output.
A
Agile: A project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress, commonly used in software development.
Acceptance Criteria: The conditions or requirements a project deliverable must meet to be accepted by stakeholders.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
Activity: A task or set of tasks performed as part of a project, which contributes to achieving a project objective.
Assumptions: Factors considered true or expected for project planning purposes but are not confirmed.
B
Baseline: An approved version of the project plan, including
scope, schedule, and cost, used as a benchmark to measure project progress.
Budget: The estimated cost of completing a project,
including all resources, labor, and materials.
Burndown Chart
: A visual representation used in Agile projects to track the amount of work
remaining versus time available.
C
Change Control: The process for managing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, or budget.
Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for a project, highlighting tasks that directly impact the project completion date.
Contingency Plan: A backup plan for dealing with potential risks or unexpected changes in a project.
D
Deliverable: A tangible or intangible output, such as a report, product, or service, that must be produced to complete a project.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
Dependencies: Relationships between tasks where one task relies on another for its start or completion. Deviation: A measure of variance from the project baseline, indicating project elements that are not proceeding as planned.
E
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
F
Effort: The amount of work (measured in hours or days) required to complete a task or project.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM): A centralized approach to managing all projects within an organization, focusing on alignment with business goals.
Escalation: The process of raising issues or risks to higher management for resolution when they cannot be solved at the current project level.
G
Gantt Chart: A visual project schedule showing tasks, durations, and dependencies, typically used for tracking project timelines.
Governance: The framework of policies, rules, and processes that define project oversight and decision-making authority.
Goal: The end objective a project or activity aims to achieve, providing direction for project tasks and activities.
H
Handoff: The process of transferring responsibility for a project deliverable or phase from one team or department to another.
Horizon Planning: A technique for planning activities over specific time horizons, focusing on immediate tasks while forecasting long-term needs.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
I
Issue: A current problem that has arisen within the project and requires resolution to prevent delays or project disruption.
Iterative Process: A repetitive approach in which project phases or deliverables are refined through successive cycles to reach the final product.
J
JIT (Just-in-Time): A project and resource management technique focused on receiving materials and resources only as they are needed.
Job Description: A detailed outline of a role's responsibilities, skills, and qualifications within a project team.
K
Kanban: An Agile framework using visual boards to manage workflow and limit work-in-progress, emphasizing continuous delivery and efficiency.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A metric used to measure the success of an individual or project in achieving objectives.
L
Lifecycle: The sequence of phases a project goes through, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure.
Lag: A delay between the completion of one task and the start of another in a project schedule.
M
Milestone: A significant point or event in a project timeline that marks progress or a phase transition.
Monitoring: The ongoing process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting on project performance and progress.
N
Non-functional Requirements: The criteria defining how a system performs, such as usability, reliability, and performance, rather than specific features.
Network Diagram: A visual representation of project tasks, dependencies, and paths, often used for critical path analysis.
O
Objective: A specific, measurable target that a project aims to achieve, providing clear goals for project tasks and activities.
- Outcome: The end result of a project, ideally aligning with the project’s goals and objectives.
P
Project Charter: A document that formally authorizes a project, outlining its objectives, scope, and stakeholders.
Project Management Office (PMO): A centralized department responsible for setting project standards, governance, and support across an organization.
Project Scope: The boundaries and deliverables of a project, defining what is and isn’t included in the final product.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA): Processes and procedures to ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
Quality Control (QC): The practice of inspecting project outputs to verify they meet the established quality standards.
R
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact a project’s success.
Resource Allocation: Assigning available resources (personnel, time, and budget) to various project tasks for optimal productivity.
S
Scope Creep: The uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope due to unauthorized changes or additional requirements.
Sprint: A time-boxed iteration in Agile project management where a set amount of work is completed.
Stakeholder: Any person or group with an interest in the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, and management.
T
Timeline: The chronological order of events and tasks in a project, used to track milestones and deadlines.
Triple Constraint: The three primary constraints of any project: scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced for project success.
U
User Story: In Agile, a brief description of a feature from an end-user perspective, outlining desired functionality.
Utilization: The measure of how effectively resources are used in a project, often expressed as a percentage.
V
Value Stream: The end-to-end set of actions and processes that create value for the customer in a project.
Variance: The difference between planned and actual project performance, often used to measure deviations in schedule or budget.
W
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable sections or tasks.
Workflow: The sequence of steps or activities required to complete a task or process within a project.
X
XP (Extreme Programming): An Agile methodology focused on improving software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements through frequent releases.
Y
Yield: The amount of usable output generated from a process, often used in quality control to measure efficiency.
Z
Zero Defects: A quality management concept where the project’s goal is to produce deliverables with no defects, aiming for perfection in output.
A
Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
Acceptance Criteria
Specific conditions a solution must satisfy to be accepted by stakeholders, often used to validate requirements.
Activity Diagram
A type of UML diagram that represents workflows and activities within a process, helping to visualize dynamic aspects of a system.
Agile: A development methodology that emphasizes iterative progress, collaboration, and flexibility in response to changing requirements.
As-Is Process
The current state of a process or system before any changes or improvements are made.
Agile Requirements Documentation
A lightweight, iterative approach to requirements documentation that focuses on just-in-time and just-enough information to meet the needs of Agile teams, often favoring user stories, acceptance criteria, and brief descriptions over extensive documentation.
Analytical Thinking
The ability to systematically analyze complex information and data, identify patterns, and break down problems into manageable parts, essential for identifying underlying issues and creating structured solutions.
Assumption Analysis
The process of identifying, documenting, and validating assumptions in a project or requirements to assess their impact and manage potential risks if they are invalid.
B
Backlog
A prioritized list of tasks, requirements, or features in Agile, maintained for planning and tracking progress in projects.
Benchmarking
Comparing a company’s practices, processes, and performance metrics with industry standards or best practices.
BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation)
A standard for process modeling that provides a graphical representation of business processes.
Business Case
A document outlining the justification for a project or initiative, detailing the benefits, costs, and risks involved.
Business Architecture
A blueprint of the enterprise that provides a common understanding of the organization, aligning strategic objectives with business capabilities, processes, and data.
Business Model Canvas
A strategic management tool that visually outlines an organization’s value proposition, infrastructure, customer segments, and finances, helping to develop or document new or existing business models.
Business Process Improvement (BPI)
A systematic approach to optimizing and enhancing existing business processes to achieve more efficient outcomes, often focusing on reducing waste, increasing efficiency, and improving quality.
C
Change Management
The process of planning and implementing change within an organization, managing resistance, and ensuring smooth transitions.
Context Diagram
A high-level diagram that shows the system in its environment, displaying external entities that interact with the system.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
A technique to evaluate the financial costs and benefits of a project or decision to determine its feasibility.
Customer Journey Mapping
A technique used to visualize and understand the end-to-end experiences customers have with an organization’s products or services, identifying pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Cost of Quality (CoQ)
The total cost of all efforts to ensure a high-quality product or service, including costs related to preventing, detecting, and fixing defects; used to optimize quality-related spending.
Change Control Board (CCB)
A group responsible for evaluating, approving, or rejecting proposed changes to a project’s scope, helping ensure changes are aligned with project objectives.
D
Data Dictionary
A repository that provides definitions for data elements, used to ensure consistent understanding and usage of data.
Data Flow Diagram (DFD)
A visual representation of how data flows through a system, useful in analyzing data processes and storage.
Decision Table
A tabular method of outlining various decision scenarios, their conditions, and outcomes, often used for complex decision-making.
Design Thinking
A problem-solving approach focused on empathy, ideation, and experimentation, primarily used to solve complex problems by deeply understanding user needs and generating innovative solutions.
Domain Model
A visual representation of the entities, attributes, and relationships within a business domain, used to capture and communicate the structure of business data.
Decision Analysis
A process for systematically evaluating and comparing options based on factors like cost, benefits, risks, and alignment with objectives, aiding in sound decision-making.
E
Enterprise Analysis
High-level analysis of an organization to identify and define strategic objectives, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
Elicitation
The process of gathering requirements from stakeholders through interviews, surveys, workshops, or observation.
Epic: A large user story or requirement that is often broken down into smaller, more manageable user stories.
Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)
A data modeling technique that visually represents the relationships between entities (tables) in a database, commonly used to clarify database structures and relationships.
End-to-End Testing
Testing that evaluates the entire workflow or business process within a system to ensure it functions correctly from start to finish, validating all integrated components.
Engagement Matrix
A tool used to map out stakeholder involvement and responsibility levels in various activities, aiding in managing expectations and roles in projects.
F
Feasibility Study
An assessment of the viability of a project, evaluating technical, financial, and operational factors before committing to it.
Functional Requirements
Specifications of the behavior or functions a system must exhibit, focusing on what the system should do.
Functional Decomposition
Breaking down complex processes, systems, or requirements into smaller, manageable parts, making it easier to analyze, understand, and develop solutions.
Feature Creep
The gradual addition of new features or requirements to a project that were not initially planned, often leading to scope changes, budget increases, and delays.
Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa)
A cause-and-effect diagram used to identify potential causes of problems, structured by categories like People, Process, Equipment, and Environment.
G
Gap Analysis
The process of comparing the current state to a desired future state to identify areas of improvement or deficiencies.
Governance
The framework through which an organization ensures compliance, accountability, and alignment with strategic objectives.
Goal-Oriented Requirements Engineering (GORE)
A methodology focused on defining and modeling goals to derive requirements, ensuring alignment between stakeholder objectives and solution requirements.
Gap Filling
Identifying missing or incomplete requirements and resolving them by collecting additional information, often through stakeholder discussions or additional research.
H
High-Level Requirements
Broad statements of what a system or solution must accomplish, providing an overview without detailed specifications.
Human-Centered Design (HCD)
A design approach that considers the needs, wants, and limitations of the end-user throughout the development process.
Heuristic Analysis
A method of evaluating a solution based on established best practices or “rules of thumb” rather than formal requirements, often used in usability testing and troubleshooting.
High-Fidelity Prototyping
A detailed and interactive prototype that closely resembles the final product, providing a realistic view of design, functionality, and user experience.
I
Impact Analysis
The process of assessing the effects of a proposed change on the organization, processes, systems, and stakeholders.
Interface Analysis
Examining how different system components or external systems interact with each other to ensure compatibility and integration.
Impact Mapping
A strategic planning technique that visualizes the connections between user needs, business objectives, and features, helping to align product decisions with business outcomes.
Influence Diagram
A visual representation of variables, decisions, and dependencies in a decision-making scenario, aiding in understanding the factors that influence project or business outcomes.
J
Joint Application Development (JAD)
A facilitated session involving stakeholders to collaboratively define requirements, often used in software development.
Just-in-Time (JIT) Requirements
Gathering and documenting requirements only as they are needed within the project lifecycle, minimizing wasted effort on requirements that may change or be deprioritized.
K
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Metrics used to evaluate the effectiveness and success of a project, initiative, or business process.
Key Stakeholders
Primary individuals or groups directly impacted by a project or initiative, whose needs and interests must be understood and managed for successful project outcomes.
Knowledge Elicitation
The process of capturing knowledge from experts or stakeholders, often using interviews, workshops, or observation, to inform analysis and decision-makin
L
Lifecycle Management
Managing the entire lifecycle of a product, service, or project from inception through retirement.
Logical Model
An abstract model that represents the structure and flow of information without specifying technical implementation.
Lean Business Analysis
An approach focusing on maximizing value and minimizing waste in the BA process by emphasizing only essential activities that contribute to achieving business outcomes.
Logic Model
A visual representation that outlines the resources, activities, outputs, and outcomes of a program or project, used to communicate the purpose and impact of initiatives.
M
MoSCoW Method
A prioritization technique categorizing requirements as Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won’t have.
Mind Mapping
A visual brainstorming technique to capture ideas, concepts, and relationships in a structured, graphical way.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
A product with just enough features to satisfy early adopters, used to quickly gather feedback and validate assumptions with minimal investment.
Mapping Requirements to Business Objectives
Ensuring that each requirement directly supports or aligns with the overall business goals, which helps in prioritization and traceability.
N
Non-Functional Requirements
Requirements that specify criteria for the operation of a system, such as performance, security, and usability.
Net Present Value (NPV)
A financial metric that calculates the present value of all cash inflows and outflows over a project’s lifespan, often used in business case analysis.
Needs Assessment
The process of identifying and analyzing gaps between current and desired conditions, used to determine the best approach to achieve organizational goals.
O
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
A goal-setting framework used to define measurable goals and track their outcomes.
Operational Requirements
Requirements that outline how a system should operate within its intended environment, focusing on workflow and process.
Objectives Hierarchy
A visual breakdown of high-level business objectives into smaller, actionable goals, aiding in aligning activities with strategic direction.
Opportunity Analysis
Analyzing potential opportunities to create value or achieve competitive advantage, often used to justify investments or strategic initiatives.
P
Pain Point
A specific problem or inefficiency that needs to be addressed within a process, system, or organization.
Process Mapping
Creating a visual representation of workflows, activities, and tasks, helping identify redundancies and inefficiencies.
Prototyping
Creating a preliminary model or version of a system to visualize and refine requirements before full development.
Pareto Analysis
A technique based on the 80/20 rule, used to identify the most critical factors in a problem, suggesting that a small number of causes often lead to a majority of issues.
Preliminary Scope Statement
An initial outline of project scope, often created during the early stages of a project to provide an overview of key boundaries and deliverables.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA)
Activities to ensure that a product or service meets quality standards and requirements throughout its development.
Qualitative Analysis
Analyzing non-numeric data, such as opinions or feedback, to understand stakeholder needs, motivations, or satisfaction levels.
Quantitative Analysis
Using numeric data to quantify variables, allowing measurement and comparison for informed decision-making in areas like cost-benefit analysis.
R
Requirements Management
The process of documenting, analyzing, and tracking requirements to ensure they are implemented as intended.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
A problem-solving technique used to identify the underlying reasons for defects, issues, or inefficiencies.
Risk Assessment
Identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing risks associated with a project, helping to plan mitigation strategies.
Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)
A document linking requirements to design, development, and testing artifacts, ensuring that each requirement is fulfilled in the final product.
S
Scope Creep
Uncontrolled changes or growth in project scope without adjustments to time, cost, or resources, often impacting project success.
Stakeholder Analysis
Identifying and assessing the interests, power, and influence of stakeholders to manage expectations effectively.
SWOT Analysis
Evaluating strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to understand strategic positioning.
SMART Objectives
Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, helping to create actionable and clearly defined objectives.
Stakeholder Matrix
A tool that categorizes stakeholders based on their interest and influence, aiding in tailoring engagement and communication strategies.
T
Traceability Matrix
A document that maps and links requirements to their source and corresponding test cases, ensuring full coverage and compliance.
To-Be Process
The future state of a process after proposed improvements or optimizations, often visualized alongside the As-Is process.
Technical Requirements
Specifications detailing the technical aspects and standards a solution must adhere to, often focusing on system architecture.
Trade-Off Analysis
A method to weigh the pros and cons of different options, helping to make balanced decisions when faced with competing requirements or constraints.
Technical Feasibility
Assessing the technical aspects of a solution to determine if it is viable and can be implemented with the available technology and resources.
U
Use Case
A description of a system’s interaction with users, outlining various scenarios and workflows to achieve specific objectives.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Testing performed by the end-users to ensure the system meets their needs and requirements before going live.
User Story
A concise, user-centered description of a feature or requirement written from the end-user’s perspective.
Unified Modeling Language (UML)
A standardized modeling language used to specify, visualize, and document system components, processes, and interactions.
User Experience (UX) Research
Research focused on understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through various methods to create user-centered designs.
V
Value Stream Mapping
A technique for analyzing and visualizing the steps required to deliver a product or service, identifying value-added and non-value-added activities.
Verification and Validation
Verification checks if the product is built correctly, while validation ensures the product fulfills its intended purpose.
Value Chain Analysis
A technique for analyzing an organization's activities to identify value-added and non-value-added steps, often used for improving efficiency.
VoC (Voice of the Customer)
A research method that captures customers’ expectations, preferences, and feedback to guide product development and improvement.
W
Workflow Analysis
Examining the sequence of steps within a business process to identify efficiencies, redundancies, or areas for improvement.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A hierarchical breakdown of tasks and deliverables required to complete a project, used for planning and scheduling.
Weighted Scoring Model
A decision-making tool that assigns weights to criteria and scores options against these criteria, used for prioritization and selection.
Workflow Optimization
The process of enhancing workflow processes to improve efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and increase productivity.
X
XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
A language used to define data structures and facilitate data sharing between systems, often relevant in interface analysis.
Y
Yield Analysis
Evaluation of the effectiveness of requirements gathering by assessing the accuracy and completeness of captured requirements.
z
Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB)
A budgeting approach where each expense must be justified from scratch, often used to ensure resources align with strategic priorities.
A
Acceptance Testing
Testing conducted to determine if a system meets the requirements and is ready for release. Typically performed by the client or end-users.
Automated Testing
The use of tools and scripts to execute tests, enabling quick feedback on code quality and regression testing.
Acceptance Criteria
Conditions that must be met for a feature to be considered complete, typically defined by stakeholders to meet business requirements.
API Testing
Testing the application programming interfaces (APIs) directly to ensure they respond correctly to requests, focusing on functionality, security, and reliability.
A/B Testing
Comparing two versions of a feature or application (A and B) with users to determine which performs better or meets specific goals.
B
Black-Box Testing
Testing without access to the internal code structure, focusing on inputs and expected outputs to verify functionality.
Boundary Testing
Testing that focuses on the edges of input ranges, checking for errors at the boundaries of input limits.
Baseline Testing
Testing to gather data on an application’s initial state, serving as a reference point for future tests and performance comparisons.
Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)
An Agile testing methodology where test scenarios are written in simple language, facilitating collaboration between non-technical and technical team members.
C
Continuous Testing
An approach where tests are integrated into the CI/CD pipeline, ensuring that testing happens at each stage of development for faster feedback.
Compatibility Testing
Testing to ensure an application works as expected across different devices, operating systems, and browsers.
Code CoverageA
measure of how much of the application’s code has been executed during testing, helping to identify untested parts.
Cross-Browser Testing
Testing to ensure an application performs as expected across various web browsers, vital for web applications to maintain consistent user experience.
D
Defect
Any issue or inconsistency found in the application that does not match the requirements or expected outcomes.
Dynamic Testing
Testing that involves executing code to validate functionality, performance, and usability.
Data-Driven Testing
An automated testing approach where test scripts use different sets of input data, allowing for multiple test scenarios with the same test case.
Decision Table Testing
A technique for managing complex test scenarios by using tables to represent different combinations of inputs and their corresponding outputs.
E
Exploratory Testing
A hands-on approach to testing where testers use their intuition and experience to explore and uncover issues without predefined scripts.
End-to-End (E2E) Testing
Testing the complete workflow of an application, from start to finish, to ensure all components function correctly together.
Error Guessing
A testing technique where testers use experience and intuition to guess potential problem areas within the application.
Equivalence Partitioning
Dividing input data into valid and invalid partitions, then testing only one condition from each partition to reduce the number of test cases.
F
Functional Testing
Testing based on the functionality of an application, ensuring it behaves according to specified requirements.
Failover Testing
A type of testing to ensure the system continues to function correctly when a part of the system fails.
Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)
A structured approach to identifying all possible failures in a system, assessing their impact, and prioritizing solutions.
Fuzz Testing
A security testing technique where random or unexpected data inputs are fed into the system to detect potential vulnerabilities or crashes.
G
GUI Testing
Testing the Graphical User Interface to ensure it meets design specifications and provides a consistent user experience.
Gray-Box Testing
A blend of black-box and white-box testing where testers have limited knowledge of the internal code structure, allowing for a more focused approach.
H
Heuristic Evaluation
A usability testing method where testers assess an application’s UI/UX based on established heuristics (guidelines).
Hybrid Testing
Combining various testing strategies, such as manual and automated or functional and performance testing, for comprehensive coverage.
Happy Path Testing
Testing the application’s positive scenarios or main workflows, where everything works as expected without triggering errors.
High-Order Testing
Testing the interactions between multiple systems or complex integrated systems in a production-like environment.
I
Integration Testing
Testing the interaction between different components or modules to verify that they work together as expected.
Interface Testing
Testing the interaction between software systems or components through their APIs or interfaces.
Idempotence Testing
Ensuring that repeated execution of the same operation or API request yields the same results, often critical in API and database testing.
Isolation Testing
Testing a specific component or function independently from the rest of the system to determine if it behaves correctly on its own.
J
JUnit
A popular framework for unit testing in Java, commonly used for writing and running tests within the development process.
Job Scheduling Testing
Ensuring that tasks scheduled for specific times or conditions are executed correctly, commonly used in back-end systems and batch processing.
K
Keyword-Driven Testing
A framework for automated testing where test scripts use predefined keywords representing actions, making tests more reusable and readable.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Metrics used to evaluate the performance of testing efforts, like defect detection rate, test coverage, and test effectiveness.
L
Load Testing
Testing to determine how the system performs under expected user load, assessing scalability and response times.
Localization Testing
Ensuring that a product behaves correctly in various locales, including language translations, cultural nuances, and regional formats.
Load Runner
A performance testing tool used to simulate virtual user loads, measuring system behavior and performance under heavy demand.
Latency Testing
Assessing the time delay (latency) in a system, such as response time in API calls or web application requests, to ensure performance standards.
M
Manual Testing
Testing performed by humans rather than automation tools, often used for exploratory, usability, and ad-hoc testing.
Mutation Testing
A testing method where code is intentionally modified to check if the test cases can detect the introduced faults.
Mocking
Simulating components (e.g., APIs, databases) to test specific parts of the application in isolation without requiring the actual component.
Modular Testing
Testing individual components or modules separately, often used in unit testing to confirm each part functions as expected independently.
N
Non-Functional Testing
Testing aspects other than functionality, such as performance, usability, and reliability, to improve the quality of user experience
Negative Testing
Testing with invalid or unexpected inputs to ensure the application handles errors gracefully and does not produce undesired outcomes.
Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs)
Requirements focusing on application quality, such as performance, security, and usability, as opposed to core functionalities..
O
Operational Testing
Testing to ensure that an application is operational and can be deployed in its production environment.
Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT)
Testing to verify that operational processes, like backups, monitoring, and disaster recovery, function correctly in production-like conditions.
P
Performance Testing
Testing to assess speed, responsiveness, and stability under a particular workload, covering load and stress testing.
Penetration Testing
A security test where testers simulate attacks to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in an application.
Parameterization
Using variables in automated tests to run the same test script with different sets of data inputs, often used in data-driven testing.
Path Testing
Testing all possible paths or branches in a program to ensure complete code coverage and identify any untested code.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA)
The systematic activities within a quality system to provide confidence that the product meets quality requirements.
Quality Gate
A checkpoint within the CI/CD pipeline where code quality is assessed based on predefined metrics, allowing only high-quality code to move forward.
R
Regression Testing
Testing to confirm that recent changes haven't introduced new bugs or broken existing functionality, often automated for efficiency.
Risk-Based Testing
Testing based on identifying high-risk areas, prioritizing tests where failures would have the most impact.
Recovery Testing
Testing to verify an application’s ability to recover from failures, such as network failures or crashes, crucial for fault tolerance.
Reliability Testing
Testing to ensure an application performs consistently over time under specified conditions, measuring stability and dependability.
S
Smoke Testing
A preliminary test to check the basic functionality of an application, often used to validate builds before further testing.
Stress Testing
Testing the limits of an application by pushing it beyond normal operational capacity to see how it behaves under extreme conditions.
Scalability Testing
Testing to assess an application’s ability to scale up or down to accommodate increased user load or data volume.
Sanity Testing
A quick test to verify that a particular feature or bug fix works as expected, often performed before more rigorous testing begins.
T
Test Coverage
A metric indicating the extent to which code or functionalities are covered by tests, helping to identify untested parts.
Test Driven Development (TDD)
A development approach where tests are written before code, promoting a cycle of coding, testing, and refactoring.
Test Plan
A document outlining the strategy, objectives, scope, and resources needed for testing a software product.
Traceability Matrix
A document that maps test cases to requirements, ensuring each requirement is tested.
Test Automation Framework
A set of guidelines, tools, and practices used to automate testing in a structured manner, enhancing reusability and efficiency.
Testing as a Service (TaaS)
A cloud-based testing model where testing services, infrastructure, and tools are provided on-demand, reducing infrastructure costs.
Test Case
A set of conditions or steps used to verify if a feature or functionality works as expected.
U
Unit Testing
Testing individual units or components of code in isolation, usually automated and performed by developers.
Usability Testing
Testing the application’s ease of use, ensuring it is user-friendly and meets user expectations.
User Story Testing
Testing based on user stories, which describe a feature from the end user’s perspective, ensuring the application meets user needs.
Usability Testing
Testing to evaluate how easily end-users can navigate and interact with the application, focusing on user satisfaction and intuitiveness
V
Verification
The process of evaluating if a system meets design and implementation specifications, often a part of static testing.
Validation
Ensuring the final product meets user needs and fulfills intended requirements, generally done through dynamic testing.
V-Model
A software development model where testing activities are planned alongside development stages, with validation and verification steps at each phase.
Volume Testing
Testing to assess how the system handles large volumes of data, focusing on database performance and response times.
W
White-Box Testing
Testing with knowledge of the internal code structure, allowing testers to create test cases that cover specific code paths.
Workflow Testing
Testing the complete sequence of actions in a business workflow to ensure it executes as intended.
White-Box Testing
Testing that uses knowledge of internal code structures to create test cases that cover code paths, enhancing code quality and coverage.
Walkthrough
A step-by-step review of requirements, designs, or code with the development and testing team to ensure clarity and correctness.
X
XP (Extreme Programming)
An Agile software development methodology emphasizing frequent releases, continuous feedback, and close collaboration.
XML Testing
Testing XML files or data formats, often used in applications that rely on XML for data storage, configuration, or communication.
Y
Yield Analysis
Evaluating the effectiveness of testing by examining the rate of defects found per unit of effort.
Yield
A testing metric that measures the effectiveness of testing by comparing the number of defects detected versus the total tests executed.
Z
Zero-Day Testing
Testing software immediately upon release to uncover any overlooked issues, especially crucial for security vulnerabilities.
Zero Bug Policy
A testing approach where the aim is to fix all known bugs before a release, promoting higher quality and stability in the final product.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
Agile
A set of principles for software development promoting iterative progress, collaboration, and flexibility, foundational to DevOps practices.
Artifact
A file created during the software development process, such as code, binaries, or configurations, stored in repositories for reuse and versioning.
Automation
The use of tools to execute tasks with minimal human intervention, central to DevOps for speeding up deployment and reducing errors.
API Gateway
A server that acts as an API front-end, routing requests to the appropriate backend services, often used in microservices architectures.
Alerting
The process of sending notifications when specific events or thresholds are met, allowing teams to react to incidents quickly.
Artifact Repository
A specialized storage location for compiled artifacts like binaries, libraries, and Docker images (e.g., JFrog Artifactory, Nexus).
B
Build
The process of converting source code into executable files or other formats, ensuring code is functional and ready for testing or deployment.
Blue-Green Deployment
A deployment strategy using two identical environments (blue and green) to minimize downtime by switching traffic between environments after updates.
Branching
A version control technique that creates isolated versions of code, allowing developers to work on different features or fixes simultaneously.
Blameless Postmortem
A retrospective on incidents focusing on learning and improvement rather than assigning blame, promoting a culture of trust.
C
CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery)
Practices that automate code integration, testing, and deployment to speed up release cycles while maintaining quality.
Cloud Infrastructure
Virtualized computing resources provided over the internet, essential for scalable and flexible DevOps environments.
Configuration Management
The process of maintaining consistency in settings across systems, using tools like Ansible, Chef, or Puppet.
Container Orchestration
The automated management of containerized applications, including deployment, scaling, and networking (e.g., Kubernetes).
Canary Release
A release strategy where new code is gradually rolled out to a small subset of users, reducing risk by testing in production before a full rollout.
Cloud-Native
Applications designed specifically for cloud environments, using containers, microservices, and DevOps practices to optimize scalability and resilience.
D
Deployment Pipeline
The automated workflow that code follows from development to production, including stages like building, testing, and deploying.
Distributed Version Control System (DVCS)
A system (e.g., Git) that allows multiple users to work on code concurrently, providing full project history and branching capabilities.
Docker
A containerization tool that packages applications and dependencies into containers, enabling consistent environments across development and production.
Dynamic Scaling
Automatically adjusting resource allocation based on real-time demand, essential for managing cost and performance in cloud environments.
DevSecOps
The integration of security practices within the DevOps pipeline, ensuring that security is considered throughout the development lifecycle.
.
E
Environment
A specific setup (e.g., dev, staging, production) where software runs, each serving different stages of the development and deployment process.
Elasticity
The ability of cloud infrastructure to dynamically adjust resources based on demand, ensuring efficient usage and cost-effectiveness.
Environment Provisioning
The automated setup of environments (development, testing, production), often using IaC to ensure consistency.
Elastic Load Balancing (ELB)
A service provided by cloud providers that distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers to improve application reliability.
F
Feedback Loop
The cycle of gathering, analyzing, and acting on feedback to continuously improve processes, a core element in DevOps.
Feature Flag
A technique that allows features to be turned on or off without deploying new code, used for gradual rollouts and testing in production.
Feature Toggle (Flag)
A mechanism that allows features to be enabled or disabled without redeploying code, useful for testing in production and gradual rollouts.
Fault Tolerance
The ability of a system to continue operating properly in the event of a failure, achieved through redundancy and failover mechanisms.
G
Git
A popular DVCS used for source code management, enabling collaboration, branching, and version tracking.
GitOps
A DevOps practice where Git serves as the single source of truth for declarative infrastructure and application code, automating deployments and rollbacks.
Greenfield Deployment
The development and deployment of a new system or application without prior legacy code, allowing teams to implement modern DevOps practices from scratch.
Gradual Rollout
A controlled deployment process where updates are released incrementally to minimize risk and improve feedback
H
Horizontal Scaling
Adding more instances of servers to distribute the load, common in cloud environments to handle increased demand without downtime.
High Availability (HA)
Ensuring that systems are resilient and operational for long periods, often achieved through redundancy, failover, and load balancing.
I
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
The practice of managing and provisioning infrastructure through code (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation), enabling automation and consistency.
Immutable Infrastructure
A deployment model where servers are never modified after deployment but replaced with new ones if updates are required.
Incremental Deployment
A deployment strategy where small, manageable changes are rolled out incrementally, reducing risk and improving reliability.
Incident Management
The structured process of detecting, analyzing, and resolving incidents, ensuring minimum downtime and rapid response.
J
Jenkins
An open-source automation tool for building and managing CI/CD pipelines, widely used in DevOps for its flexibility and plugin ecosystem.
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
A lightweight data-interchange format, widely used in configuration files and data transfer within DevOps tools.
K
Kubernetes
An orchestration tool for managing, scaling, and automating deployment of containerized applications, particularly in cloud environments.
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
Metrics used to evaluate the success of DevOps practices, such as deployment frequency, lead time, and failure rate.
Kustomize
A configuration management tool for Kubernetes that allows customized deployment without modifying the underlying YAML files.
L
Load Balancer
A tool that distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers, improving performance and reliability by preventing server overload.
Liveness Probe
A Kubernetes feature that checks whether a container is running properly, restarting it if necessary, ensuring application resilience.
M
Microservices
An architectural style where applications are composed of small, independent services, allowing for rapid scaling, deployment, and testing.
Monitoring
Tools and processes that continuously track system performance, health, and logs, essential for maintaining stability and troubleshooting in DevOps.
Manifest
A configuration file defining resources in a Kubernetes cluster, including information about containers, networking, and storage.
Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR)
The average time it takes to recover from a failure, a critical metric in DevOps for assessing system resilience.
N
Node
An individual machine or instance in a cloud or Kubernetes cluster, acting as a unit of infrastructure for running applications and services.
Namespace
A Kubernetes resource that provides a way to divide cluster resources between multiple users, teams, or applications.
O
Observability
The practice of using metrics, logs, and traces to understand system health and behavior, enabling proactive incident response.
Orchestration
Automating the coordination of multiple processes and workflows, commonly used in managing containers with tools like Kubernetes.
Observability Platform
A comprehensive suite of tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana) used to monitor, trace, and analyze system performance and reliability.
One-Click Deployment
An automated deployment process that allows software to be deployed to production environments with a single command or click.
P
Pipeline
A series of automated steps for moving code from development to production, including stages like build, test, and deploy.
Provisioning
Setting up necessary infrastructure (e.g., servers, storage) for applications, automated in DevOps for faster resource availability.
Pipeline-as-Code
The practice of defining CI/CD pipelines in code (e.g., Jenkinsfile), allowing version control, review, and reusability of pipeline configurations.
Prometheus
An open-source monitoring tool used to collect metrics and alert on infrastructure and applications, widely used in Kubernetes environments.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA)
Processes to ensure software meets quality standards, often integrated in CI/CD pipelines to catch issues early.
Quality Gates
Criteria in CI/CD pipelines that code must meet (e.g., test coverage, code quality) to advance, ensuring only high-quality code is deployed.
R
Rollback
Reverting to a previous stable version of the application if issues arise after deployment, an essential practice for minimizing downtime.
Release Management
The process of managing, planning, and scheduling software releases, ensuring smooth transitions between stages.
Release Train
A set schedule for software releases, providing predictability in complex environments with multiple teams and components.
Resilience Testing
Testing applications to evaluate their ability to recover from failures, commonly part of chaos engineering practices.
.
S
Scrum
An Agile framework for managing complex projects, commonly integrated with DevOps to enhance collaboration and iterative development.
Serverless
A cloud-computing model where providers manage infrastructure, allowing developers to focus solely on code and reducing operational overhead.
Source Code Management (SCM)
Tools and practices for tracking code changes, collaboration, and version control (e.g., Git, SVN).
Secrets Management
The secure storage and management of sensitive data (e.g., API keys, passwords) in DevOps environments, often through tools like HashiCorp Vault.
Service Mesh
A dedicated infrastructure layer (e.g., Istio) for managing service-to-service communication within a microservices architecture.
T
Test Automation
The practice of using scripts and tools to automatically test code, ensuring quick feedback and maintaining code quality across deployments.
Tracing
A method of following requests through a system to diagnose performance issues or errors, especially important in microservices and distributed architectures.
Test-Driven Development (TDD)
A development approach where tests are written before code, ensuring functionality is confirmed from the start.
Throttling
The process of limiting the rate at which an application processes requests, used to manage resources and protect system stability.
U
Unit Testing
Testing individual parts of code (units) to ensure they function correctly, often automated in CI/CD pipelines for consistency.
Uptime
The measure of system availability, a critical metric in DevOps for ensuring high reliability and meeting SLAs.
Unit of Work
The smallest piece of functionality delivered, tested, or deployed in DevOps pipelines, allowing for rapid iteration and validation.
V
Virtualization
The creation of virtual versions of servers or applications, enabling resource flexibility, isolation, and improved utilization in DevOps.
Version Control
A system for tracking changes to code, enabling collaboration and rollback capabilities in software development (e.g., Git, Mercurial).
Virtual Machine (VM)
An emulated computer environment running on physical hardware, providing isolated environments for testing and deployment.
W
Workflow
A series of steps or tasks that define how work moves through the DevOps pipeline, from code commit to production deployment.
Webhook
A method of triggering a workflow or event in response to changes in another system, often used to initiate builds or tests in CI/CD pipelines.
X
XML (Extensible Markup Language)
A language used for defining structured data, often in configuration files for tools and applications in DevOps.
XaaS (Anything as a Service)
A collective term for various cloud services (e.g., SaaS, PaaS, IaaS), providing flexible resources and scalability.
Y
YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language)
A human-readable data format often used for configuration files in tools like Kubernetes, simplifying code structure.
YAML Pipeline
A pipeline configuration written in YAML, commonly used in CI/CD tools like Azure DevOps for readability and easy management.
Z
Zero Downtime Deployment
A deployment strategy ensuring services remain available during updates, commonly achieved with blue-green deployment or canary releases.
Zero Trust Security
A security model that requires strict verification for all users, devices, and applications, regardless of location, to protect resources in DevOps.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
- Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
- Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
- Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
- Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
- Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
- Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.
- Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
- Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
- Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
- Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
- Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
- Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
- Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
- Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
- Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
- Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
- High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
- In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
- Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
- Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
- Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
- Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
- Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
- Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
- Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
- Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
- Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
- Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
- Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
- Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
- Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
- Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
- Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
- Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
- Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
- Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
- Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
A
Activity: Any action or task performed within a Kanban workflow, often associated with moving work items across different stages.
Assignment Policy: The criteria or rules defining how tasks are assigned to team members, ensuring that work is distributed evenly and effectively.
B
Backlog: A collection of tasks or work items waiting to enter the Kanban board, prioritized and organized for future work.
Blocked Item: A task that cannot proceed due to an obstacle or dependency, often visually marked on the Kanban board for quick identification.
Buffer: Space on the Kanban board used to manage or absorb minor delays between stages, preventing bottlenecks from affecting workflow.
C
Cadence: The rhythm or frequency of project activities, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, or delivery cycles, used to maintain consistency.
- Capacity: The maximum amount of work a team or individual can handle at any time, often managed through Work In Progress (WIP) limits.Column: A vertical section on the Kanban board that represents a specific workflow stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
D
Daily Kanban Meeting: A short daily meeting where team members discuss progress, identify blockers, and review tasks on the Kanban board.
Demand: The volume of work requests or tasks that enter the Kanban system, which the team manages to balance with capacity.
Done: The final stage in the Kanban workflow where completed tasks are placed, indicating they have met all acceptance criteria.
E
Explicit Policies: Clearly defined rules and agreements that guide how tasks are prioritized, managed, and moved through the Kanban system.
Expedite Lane: A fast-track section on the Kanban board used to handle high-priority or urgent tasks, ensuring they are completed quickly.
F
Flow: The movement of work items through the Kanban process, ideally with minimal interruptions or delays, to achieve a continuous workflow.
Feedback Loop: Regular sessions (e.g., retrospectives or review meetings) that allow teams to evaluate workflow and make improvements to the Kanban process.
G
Gemba Walk: A Lean practice where team leaders or managers observe workflows firsthand to identify improvement opportunities and remove inefficiencies.
H
Handoffs: The transfer of work items from one person or team to another, often marked as transitions between columns on a Kanban board.
High WIP: A situation where too many work items are in progress, which can cause delays and reduce productivity due to multitasking.
I
In Progress: A common column on the Kanban board where tasks actively worked on are placed, indicating ongoing work.
Iteration: A time-boxed cycle within which specific tasks or work items are expected to be completed; less common in Kanban but used in some hybrid models.
J
Just-in-Time (JIT): A principle that emphasizes completing tasks only when they are needed, reducing excess work-in-progress and keeping inventory low.
K
Kanban Board: A visual tool that displays work items as they move through different workflow stages, usually represented by columns and cards.
Kanban Card: A card that represents a work item on the Kanban board, containing essential details like task description, assignee, and deadlines.
L
Lead Time: The total time taken from when a work item enters the Kanban system to when it is completed, used to measure system efficiency.
Limits (WIP): Short for "Work In Progress Limits," these are constraints on the maximum number of tasks allowed in each workflow stage to prevent overload.
M
Metrics: Data collected from the Kanban process, such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput, used to evaluate and improve workflow efficiency.
Mura: A Lean concept meaning "unevenness," where irregular workloads disrupt flow, often addressed through WIP limits and better work distribution.
N
Non-value-adding Activity: Tasks or processes that do not directly contribute to completing the work item, targeted for removal or reduction in Lean Kanban.
O
Overproduction: In Kanban, creating more work items than needed, which leads to waste and disrupts flow, often minimized by managing backlog size and WIP limits.
P
Pull System: A key principle in Kanban where new work is only "pulled" into a stage when capacity allows, rather than "pushing" tasks regardless of capacity.
- Policy: Guidelines governing the movement of work items through the Kanban system, ensuring transparency and consistency in the process.
Q
Queue: A column or space on the Kanban board where tasks wait before entering the next stage in the workflow, often managed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Quality Control: The practice of ensuring tasks meet quality standards before moving to the next stage or being marked as complete.
R
Retrospective: A regular meeting where team members review the Kanban process to discuss improvements and address issues impacting workflow.
Ready: A state indicating that a task meets specific criteria and is ready to enter the next stage, ensuring only prepared tasks move forward.
S
Service Level Agreement (SLA): A commitment regarding the time required to complete a task or work item in the Kanban system, used to set expectations with stakeholders.
Swimlane: Horizontal divisions on a Kanban board, often used to separate tasks by priority, project, or team, adding another layer of organization.
T
Throughput: The total number of work items completed over a period, used as a performance metric in Kanban to measure productivity.
Ticket: Another term for a Kanban card, representing a work item on the board and providing essential details about the task.
U
Upstream Process: The initial stages of the Kanban workflow, where tasks are prepared or refined before entering the main flow.
V
- Value Stream: The series of steps involved in delivering value to the customer, from initial request to final product or service, often optimized for efficiency.
- Visual Management: The use of visual tools (e.g., Kanban boards, color coding) to communicate workflow status and progress at a glance.
W
Waste (Muda): Any task, activity, or process that does not add value, targeted for elimination in Lean Kanban to improve workflow efficiency.
Work Item: A generic term for tasks, features, or requests moving through the Kanban system, represented by cards on the board.
Work In Progress (WIP): The tasks currently being worked on in the system, with limits set to control the number of items and maintain flow.
X
X-Matrix: A Lean strategy tool used to align and visualize goals, strategies, and metrics, often adapted in Lean Kanban for strategic planning.
Y
Yamazumi Chart: A Lean tool for visualizing workload distribution across processes, which can help balance Kanban workflows by showing where bottlenecks occur.
Z
Zero Waste: An ideal state in Lean and Kanban aiming for a process where all activities contribute value, with no time or resources wasted.
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PMP 2021 7th Edition
₹999/- Per month
2 Practice Tests
- Individual Course
- Course Learning Checks
- Offline Learning
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- One to One Guidance
PMP 2021 7th Edition
₹1799/- Per month
5 Practice Tests
- Individual Course
- Course Learning Checks
- Offline Learning
- Course Discussions
- One to One Guidance
PMP 2021 7th Edition
₹2499/- Per month
7 Practice Tests
- Individual Course
- Course Learning Checks
- Offline Learning
- Course Discussions
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