The 8 main benefits of Online Kanban

Among the methods used for project management , kanban stands out. In this methodology, the global organization of all activities is prioritized. Activities are divided into panels or tables so that they can be moved according to their status : pending(or “to do”), in progress or completed.

A novelty is the online kanban. It works in the same way as physical kanban, but via a cloud platform, which can be accessed from any mobile device with internet access. Below, we’ll talk a little more about the subject and show you the 8 main benefits of adopting kanban online!

The emergence of kanban

Kanban is a method that emerged during the 1950s. In the face of a serious economic crisis, Toyota looked for ways to overcome the current hurdles and improve its production. In this context, the kanban methodology originated, which allowed more dynamics in carrying out the work.

Since then, the method has been successfully applied in different companies. With the digital revolution, it would be natural for kanban to also modernize and become based on Cloud Computing technology.

Read: Best free project management software

The basics of online kanban

Online kanban follows the same principles as traditional kanban:

• Work visualization: initial step that identifies bottlenecks and blockages;
• Work limit: defines a limited amount of running tasks;
• Focus on workflow: the objective is to carry out activities from the first to the last step in the shortest period of time possible, which will streamline the workflow;
• Continuous improvement : each activity offers mistakes and successes, which are lessons that must be learned to improve the work.

Projects where online kanban can be applied

As an even more flexible method than the conventional one, online kanban can be used in different sectors of the same business. As examples, we can mention:

• Development of a marketing campaign;
• Financial control of the company;
• Management of the social networks of an enterprise;
• Software development ;
• Finally, online kanban can be applied to virtually any project and in any type of company or industry .

The main benefits of online kanban

Now, let’s consider the main benefits of online kanban.

1. Planning flexibility

Consider that, during the execution of a certain project , the need to include some more steps is identified. When using the physical board, it would take an almost complete reorganization to place a column and the new task. Thus, you will have to remove all cards from the columns that will be moved and put them back in, which will make the flow more vulnerable to errors.

When using online kanban, we can include columns without having to remove activities. Just move the activities to the new phase of the flow.

2. Greater control of tasks

Moving activities along the columns generates a record where you can see when the card was created and by which person.

Thus, unlike physical kanban (where a simple wind can carry activities away without employees noticing), in the online version there is full control over the tasks related to a project, at all stages.

3. Lower risk of human error

Taking as an example the reorganization of the columns, which would require removing and relocating all activities on the board, many failures could happen in this process.

For example, a post could be lost or placed in the wrong column. Thus, the chances that major failures will occur are greatly increased when the methodology is applied in the physical version. In online kanban, the probabilities of errors of this kind are almost non-existent.

4. More agility

Let’s consider that, for each new activity, it is necessary to write it in a post it with lyrics that can be understood by everyone in order to insert it on the physical panel.

It is common that, in the daily rush, there are writing errors or the lyrics are not as good as they should be. This implies the need to erase what has been written and correct it, or write it down on a new piece of paper. This, of course, will consume more time and can waste resources.

The online version of the method makes the process faster , as it uses advanced features such as copy/paste, undo, drag cards from one column to another and several solutions that only the digital world offers.

5. Mobility

Certainly, mobility is one of the best advantages of online kanban. Even if the team needs to work in different locations from where the physical online kanban board is installed, professionals will continue to access the information if they make use of the cloud platform.

6. Obtaining numbers and graphs

One of the ways to work with physical kanban is to count the posts that are among the completed activities and separate them by color to understand which categories of activities or which professionals in the group produced the most.

Online kanban allows you to generate detailed reports automatically. And they are offered in the form of graphics to make it easier to understand and visualize.

Read: 8 Types of visual aids to use in your marketing strategy

7. Cost reduction

If physical kanban already provides cost savings, online kanban is even more economical. There is no need to use paper or have any physical resources — other than a mobile device, which can be the employee’s own smartphone.

As greater work efficiency is one of the consequences of using kanban, many mistakes are avoided and costs are reduced.

8. Increased productivity

Increased productivity is another advantage when projects are executed according to the kanban methodology. Work focused on certain activities allows for greater performance, as it becomes easier to identify priorities and delegate them to the most appropriate professional, defining deadlines and means of execution.

Anyway, the kanban methodology is very good to carry out projects faster and more efficiently. And online kanban has some more advantages. Cloud computing is one of the biggest trends in digital technology due to the convenience it offers. For those who haven’t tried this famous method in its online version, now is the time to do it.