When does a team choose Kanban to manage its work?

When does a team choose Kanban to manage its work?

• A. The team decides it doesn't want to plan anymore.
• B. The team's work is difficult to predict.
• C. The team likes structure.
• D. The team can't decide what to work on and doesn't finish work on target.

Answer: (B)

Kanban is chosen when work arriving to the team is unpredictable and varies in volume. Its strength lies in managing flow rather than sticking to fixed plans. A Kanban board makes the status of work visible, and strict work-in-progress limits prevent overloading the team, so you pull the next item as capacity becomes available. This setup supports continuous delivery even when the duration and priority of tasks are hard to forecast. That’s why the best fit is when the team’s work is difficult to predict. If a team wants rigid planning or a highly structured process, Kanban would feel less natural, since its focus is on flexible flow and ongoing prioritization rather than fixed iterations. Similarly, Kanban isn’t about forcing a lack of planning or about finishing on target; it’s about smooth flow and responsive prioritization, which aligns with unpredictable work rather than with a need to adhere to strict schedules.

Kanban is chosen when work arriving to the team is unpredictable and varies in volume. Its strength lies in managing flow rather than sticking to fixed plans. A Kanban board makes the status of work visible, and strict work-in-progress limits prevent overloading the team, so you pull the next item as capacity becomes available. This setup supports continuous delivery even when the duration and priority of tasks are hard to forecast.

That’s why the best fit is when the team’s work is difficult to predict. If a team wants rigid planning or a highly structured process, Kanban would feel less natural, since its focus is on flexible flow and ongoing prioritization rather than fixed iterations. Similarly, Kanban isn’t about forcing a lack of planning or about finishing on target; it’s about smooth flow and responsive prioritization, which aligns with unpredictable work rather than with a need to adhere to strict schedules.