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COMPEL Glossary / kanban

Kanban

Kanban is a visual workflow management method that uses boards divided into columns representing stages of work, with cards representing individual tasks that move across the board from left to right as they progress.

What this means in practice

Key Kanban principles include limiting work in progress (WIP), making workflow visible, and continuously improving flow. For AI transformation teams, Kanban is particularly useful for managing ongoing operations like model maintenance, governance reviews, and support requests that do not fit neatly into sprint-based delivery cycles. In COMPEL, Kanban is one of the agile delivery methods integrated into the execution rhythm during the Produce stage, with its application to AI operations and governance workflows covered in Module 4.2 on framework interoperability.

Why it matters

AI transformation involves ongoing operational work, governance reviews, and support requests that do not fit neatly into sprint-based delivery cycles. Kanban's visual workflow management, with its emphasis on limiting work in progress and optimizing flow, is particularly effective for managing these continuous processes. Organizations that apply only sprint-based methods to operational AI work often face context-switching overhead and incomplete tasks.

How COMPEL uses it

Kanban is one of the agile delivery methods integrated into the execution rhythm during the Produce stage. Module 4.2 covers Kanban's application to AI operations and governance workflows as part of framework interoperability. During Organize, teams select appropriate workflow management methods. The Evaluate stage measures workflow efficiency metrics including cycle time and WIP limits to optimize operational AI delivery.

Related Terms

Other glossary terms mentioned in this entry's definition and context.