A New Zealand company has developed a software system that uses artificial intelligence in agile project management – an innovation that could bridge the gap between physical and electronic Kanban task boards.
That’s a development that could solve one of the biggest issues in the use of Kanban. As things stand, the sticky notes most often used in stand-up meetings for inclusion in a Kanban board must be manually entered into the software system.
That’s a time-consuming task that few want to do. It’s also inefficient even when done correctly. New Zealand-based Psoda believes it has the answer.
Agile and Kanban Boards
To set the stage for what Psoda has accomplished, it’s important to first understand agile project management and Kanban boards.
Agile was developed in the software industry to cut down the time needed to develop and implement new products. The impetus for this came from the highly competitive nature of the computer and software markets.
As a process improvement methodology, Agile has much in common with Lean and Six Sigma. All focus on eliminating waste, reducing errors and improving products. Agile puts more emphasis on speed to market.
Kanban is one of many Agile terms that those who work for larger companies have likely come across. In Japanese, Kanban means “sign board.” Kanban boards are used to sequence the tasks and the materials needed to complete a project as quickly as possible while maintaining quality. They “pull” the project from one task to the next rather than the “push” system used in mass production.
Other Agile terms that have become popular in business include:
- Sprint – A short period (two or three weeks) in which a team completes one phase of an overall project.
- Scrum – A project plan that defines the work to be completed, work that is currently in progress and what work needs to be completed, typically in a sprint or a series of sprints.
- Scrum Master – The person in charge of scrums and tasked with keeping project sprints on track
- Stand-up – A daily, very short meeting in which the current sprint is discussed, and additions are made to the Kanban board on the sequence of sprint tasks.
Overall, Agile emphasizes individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan.
It’s becoming increasingly popular in businesses both large and small. About 71% of businesses report using Agile approaches in their operations, according to the 2017 Project Management Institute’s “Pulse of the Profession” report.
The reason for that is success. PWC reports that Agile projects are 28% more effective than traditional projects.
Digital Kanban Boards
Against this backdrop, the technology breakthrough by Psoda could have an enormous impact on the implementation of Agile.
As noted above, transferring the notes from the physical Kanban board to a digital one is labor intensive. Psoda believes it has solved the problem through the use of what it calls PsodaVision.
The new technology can reduce the time spent entering information into the digital Kanban board from about an hour to as little as five minutes, according to the PsodaVision site.
The technology works in four steps.
- Update physical Kanban board. This is typically done on a white board, with sticky notes used to denote additions.
- Take a photo of the white board and upload into Psoda system using the PsodaVision app.
- Process information. This system automatically incorporates the new notes into the project you have selected.
- Review the digital board. Ensure that all information has been uploaded correctly and placed correctly in the project sequencing.
Psoda called the PsodaVision software, “a tool which promises to make life easier for project professionals.” For those involved with Agile and the use of Kanban boards, it’s also another example of how process improvement methodologies such as Agile are becoming more popular – and driving innovation.
