The Lean-Kanban University Accredited Kanban Training Program

Yesterday Lean-Kanban University (LKU) announced the Lean-Kanban University Accredited Kanban Training Program. Today my employer Avega Group AB has also announced it’s Corporate Charter Membership and Advisory Board membership. I’m proud to represent Avega Group AB and will their first accredited Kanban Trainer.

So what is this Accredited Kanban Training Program all about?

The goal of the program is to provide high quality training of the Kanban Method world wide.

Trainee’s (end users) taking accredited training will receive a LKU membership and will have the ability to download proof of completion for all accredited training they attend.

As of today the program is not a trainee(end user) certification scheme. But as Mattias Skarin, a fellow Advisory Board member states in the press release:

“We on the Advisory Board only value certification if it validates genuine skills”. 

The decision on certification has therefor been deferred until a possible future date when we find an appropriate way to let both Kanban trainees and Kanban practitioners validate their genuine skills in the Kanban Method. 

The LKU Accredited Kanban Training Program will establish the quality of provided Kanban training based on the status of following three parts:

1. The organization who will provide the training
2. The individual trainer who will run the training class
3. The training curriculum that will be used in the class

The member organizations, their trainers and their training curriculums must meet the established criteria in all three areas in order to call their Kanban training “accredited” under the terms of the program.

This program is not closed for new members. Interested organizations are invited to join the Lean-Kanban University Accredited Kanban Training Program.

To become an accredited Kanban trainer you must attend a train the trainer class(or equivalent) provided by LKU or David J. Anderson & Associates, Inc.

Training material can be accredited by the LKU if it meets the established training curriculum. Currently, training materials from the corporate members are being assessed for accreditation against the agreed defined curriculum. Accredited Training material can be licensed from other member organizations on a case by case basis.

I believe this is a great step to further grow the Kanban community and spread the word of the Kanban Method as an evolutionary method to improve knowledge work process. 

Playing the getKanban Board Game

As part of my Lean/Agile Coaching work I do quite a bit of Kanban training. One of the tools I try to use as part of that training is the getKanban Board Game.

The getKanban Board Game is board game like Monopoly but instead of trying to buy real estate and make your competitors go bankrupt in the getKanban Board Game you try to make your software process flow and maximize your net profit.

The goal of the getKanban game is to maximize the net profit by attracting subscribing customer for your software. You attract new customers by making new features available for the customer. Every third day of the game you will charge your existing and new customer. The team with the highest net profit at the end of the game day 21 will be the winning team.

To maximize your profit you need to manage your software development process by managing what work should be do by who and when. Work in the game comes in four different categories of story (or four classes of service):

• Standard – product features which attract subscribers
• Intangible – work that needs to be done, but that does not directly attract subscribers
• Fixed Delivery Date – work to be deliver before their due dates
• Expedite – work that need to done as quickly as possible

To help you manage the process you will learn how to create and use a Cumulative Flow Diagram and a Control Chart.

During the game different event will occur that the team has to handle by making prioritizations and resource allocation decisions.

This game is a great way to learn many of the mechanics of a kanban powered process.

It has been described as the most effective way to teach Kanban.

I do agree that this is truly a great tool to learn the basics of how a kanban powered process can be managed. The game has many learning opportunities and serves as great reference for further discussions and training. I highly recommend this game.

If you want to play it in your company please don’t hesitate to contact me.

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Here are some example charts, results and pictures from my classes

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Unboxing the getKanban game

I will run a workshop at DevSum 11 where we will play this game. If you are interested please sign up here 

I just love the unboxing video’s and blog posts of cameras and mobile phones so I couldn’t resist doing my own unboxing of the getKanban game. So here we go.

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After some weeks of anticipation the getKanban game finally arrived. But I was not home when Posten tried to drop it off

So today when I came home and the pick up notification was in my mail box I dropt everything and drove to Posten and picket up my package.

This is how the box looks like when I picked it up.

After some help from my son we cut the package open and we almost cut off the strap!

I pulled the strap and out came this great looking bag!

I carefully opened the bags zipper and out came this content:

• A Facilitator’s Guide
• One Game Instruction
• Two transparent bags of markers, playing cards, dices and some post-it notes
• Two green Game board bags
• One white mystery bag(don’t know what it is for yet)

I opened one of the transparent bags.

I then opened one of the Game board bags. This is the content:

• More Game instructions
• One Cumulative Flow Diagram card
• One Control Chart card
• One Financial Summary card
• One Daily Steps card
• And the Kanban board

I really looking forward to trying this game out with the family this coming weekend!

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On a final serious note.

Do you want to really understand Kanban for software development? The getKanban Board Game is the quickest, most effective way to teach the principles and mechanics of Kanban. Leave a comment or contact me on twitter for some Kanban training, consulting or just to play the game.