Pros & Cons of the Kanban Method in Project Management

Originally published November 2, 2022.  Updated August 11, 2024.

Like everything in life, nothing is perfect; everything has advantages and disadvantages. The kanban methodology is extremely beneficial for some projects, yet it falls short due to its simplicity in more detailed and complex projects. Here, we will explore the kanban pros and cons, highlighting the advantages of kanban in project management and the reasons why you might sometimes find the kanban methodology to be a disadvantage. You are the judge and choose the project management methodology that will help you manage your project most efficiently.

4 Benefits of Kanban

1. Task Clarity

One of the major advantages of the Kanban system is the clarity it provides. Using a Kanban board for project management clarifies what the team needs to do to progress on the project. With Kanban cards, you can give your team the details they need to take on their tasks.

When using project management Kanban board tools like Workamajig, you can input a task description, subtasks (to-do list), deadline, progress status, and even conversations related to the task. This can equip team members with everything they need for individual progress.

2. Status Alignment

Seeing your team's status on your project management Kanban board will minimize your need to look over their shoulders and pester them for status updates. At a glance, you can see which tasks are being worked on and which ones are finished.

As for your team members, they'll quickly know:

• What progress have we made in the project?
• What are my teammates doing?
• What am I supposed to be doing?
• What am I not supposed to be doing?

Ensuring everyone is aligned will help your team become more independent and self-initiating.

3. Improved Team Efficiency

Using Kanban for projects helps you and your project team visualize your workflow, set clear priorities, and quickly spot bottlenecks. These will help you become more effective as a team because everyone's energies will be directed to the right things at the right time.

Credit: Pixabay

4. Better Focus And Avoid Burnout

High task visibility allows your team members to worry less about forgetting important things and more about focusing on their tasks at hand.

The Kanban approach in agile can help you avoid waste by managing team focus and attention. Even if you don't deal with physical materials like engineers do in manufacturing, it's essential to acknowledge that time and energy are also finite resources. Burnouts can happen when not managed well, resulting in low output quality.

Disadvantages Of The Kanban Framework

1. Project Schedule Management

The Kanban project management methodology is excellent because of its simplicity. However, because it lacks time frames and schedule details (unlike a Gantt chart), it might be difficult to predict when tasks are expected to be completed and when the whole project can be finished. Estimating will be challenging if your Kanban board is your only tool for tracking your projects.

2. Complexity Limitations

Kanban boards are effective as long as they don't get too overwhelming for the team to use. When managing big projects using Kanban in teams, consider using swimlanes to add layers of organization to your Kanban boards.

Without proper maintenance, your kanban board might become too complex and prove counterproductive for your team's efficiency.

3. Updates Are Essential

For the Kanban methodology to work optimally, you should keep your boards up-to-date. This will require discipline from you and your team members. Using creative project management software like Workamajig will make updating your board easy and intuitive.

How can Workamajig help you with your project management methodologies?

Workamajig supports Kanban, agile, waterfall, and critical path methodologies. 

Workamajig provides all the templates and tools you need to optimize your choice methodology for your agency.

Kanban in Workamajig

Find out how Workamajig supports winning agencies here.

Related reads:

• Creative Workflow Management: Best Practices + Software Tools
• Creative Resource Management for Agencies: Software + FAQs