I’m sure everyone knows how difficult it is to use the same approaches to project management—there is no one-size-fits-all. NUP 1 in the P3․express course I teach tells us to choose results and truth over attachments.

I always keep this rule in my head and try not to “grow” to approaches. Therefore, when I needed to implement the kanban method in one of the teams, I decided to pre-structure the knowledge gained in practice and fill in the gaps. Searching for KMP (Kanban Management Professional) recommendations led me to Mike Burrows’s book, The Kanban Method. Improvement of the management system”.

Today’s review is about this book. An obvious plus is that the book is a practical guide for those seeking to optimize their project management system. The author introduces the basic concepts of Kanban, providing a concise description of the methods used to improve management processes. Thanks to this, I was able to quickly master statics, conduct kanban-based team training, and design the first board with classes of service and WiP limits in mind.

However, the main drawback of the book is its superficiality. In some cases, especially for large organizations or projects, the book may not be detailed enough to implement Kanban in complex environments with large teams or distributed work. You should also not expect a large number of specific templates from her.

However, the book is great for use as a reference book with plenty of references to other sources, peppered with real-world practical examples of Kanban implementation and adaptation in various organizations and domains. An additional recommendation for a deeper dive into Kanban can be the book “Kanban. An Alternative Path to Agile” by David Anderson.

It is important to realize that for a project to be successful, it is necessary to choose management methods that are appropriate to the context, rather than sticking to conventional approaches. Kanban is just one possible tool, and Burroughs’ book can be a great place to start exploring it.