The Kanban Maturity Model Explained

The Kanban Maturity Model (KMM) is one of the most useful assets that organizations practicing Lean principles can use. It’s also useful for developing small businesses and transforming them into larger ones, gaining more experience, organization, and long-term agility. 

It’s a framework that provides a clear roadmap to achieving organizational success and helps teams outline their goals while having a full understanding of their role and situation. In this article, we’ll delve into the in-depth explanation of the Kanban Maturity Model and help you apply it to your business, no matter what industry you’re in. 

What is the Kanban Maturity Model?

The Kanban Maturity Model gained popularity in 2018 with the publication of the book “Kanban Maturity Model: Evolving Fit-For-Purpose Organizations.” The authors, David J. Anderson and Teodora Bozheva worked for 4 years to improve the original model and outlined the improvements in the second edition of the book in 2020.

The book and the framework itself can help Kanban users understand the need for organizations to stop overburdening themselves and to instead improve their workflow while minimizing bottlenecks. It gives insights into understanding the Kanban framework beyond the sole belief that it is only a board with sticky notes. 

The Kanban Maturity Model (KMM) is a comprehensive framework that organizations employ to incrementally and systematically evolve their Kanban practices, enhance organizational maturity, and remove internal obstacles to smooth workflow and optimal efficiency. 

Rooted in the original Kanban principles outlined by David J. Anderson, the KMM guides teams and organizations through seven maturity levels, from a rudimentary understanding of Kanban fundamentals to a deeply ingrained cultural practice that drives innovation and continuous improvement across all operational facets, which we’ll discuss deeper in the article.

Why is KMM Used?

KMM is used for several reasons that can highly benefit small businesses to large organizations. In this section, we’ll list and discuss all the reasons why a business uses the Kanban Maturity Model. 

• Organizational Maturity and Resilience: One primary purpose of KMM is to develop an organization’s maturity systematically, enhancing its resilience and stability. By identifying the current maturity level, organizations can understand their existing operational capabilities, recognize areas for improvement, and implement appropriate Kanban practices to evolve sustainably.
• Cultural Transformation: KMM aims to shift the organizational culture towards continuous improvement, flexibility, and shared responsibility. By promoting an evolutionary approach, it helps create a work environment where change is not only accepted but encouraged, and where teams collaborate and share a commitment to improvement.
• Enhanced Workflow and Efficiency: KMM is instrumental in identifying bottlenecks, reducing wait times, and eliminating redundancies. The purpose is to streamline processes for optimal efficiency and predictability, thus improving overall service delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Risk Management: By providing visibility into all levels of work and promoting an understanding of the entire workflow, KMM aids in better risk assessment, management, and mitigation. It helps organizations anticipate problems before they escalate and respond effectively to external market fluctuations.
• Alignment and Focus: KMM ensures that all efforts within the organization are directed towards the same strategic goals. It creates alignment between strategy and operations, which ensures that teams do not lose sight of the big picture, fostering a greater sense of purpose and strategic focus.
• Building Competence and Capability: KMM serves to develop competencies that extend beyond basic Kanban practices. It helps individuals, teams, and entire organizations build capabilities in problem-solving, leadership, collaboration, and customer focus, thereby driving overall business success and competitiveness.

What Can KMM Help with? 

The Kanban Maturity Model can help with several problems that organizations face. Below, we listed what KMM can help with. 

• Overburdening prevention
• Workforce cohesion
• Customer satisfaction
• Organization purpose
• Ability to adapt and overcome market setbacks.
• Predictable economic performance
• Financial robustness
• Organizational agility
• Long-term resilience
• Adaptability 
• Improved decision making

Understanding the Kanban Maturity Levels

The Kanban Maturity Model (KMM) provides a framework for organizations to understand their current proficiency in Kanban practices and guides them on how to evolve their systems and processes to deliver better quality, more predictable outcomes, and higher customer satisfaction.

The Kanban Maturity Model has several levels that depict the different stages of maturity an organization might go through as it becomes more proficient in these practices. Here’s an overview of the typical maturity levels in the Kanban Maturity Model.

Level 0: Oblivious

At this foundational level, organizations are typically unaware of Kanban or any structured process management methodologies. 

Work is performed in an ad hoc manner, often resulting in chaotic outcomes with no predictability. There is a lack of understanding of the workflow or value stream, leading to frequent over-commitment and under-delivery. 

Without visual management or any appreciation for flow, teams at this stage struggle with high levels of stress and customer dissatisfaction.

Level 1: Team Focused

The organizations on level 1 took the early steps into implementing the KMM. So far, the management should acknowledge the need for change and encourage process management. 

A basic Kanban board may be in place, offering a visual representation of the work items and their status. 

At this stage, inconsistencies in process adherence are common, and while there is an emerging understanding of the need for better workflow management, these practices are not yet consistently followed or understood by all team members.

One thing that can also help the team focus is migrating from individual boards and planners to one large, shared Kanban board. That way, the team members can recognize their tasks more easily. Additionally, it’s important to visualize initial policies during this process. 

The team management should respect and follow the fundamental rules and steps that will help manage processes and increase productivity. 

Level 2: Customer Driven

This level is important because, at this level, the team understands that it needs to make changes and adapt to the Kanban Maturity Model. They change the need for service recognition and recognizing workflow. 

At this level, it’s also of utmost importance for workers and the team in particular to understand the implications of their responsibilities and what is expected from them. 

Visualization practices change too. Perhaps, you only relied on a simple Kanban board, but now, you’ll have to extend it and implement additional visualization practices to add more clarity to your team. You can use a Kanban board to visualize horizontal tasks.

Make sure to use different color markers to create a better vision of different work types. Additionally, you can visualize blocked work items. As items age, you should also visualize the age progress of each card. When there are a lot of work items associated with one another, it’s a good idea to define dependencies. On each card, you should define policies related to each service. 

To achieve these visualizations, you can use a dedicated Kanban tool such as Kanban Zone. It’s a powerful management tool that can be a great asset to your visualization. With customizable boards, templates, and card options, you can adjust workflow processes to your organization. 

Level 3: Fit for Purpose

At this level, the organization begins to optimize its workflow so it can closely align with its business goals and customer needs. The focus on the customer is greater, as the team realized that understanding and meeting customer needs is paramount. 

The organization also shifts its attention towards delivering value that aligns with customer expectations and demands. Additionally, the team improves the predictability of customer experiences and is faster to utilize changes that will meet customer satisfaction. 

Emphasis is put on a strong and consistent workflow. That’s how the team can easily minimize bottlenecks and delays and help increase the overall efficiency of the organization. That wouldn’t be achieved without strong leadership and focus on making the team work as one.

At this level, Kanban is not just a tool for managing work but represents a strategic approach to achieving business objectives. In addition to regular visualization, the team needs to employ more sophisticated metrics to analyze flow and efficiency, using data to make informed improvements.

The teams also enhance collaboration across different departments to ensure alignment with the overall business strategy. The leadership and teams implement regular feedback loops with customers and stakeholders to continuously refine and align the workflow.

The teams can also use Kanban boards to incorporate direct feedback or even indicators from customers. That way, they can ensure that the team’s work remains aligned with customer needs. Overall, at this stage, Kanban principles are deeply incorporated into the strategic fabric of the organization. There’s a strong emphasis on customer needs, sophisticated use of metrics, and a culture of continuous improvement and leadership.

Level 4: Risk-Hedged

In the Kanban Maturity Model, Level 4, signifies a substantial evolution in an organization’s approach to managing workflow and processes, with a heightened focus on risk management and resilience.

At this stage, organizations prioritize identifying, analyzing, and mitigating risks across their operations. This involves the integration of sophisticated risk management strategies into daily activities, ensuring that potential issues are proactively addressed. Advanced metrics and forecasting tools are employed extensively, aiding in the prediction and preemptive handling of possible disruptions.

Process optimization becomes a key focus, aimed at reducing variability and enhancing predictability. Organizations refine their workflows and processes, specifically targeting areas prone to risks, to minimize potential impacts.

Additionally, there’s an emphasis on organizational alignment, where risk management practices are harmonized across different departments. This collective approach ensures that the organization is well-equipped to respond swiftly and efficiently to potential threats, ensuring a cohesive response to uncertainties.

Crucially, a culture of continuous improvement is fostered within these organizations. 

Learning from past experiences and challenges is integral, enabling the organization to better prepare for and hedge against future risks. This culture not only contributes to immediate risk mitigation but also bolsters the organization’s long-term adaptability and resilience.

Overall, at Level 4, Kanban transcends its role as a mere workflow management tool, becoming a strategic asset for creating a more robust, adaptable, and risk-aware organization. 

The practices and processes established at this level are pivotal in enhancing the organization against uncertainties, thereby enhancing overall stability and operational efficiency.

Level 5: Market Leader

Level 5 of the Kanban Maturity Model, “Market Leader,” represents the zenith of Kanban implementation, where an organization not only excels in its internal processes but also significantly influences its industry.

Organizations at this stage are recognized as innovators and leaders, driving market trends, and often serving as models in their fields. The focus extends beyond internal process optimization to proactive market shaping and leadership.

The focus of this level is a strong customer-centric approach. Decision-making is heavily influenced by a deep understanding of customer needs and market demands, positioning these organizations as trendsetters in delivering customer-centric solutions.

Kanban practices at this stage are advanced and fully integrated into all aspects of the business, from daily operations to strategic planning. This deep integration of Kanban demonstrates its role not just as a workflow management tool but as a strategic business asset.

Furthermore, these organizations exhibit remarkable resilience and sustainability. Their ability to thrive under various market conditions is underpinned by their advanced practices and significant market influence. At Level 5, Kanban is central to the organization’s ability to not just respond to market dynamics but to actively lead and shape the industry.

Level 6: Built for Survival

The final stage that validates the Kanban Maturity Model is that the business is ready to survive and overcome all the possible setbacks and challenges. It’s a validation that the business is future proofed.

At this stage, the organization has not only mastered Kanban practices but also developed exceptional resilience and adaptability. Now, the organization can fight through market volatility and keep up with rapidly evolving business environments and trends. 

The focus is on long-term sustainability, with the organization being adept at navigating through uncertainties, adapting to changes, and seizing opportunities that arise from disruptions. The teams developed a deep culture of agility and continuous improvements.

They became highly collaborative, cross-functional, and empowered to make decisions that align with the organization’s strategic goals. They are skilled in risk management and are proficient in leveraging Kanban practices to respond swiftly to changing demands. 

The final stage of the Kanban Maturity Model also helps create an environment where leadership encourages innovation, as well as visualizing it using Kanban and Lean practices. The leadership is aware that the organization may face both failure and success, and understand that learning from both is integral, ensuring the organization is not just surviving, but thriving in its respective market. 

Conclusion

The Kanban Maturity Model can transform your organization for the better if you implement the maturity levels correctly. It’s a Lean management system that prepares your organization to handle challenges effortlessly while also handling risks maturely. You can get that and much more achieved using a scalable workflow management tool such as Kanban Zone. Check us out to get started!