KMP study plan

Define Kanban in your own words and distinguish it from Scrum and from a simple to-do list, writing a one-page comparison.

Map the core practices (visualize, limit WIP, manage flow, make policies explicit, feedback loops, improve collaboratively) and explain why each exists.

Sketch a value stream for a real or realistic workflow you know, marking each stage and the handoffs between them.

Explain the difference between a value stream and a process, and identify where queues form in your sketch.

Derive WIP limits for each stage of your value stream using Little's Law and state the assumptions you made.

Design a kanban board with explicit policies for entry, exit, and blocked items, including a definition of 'done' per column.

Select and justify the classes of service (e.g., standard, expedited, fixed date, intangible) appropriate to your workflow.

Identify where you would place buffers, pull signals, and a ready/queue column, and explain the trade-offs.

Practice calculating lead time, cycle time, throughput, and WIP from sample data sets, showing your work.

Build a small spreadsheet that computes these metrics from a list of item start and finish dates.

Explain how Little's Law predicts the effect of changing WIP limits on lead time, including when the law does not apply cleanly.

Diagnose three common flow problems (bottleneck, starvation, overburden) from metric patterns alone.

Create a cumulative flow diagram from your practice data and annotate the widening and narrowing bands.

Explain what a widening 'in progress' band signals and what actions follow.

Describe how to run a daily standup around the board rather than around people, and draft the questions you would ask.

List the feedback loops in a Kanban system (standup, replenishment, review, retrospective, operations review) and state the cadence and purpose of each.

Explain the purpose of a service delivery review and draft an agenda that uses data rather than opinion.

Design a set of flow metrics and charts (CFD, lead time scatterplot, throughput run chart) you would present to stakeholders.

Interpret a lead time scatterplot, including the 50th, 85th, and 95th percentiles, and explain how percentiles support forecasting.

Describe how to communicate a probabilistic forecast and why a single-date commitment is misleading.

Explain the difference between STATIK and ad hoc system design, and outline the steps of a STATIK workshop.

Draft a facilitation plan for a STATIK workshop, including who attends, what data is gathered, and what outputs are produced.

Identify the symptoms of an ineffective Kanban system (ignored WIP limits, board not updated, no policies) and propose a diagnostic approach.

Explain how to evolve a Kanban system incrementally using the improvement kata or a similar structured approach.

Work through scenario questions that require choosing between design options, justifying each choice with flow principles.

Practice explaining trade-offs in WIP limits, classes of service, and board design under time pressure.

Review your weakest topics from weeks 1-6 and write short explanations of each in your own words.

Explain how Kanban scales across multiple teams and what changes at the portfolio or enterprise level.

Take a full timed practice test and score it by domain to identify remaining gaps.

Re-teach your three weakest concepts aloud or in writing without notes.

Review all deliverables from weeks 1-7 and correct any errors or outdated assumptions.

Build a one-page summary sheet of key formulas, metrics, and design principles for final review.