KSD

It runs two days in person or 16 hours online. Sessions mix hands-on practice, simulation, and group discussion rather than lecture alone, so you should expect to work on your own service's system during the class. Plan to take part fully in every exercise, because engagement is what the certification is based on.

The source describes certification as being awarded for completing KSD by attending and actively engaging in every session, exercise, simulation, and discussion. It does not describe a separate written exam, pass mark, or question count. Treat the exercises and discussion as the assessment and confirm current certification mechanics with your accredited trainer before booking.

No prior course is required. If you are very new to Kanban, Team Kanban Practitioner (TKP) may be a helpful first step, but the source notes the best starting point depends on your experience and goals. Reading Kanban by David J. Anderson or Kanban from the Inside by Mike Burrows is recommended, with time set aside for self-paced learning.

Do the recommended reading and allow time for self-paced learning. More useful still, come with a concrete service in mind: what work flows through it, where it waits, and what dissatisfies customers or staff. Bring whatever evidence you have about demand and delays. Candidates who arrive with real work to design against get far more from the simulation and exercises.

STATIK is the Systems Thinking Approach to Introducing Kanban: a structured, service-oriented way to design a Kanban system that fits the work you actually do. It is central because KSD is explicitly not about copying someone else's board. The course works through understanding the current way of working and the sources of dissatisfaction before shaping a visual system and policies.

You should be able to map how work moves through your service, make dependencies, decisions, and policies visible, and shape a board that reveals where work waits and where flow slows down. You should also be able to use Lead Time, Run Charts, and Cumulative Flow Diagrams to read signals and choose a next experiment.

KSD is where the KMP path begins. After building that foundation, you deepen capability in service delivery with KSI (Kanban for Systems Improvement) or product delivery with KDI (Kanban for Design and Innovation). Completing KSD together with either of those courses earns the Kanban Management Professional credential.

Designing a board that looks right instead of one that fits the work. The source warns that a board can hide improvement opportunities, and that copying someone else's setup skips the understanding step. Another frequent mistake is treating pull as a label rather than a deliberate way to reduce overburdening and make work more responsive.

Choose a Kanban System Design course delivered by an accredited Kanban University trainer, and begin with the work you already have. The source does not state fees, retake rules, or certificate validity, so ask the trainer directly about price, cancellation, and how certification is recorded before you commit.