# How Kanban flow works > A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv0kq2ep0022jv06cc7iuoo8 > It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data. ## Summary - 14 steps across 1 layer - Persona: Customer, The team, Team lead - Technology / systems: The Kanban board ## Pain points Where this process hurts, worst first: - **Flag it and swarm to unblock it** (How Kanban flow works; painful): Blocked work silently kills flow ## How to read this file - A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps. - **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step. - Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`. ## How Kanban flow works Lanes: - Customer: person / role (id `cust`) - The Kanban board: technology / system (id `board`) - The team: person / role (id `team`) - Team lead: person / role (id `lead`) Steps, in the order they run: 1. **A new request arrives** [start; Customer; id `k1`] - then It goes into the backlog 2. **It goes into the backlog** [task; The Kanban board; id `k2`] - then Is there room in "In progress" (the WIP limit)? 3. **Is there room in "In progress" (the WIP limit)?** [decision; The team; id `k3`] - if "Yes" go to Pull the next card; if "No" go to Finish something first: stop starting, start finishing 4. **Pull the next card** [task; The team; id `k4`] - then Work on it 5. **Work on it** [task; The team; id `k5`] - then Is it blocked? 6. **Is it blocked?** [decision; The team; id `k6`] - if "Yes" go to Flag it and swarm to unblock it; if "No" go to Move it to review 7. **Flag it and swarm to unblock it** [task; Team lead; id `k7`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (painful): Blocked work silently kills flow - then Move it to review 8. **Move it to review** [task; The team; id `k8`] - then Did review pass? 9. **Did review pass?** [decision; The team; id `k9`] - if "Yes" go to Done and delivered; if "No" go to Back to in progress 10. **Done and delivered** [task; Customer; id `k10`] - then Measure cycle time and look for the bottleneck 11. **Measure cycle time and look for the bottleneck** [end; Team lead; id `k11`] 12. **Back to in progress** [task; The team; id `k8a`] - then Work on it 13. **Finish something first: stop starting, start finishing** [task; The team; id `k3a`] - then Help clear a blocked card 14. **Help clear a blocked card** [task; The team; id `k3b`] - then Is there room in "In progress" (the WIP limit)? ```mermaid flowchart LR subgraph l_cust["Customer"] n_k1(["A new request arrives"]) n_k10["Done and delivered"] end subgraph l_board["The Kanban board"] n_k2["It goes into the backlog"] end subgraph l_team["The team"] n_k3{"Is there room in 'In progress' (the WIP limit)?"} n_k3a["Finish something first: stop starting, start finishing"] n_k3b["Help clear a blocked card"] n_k4["Pull the next card"] n_k5["Work on it"] n_k6{"Is it blocked?"} n_k8["Move it to review"] n_k9{"Did review pass?"} n_k8a["Back to in progress"] end subgraph l_lead["Team lead"] n_k7["Flag it and swarm to unblock it"] n_k11(["Measure cycle time and look for the bottleneck"]) end n_k1 --> n_k2 n_k2 --> n_k3 n_k3 -->|"Yes"| n_k4 n_k3 -->|"No"| n_k3a n_k3a --> n_k3b n_k3b --> n_k3 n_k4 --> n_k5 n_k5 --> n_k6 n_k6 -->|"Yes"| n_k7 n_k6 -->|"No"| n_k8 n_k7 --> n_k8 n_k8 --> n_k9 n_k9 -->|"Yes"| n_k10 n_k9 -->|"No"| n_k8a n_k8a --> n_k5 n_k10 --> n_k11 ``` ## Full data (JSON) ```json { "title": "How Kanban flow works", "maps": { "m_root": { "id": "m_root", "lanes": [ { "id": "cust", "name": "Customer", "type": "person" }, { "id": "board", "name": "The Kanban board", "type": "system" }, { "id": "team", "name": "The team", "type": "person" }, { "id": "lead", "name": "Team lead", "type": "person" } ], "steps": [ { "id": "k1", "kind": "start", "lane": "cust", "next": [ { "to": "k2" } ], "uses": [], "label": "A new request arrives" }, { "id": "k2", "kind": "task", "lane": "board", "next": [ { "to": "k3" } ], "uses": [], "label": "It goes into the backlog" }, { "id": "k3", "kind": "decision", "lane": "team", "next": [ { "to": "k4", "label": "Yes" }, { "to": "k3a", "label": "No" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Is there room in \"In progress\" (the WIP limit)?" }, { "id": "k3a", "kind": "task", "lane": "team", "next": [ { "to": "k3b" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Finish something first: stop starting, start finishing" }, { "id": "k3b", "kind": "task", "lane": "team", "next": [ { "to": "k3" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Help clear a blocked card" }, { "id": "k4", "kind": "task", "lane": "team", "next": [ { "to": "k5" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Pull the next card" }, { "id": "k5", "kind": "task", "lane": "team", "next": [ { "to": "k6" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Work on it" }, { "id": "k6", "kind": "decision", "lane": "team", "next": [ { "to": "k7", "label": "Yes" }, { "to": "k8", "label": "No" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Is it blocked?" }, { "id": "k7", "kind": "task", "lane": "lead", "next": [ { "to": "k8" } ], "pain": { "note": "Blocked work silently kills flow", "level": 2 }, "uses": [], "label": "Flag it and swarm to unblock it" }, { "id": "k8", "kind": "task", "lane": "team", "next": [ { "to": "k9" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Move it to review" }, { "id": "k9", "kind": "decision", "lane": "team", "next": [ { "to": "k10", "label": "Yes" }, { "to": "k8a", "label": "No" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Did review pass?" }, { "id": "k8a", "kind": "task", "lane": "team", "next": [ { "to": "k5" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Back to in progress" }, { "id": "k10", "kind": "task", "lane": "cust", "next": [ { "to": "k11" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Done and delivered" }, { "id": "k11", "kind": "end", "lane": "lead", "next": [], "uses": [], "label": "Measure cycle time and look for the bottleneck" } ], "title": "How Kanban flow works", "parent": null } } } ```