Lean-Kanban University Announces First-Ever Accredited Kanban Training Program

SEATTLE, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Lean-Kanban University (LKU) today announced the formation of the first-ever Accredited Kanban Training Program to address the growing demand for high quality training in the Kanban Method.

The Kanban Method for knowledge work such as software development and IT operations is inspired by Lean manufacturing and Toyota's management method. Knowledge work environments are particularly challenging because the "inventory" of work is not visible. A wide variety of organizations are now turning to this method to help drive change towards better predictability, agility, and risk management.

The Lean-Kanban University Accredited Kanban Training Program exists to provide confidence to consumers about the quality of the Kanban training that they will receive. The program establishes the quality of Kanban training based on the status of 1) the organization, 2) the individual trainer, and 3) the training curriculum. Member organizations, their trainers and their training curriculums must meet the established criteria in all three areas in order to call their Kanban training "accredited" under the terms of the program.

The Kanban Method pioneered by David. J. Anderson is at the core of the Lean-Kanban University Accredited Kanban Training curriculum. This curriculum lays out basic principles and practices of effective implementation, including limiting the amount of work in progress and visualizing the work.  The Kanban Method takes an organization's current processes and provides greater visibility into the dynamics of the workflow and state of the work-in-progress. With this new clarity, organizations can start on a path of continual improvement.

The need for the new accredited training program was articulated by Mike Burrows, director of the Lean-Kanban University Accredited Kanban Training Program. "We see companies offering Kanban training without the appropriate knowledge or expertise. Our program assures confidence in quality Kanban training throughout the world."

The charter members of the program come from ten countries across three continents and are leading training and consulting companies in software development and project management. They are:

David J. Anderson and Associates, Inc (United States), Net Objectives (United States), AgileSparks Ltd (Israel), Agileminds bvba (Belgium), Athega AB (Sweden), Avega Group AB (Sweden), Corporate Kanban (United States), Imaginet (Canada), it-agile GmbH (Germany), Ketil Jensen (Norway), LEANability e.U. (Austria), Crisp AB (Sweden), Reaktor (Finland), TeamProsource NV (Belgium, UK), Trifork A/S (Denmark), Valueinnova LLC (United States), VX Company IT Services B.V.(Netherlands), Xebia B.V. (Netherlands).

"As demand for Kanban grows, consumers worldwide will benefit from trusted Kanban training delivered by our member firms," said David J. Anderson, the newly-appointed CEO of Lean-Kanban University.

Individuals who take Lean-Kanban University Accredited Kanban Training receive proof of completion through access to a member section of the LKU web site.

The Lean-Kanban University Advisory Board is investigating extending the program to include certification of trainees. "We on the Advisory Board only value certification if it validates genuine skills," said Mattias Skarin, one of 18 Advisory Board members. A decision on certification has been deferred until a future date.

Additional companies interested in offering accredited Kanban training are now being invited to join. 

More information about the Lean-Kanban University Accredited Kanban Training Program can be found on its website at http://www.leankanbanuniversity.com.

About Lean-Kanban University

Lean-Kanban University (LKU) is the place to learn about Lean and Kanban as it is applied to knowledge work. The rapidly growing organization supports community through the development of quality classes, services, conferences and publications. LKU was jointly created and founded by David J. Anderson & Associates, Inc. and Net Objectives.  http://www.leankanbanuniversity.com

SOURCE Lean-Kanban University