Background

The following timeline shows a brief history of Lean and Kanban:

Lean Software Development and Kanban have their history in manufacturing and the work done by one company, in particular, Toyota Motor Corporation. In its effort to economically mass-produce affordable motor vehicles for people after the Second World War, Toyota made profound changes to the way it organized its production line.

Toyota realized early on that there was a significant waste in manufacturing, which added to the overall cost. They implemented two notable changes to typical mass production lines, which had a profound effect on reducing costs and significantly increasing quality.

1. Reduce all waste which didn't add value to the customer
2. Focus on single-piece flow through the production line using a pull system