This article introduces key Kanban terminology and concepts that are used in Gatekeeper Workflows.
Estimated Read Time: 2 minutes
Sections in this article:
Introduction
Gatekeeper has developed an industry unique Kanban style workflow engine, which can digitise any form based process into a simple to use, visual and highly efficient workflow.
The Gatekeeper Workflow Engine is based on the Kanban approach, as we believe visualising work leads to process efficiency and increased collaboration.
What is Kanban?
The term Kanban, meaning 'visual board', originated at Toyota in the 1940s as a method to enhance manufacturing processes. This has been adopted by many industries as an efficient method for managing processes by visualising the work.
A classic Kanban example is a to do list consisting of three columns (phases) to represent the status of your to do list items. Each item on your list is a ‘card’ that travels from left (To do) to right (Done) - thereby giving a visual representation of all the work in motion.
Workflow Terminology
Gatekeeper has adopted Kanban terminology for workflows:
- Board - the visual representation of the workflow process
- Phase - the stages that cards (work units) travel through to be processed
- Card - the work unit e.g. a Contract Approval Request
For further information, please read our Kanban blog article.