Description: Effort in project management, especially in the context of Kanban, refers to the amount of work required to complete a specific task. This concept is fundamental for planning and executing projects, as it allows teams to estimate the time and resources needed to achieve their goals. Effort can be measured in various units, such as hours, days, or story points, depending on the team’s approach. In a Kanban system, effort is visualized through cards representing tasks on a board, facilitating the identification of bottlenecks and the optimization of workflow. Managing effort involves not only initial estimation but also tracking and adapting as the project progresses, allowing teams to adjust their plans based on the reality of the work done. This flexibility is key in agile environments, where changes are frequent and responsiveness is essential for project success.
History: The concept of effort in project management has evolved over time, especially with the adoption of agile methodologies in recent decades. Kanban, which originated in the Japanese automotive industry in the 1940s, introduced the visualization of work and the limitation of work in progress, facilitating effort management. As agile practices became popular in the 2000s, the focus on effort estimation became more prominent, with techniques such as using story points to measure effort instead of hours, promoting greater flexibility and adaptation.
Uses: Effort is used in project management to effectively plan and allocate resources. It allows teams to visualize pending work and the effort required to complete it, helping to prioritize tasks and manage workflow. Additionally, tracking effort over time enables teams to assess their performance and make adjustments to their processes to improve efficiency.
Examples: A practical example of using effort in Kanban is a software development team that uses cards on a board to represent tasks. Each card includes an effort estimate in story points. As the team progresses through the project, they can see how many tasks have been completed and how many are left to do, helping them adjust their workload and improve future planning.
