Simple cards that help your team define how work moves, so decisions are faster and flow becomes more predictable.
Kanban policies define how work moves. They tell the team when work can start, when it can stop, how WIP is controlled, how blockers are handled, and what “ready” or “done” mean.
The Kanban Pocket Guide emphasizes that explicit policies are essential for predictable flow and effective pull decisions.
Policies make invisible rules visible.
Teams want predictable flow, useful standups, and clean handoffs. But none of that works when workflow rules stay unwritten or interpreted differently by everyone.
Explicit policies stabilize flow, reduce confusion, and strengthen feedback loops. These cards make those agreements simple to create, share, and apply.
• Rules exist only in people’s heads • WIP limits aren’t followed • Blocked items linger • Classes of Service are unclear • Teams disagree on “ready” or “done” • Replenishment and standups drift • No consistency in how work enters or moves
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• Make workflow expectations explicit
• Bring consistency to replenishment and prioritization
• Use Classes of Service properly
• Escalate blockers earlier
• Apply WIP limits with fewer arguments
• Reduce delays caused by unclear rules
• Improve predictability across the system
• Standups surface real blockers sooner
• Handoffs become cleaner
• WIP is controlled, not debated
• Flow stabilizes because rules are followed
• Meetings take less time
• Retrospectives focus on improving policies
This starter pack gives you two essentials.
Policy Design Template
A simple one-page template with: • Purpose • Scope • Policy Rules • Triggers & Exceptions • Review mechanism • Change Log
Example Policies
Adaptable examples showing how clear policies look in practice: • Replenishment • Prioritization • Blockers • Class of Service (Expedite, Fixed Date, Standard, Intangible) • Exit Criteria (Dev → Test)
These examples show the structure and clarity needed to create your own.
Delivery Manager
“These policies finally made our standups useful.”
Product Owner
Our replenishment meeting now takes ten minutes.
Engineering Lead
We stopped arguing about what 'done' means.