On the benefits and challenges of using kanban in software engineering: a structured synthesis study

Context Kanban is increasingly being used in diverse software organizations. There is extensive research regarding its benefits and challenges in Software Engineering, reported in both primary and secondary studies. However, these results have not been synthesized yet. Goal to investigate and identify the actual benefits and challenges of using Kanban in Software Engineering to support practitioners in understanding and analyzing the benefits and challenges of adopting Kanban in their software projects. Method to use the Structured Synthesis Method to aggregate existing empirically-grounded evidence in the published primary studies regarding using Kanban in Software Engineering. Results from the 20 selected primary studies in which over 16 benefits were identified, four had the most robust results in the aggregation, i.e., with the most confidence associated, namely: ‘work visibility,’ ‘control of project activities and tasks,’ ‘flow of work,’ and ‘time-to-market.’ Furthermore, the ‘organizational culture’ was identified as the most dominant challenge in Kanban implementations. Conclusions Syntheses studies represent a fundamental step in organizing the body of evidence as an empirically-grounded reference for decision-making in practice. The benefits with most confidence indeed appear to be the ones intrinsically linked to the Lean thinking and the Kanban approach. As Kanban originated in the manufacturing, it is interesting to observe this kind of confirmation in the software domain. Still, there are several benefits and challenges which still lacks the appropriate level of evidence. We also noticed the absence of negative results reported in the technical literature. These aspects need the additional attention of the research community.