Looking for something that provides a good introduction into the topic as well as how to introduce it to an organization and how to apply it.
-
Closing as "Too Localized" since the list of books would change over time. Also, this is "Not Constructive" since the answers are mostly just a list of things, which isn't a good fit for Stack Exchange. See Q&A is Hard, Let's Go Shopping – jmort253 Jul 27 '12 at 19:05
There are two canonical books on Kanban:
- David Anderson's Kanban, Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business
- Henrik Kinberg's and Mattias Skarin's Kanban and Scrum - making the most of both
- (updated) Henrik Kniberg's Lean from the Trenches is great both at describing how to scale Kanban up but also as a practical guide to Kanban implementation.
You can also find answers to this question useful although it is definitely broader. One of sources which is definitely worth recommending is Limited WIP Society site.
There is also a great set of resources on Lean-Kanban University site.
Custom Kanban - Designing the System to Meet the Needs of Your Environment
by Raymond S. Louis ISBN: 9781563273452
Productivity Press Copyright Replenishment Technology Group, Inc. © 2006 (254 pages)
Designed to help you develop and implement a correct and successful kanban system for your company, this compelling book explains appropriate kanban techniques based on specific environmental factors and company needs.
Kanban made simple - Demystifying and Applying Toyota's Legendary Manufacturing Process
by John M. Gross and Kenneth R. McInnis ISBN: 9780814407639
AMACOM Copyright John M. Gross and Kenneth R. McInnis © 2003 (259 pages)
Using Toyota as an example, this is a step-by-step guide to incorporating the ingenuity of the kanban system into any manufacturing environment.
If you've got a Kindle, I wrote one which is designed as a first stop introduction to Kanban and priced it at the lowest point Amazon allows, $1.
If you want to really understand Kanban, read David's book. For a better introduction to the theory of lean software development, read Mary and Tom's book from 2003, "Lean Software Development."
This is one of my favorite "getting" started guides: http://www.infoq.com/minibooks/kanban-scrum-minibook
Note, that it also touches on SCRUM as well.
I came across this list last night, and thought I would update this thread. I have read through some of them and it seems to be a fairly comprehensive list: http://www.targetprocess.com/blog/2009/05/lean-and-kanban-software-development.html
All great answers above. I believe David Anderson will be releasing a version II of his book over the next year or so. After reading the Anderson's book and or Kniberg/Skarin's book, you should really follow the kanbandev yahoo group for the most current information.
I would also suggest subscribing to David's blog
This video is also a good resource to share with people who don't know much about Kanban but have worked in a Scrum environment.