Eric Brechner’s Agile Project Management with Kanban (Summary)
Eric Brechner’s Agile Project Management with Kanban (Microsoft Press, 2015) is a short, practical guide to running software projects with Kanban, drawn from his work at Microsoft and Xbox. Here is a chapter-by-chapter summary and how to apply it.
Quick answer: Agile Project Management with Kanban by Eric Brechner shows software teams how to adopt Kanban quickly: get management consent, set up a signboard with columns such as Backlog, Breakdown, Implement, Validate and Done, add WIP limits and done rules, hit deadlines with data, and scale Kanban to large organisations and sustained engineering.
1. Key Takeaways
- Author: Eric Brechner, Microsoft engineering leader (Xbox).
- Published by Microsoft Press in 2015 – nine short chapters.
- Board: Backlog → Breakdown → Implement → Validate → Done.
- Every step gets a WIP limit and a done rule.
- Covers adopting Kanban from Waterfall and from Scrum.
2. The Book at a Glance
Agile Project Management with Kanban is a short Microsoft Press book (2015) by Eric Brechner for software teams that want to start Kanban fast.
3. Chapter-by-Chapter Summary
The book’s nine chapters take you from getting consent to scaling Kanban across an organisation.
| Chapter | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 1. Getting management consent | How to explain Kanban’s benefits and address concerns. |
| 2. Kanban quick-start guide | Set up a board, WIP limits and done rules in a day. |
| 3. Hitting deadlines | Forecasting and managing scope with Kanban data. |
| 4. Adapting from Waterfall | A gradual path from phase-based work. |
| 5. Evolving from Scrum | Keeping what works in Scrum while adding flow. |
| 6. Deploying components, apps, and services | Continuous deployment with Kanban. |
| 7. Using Kanban within large organizations | Connecting teams and dependencies. |
| 8. Sustained engineering | Bugs, maintenance and support on the same board. |
| 9. Further resources and beyond | Where to go next. |
4. Brechner’s Kanban Board
Brechner’s signboard uses Backlog, Breakdown, Implement, Validate and Done, each with a WIP limit and a done rule.
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5. Key Lessons from Eric Brechner
Get consent, start in a day, use data for deadlines, adapt gradually, scale carefully and handle maintenance on the same board.
6. Applying the Book in PlanBoards
Here are three boards in PlanBoards that apply Brechner’s ideas.
Chapter notes
To Read, Reading, Key Takeaways and Applied – a reading board for the book.
Brechner-style team board
Backlog, Breakdown (WIP 3), Implement (WIP 4), Validate (WIP 3) and Done.
Kanban quick-start in a day
Morning, Afternoon and Tomorrow – the quick-start guide as a board.
7. Who Should Read It
Team leads, Waterfall project managers, Scrum Masters, engineering managers and maintenance teams will each find a chapter for them.
8. FAQ
These are the questions people ask about Eric Brechner’s Kanban book.
Who is Eric Brechner?
A Microsoft engineering leader who used Kanban with Xbox teams and wrote Agile Project Management with Kanban.
When was Agile Project Management with Kanban published?
In 2015, by Microsoft Press.
What columns does Brechner use?
Backlog, Breakdown, Implement, Validate and Done, each with a WIP limit and done rule.
Is the book good for beginners?
Yes – chapter 2 is a quick-start guide you can use in a day.
Does it cover Scrum teams?
Yes – chapter 5 explains how to evolve from Scrum to Kanban.
Is it only for software?
It is written for software teams, but the board and WIP ideas apply to any knowledge work.
Can I set up a Brechner-style board in PlanBoards?
Yes – five columns with WIP limits in the names, free to use.
9. Sources and Further Reading
These are the sources behind this guide.
- Eric Brechner (2015). Agile Project Management with Kanban. Microsoft Press. Table of contents.
- Microsoft Research. Agile Project Management with Kanban.
- ACCU. Book review.
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