Kanban University is the accreditation and training body for the Kanban Method. Founded in February 2012 at a meeting of sixteen founding member firms in Utrecht, Netherlands (the kanban-university-founding event), it provides standardized curriculum, accredits trainers and consultants, and certifies practitioners. As of the maturity-and-enterprise-era, Kanban University has over 400 accredited trainers and consultants working globally.
Origins
The kanban-university-founding grew out of the community that had formed around the Lean Kanban conference series and the kanban-book. The sixteen founding firms brought together the most active trainers and consultants applying the Kanban Method, who recognized the need for standardized curriculum and shared quality standards. Anderson's original vision was to create a professional body that could ensure the Kanban Method was taught consistently and accurately as the community scaled beyond his direct influence.
Structure and curriculum
Kanban University accredits trainers at multiple levels and certifies practitioners through its Team Kanban Practitioner (TKP), Kanban Management Professional (KMP I and II), and Kanban Coaching Professional (KCP) credentials. The curriculum is based on the kanban-book, essential-kanban-condensed, and subsequent works including the kanban-maturity-model. mike-burrows's "Kanban from the Inside" has been used as supplementary curriculum material in some programs.
The standardization function is significant: without a body like Kanban University, the "Kanban" label risks being applied to any visual workflow management approach, diluting the specific practices and principles of the Kanban Method. The accreditation system attempts to maintain terminological precision and methodological integrity as the community grows.
Relationship to DJAA
Kanban University is institutionally distinct from the djaa-school-of-management, though both are connected to Anderson. DJAA was established earlier (2008) as Anderson's personal training vehicle; Kanban University was established as a community-owned body for broader accreditation. The relationship between the two represents Anderson's deliberate choice to build community institutions rather than maintain sole control over the method's teaching.