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Kanban

2 stages from Japanese to English.

Today it means a visual workflow-management method using cards or boards to track tasks

Where does the word "kanban" come from? It comes from Japanese kanban, adopted directly into English (1970s-1980s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
kanban
Japanese · medieval
"a signboard or placard"
originally meant an ordinary shop signboard
2
Stage 2 of 2
kanban
English · 1970s-1980s
"a scheduling system using visual cards to signal workflow"
adopted with Toyota's inventory-card production system, named for the physical cards used
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