What is the delivery point in a kanban board?

The delivery point in a kanban board is defined as when an item of work is complete. This concept is central to the kanban methodology, which emphasizes visualizing work, limiting work in progress, and ensuring that work items flow through the system efficiently.

In a kanban setup, as items move from one stage to another on the board — typically from 'To Do', to 'In Progress', and finally to 'Done' — the completion of a work item signifies that it has met the defined criteria for being finished. This is crucial as it allows teams to identify throughput and manage delivery effectively. By marking completion, teams can analyze their performance, make improvements, and keep stakeholders informed about the project's progress.

The other options relate to different aspects of workflow management but do not signify the completion of a work item in the context of a kanban board. Starting a project, moving items back to the backlog, or holding a retrospective do not indicate that work has been delivered; rather, they highlight different points in the project lifecycle or team processes.