task management kanban board

Productivity

Kanban 101: The ultimate guide to using Kanban

I use Kanban boards a lot in my daily life—and not just for work. The beauty of the Kanban system is that it works in any context. It helps you visualize your work and ensure it's all moving in the right direction (from left to right, but more on that later!), whether you're running a marketing campaign, planning a product launch, or—as I recently did—organizing a bachelorette party.

The premise of Kanban is simple, but it works . Here's how.

What is a Kanban board?

Kanban examples.

Kanban app features

What is Kanban?

"Kanban" (かんばん) is a Japanese word that translates directly as "visual card." As a project management methodology, Kanban involves creating visual cards that list details about a task and organizing them into lists on a board that represent different stages of a production process. 

With this kind of layout, you can easily manage a project workflow, as cards are moved from left to right, in the basic form of "to do," "doing," and "done." Hit a road bump with something you're working on? Slide the card back left to the "to do" column until you're ready to work on it again. 

The Kanban methodology was invented by Toyota back in the 1950s as a way of organizing car factory floors and ensuring each car part was made with the same level of care at every step. Back then, the Kanban methodology was managed with Post-it notes on a whiteboard. As a Toyota factory worker, you'd know exactly where to pick up work on a part, thanks to the product's attached Kanban card that detailed exactly what had been done to the part already and showed clearly which stage it was at in the production line.

Today, Kanban boards have evolved from factory whiteboards to our computer screens in the form of digital Kanban apps. And now, the Kanban project management methodology helps teams manage editorial workflows, push code through development sprints, streamline hiring processes, and much more.

In a nutshell, the Kanban process helps you turn big ideas into workable plans. By getting your project onto a board, dividing your process into a workflow, and creating tasks that sit within that workflow, you have a complete visualization of how and where your project is moving. 

Regardless of what it's being used for, every Kanban board has three basic elements: boards, lists, and cards. Here's how it works.

Kanban board: The Kanban board is what holds the bigger picture of your whole project or workflow. In the context of a Kanban app, it's easiest to think of the board as a digital workspace. Different Kanban apps have different names for boards—you'll see them be referred to as a "workspace," "project," or "taskboard." Basically, it contains everything you need to get a project done.

Kanban list: Lists form the structure of how your Kanban board is laid out. A basic Kanban board structure would contain the lists "to do," "doing," and "done," but we all know most projects aren't as simple as that. You'll probably have a couple of stages that represent "doing" something within the context of your project. That's why you can have as many columns as you want and rename them, each list representing different stages of your production process. And it's within those lists that you'll add and move your Kanban cards.

Kanban card: A card represents a task or mini-project that needs to be completed within your wider project. Cards live within lists and are moved along the production line—left to right, from one list to another—as they get closer to completion. Once they reach the "done" column, you can either delete them or keep them stocked up for future reference (my preferred method).

With these elements as a foundation, the possibilities for how you use the Kanban method are limitless. 

Kanban boards are incredibly flexible—you can use them for organizing pretty much anything . To give you a bit of insight into what a Kanban board looks like in practice, here's a Trello board I use to manage my freelance projects. 

My Kanban lists are called "On radar" (i.e., companies who I'm speaking to but no work has been confirmed yet), "To do" (confirmed projects), "Doing" (projects I'm working on that week), "Done" (completed projects), and "Stuck" (projects that are on hold for some reason or that I can't invoice for yet). 

At a glance, I can see six cards in my weekly "doing" list, so that's going to be a busy week. This gives me an opportunity to prioritize the most important or time-sensitive tasks (I normally arrange them so the most pressing projects are at the top), and move any cards that can be pushed to next week back into the "to do" list. 

Now imagine I was using this board to manage a whole team's workload. You can see that Kanban's magic is in how it can help you spot bottlenecks, relieve overburdening, and ensure a project is always progressing in the right direction.

And that's just one example of how you can use Kanban processes to organize your projects. Here are some other things you might use a Kanban board for:

Personal tasks . If you use to-do lists (at work, or even in your personal life), try ditching the lists for a personal Kanban board to see how it goes. I use Kanban for planning everything: parties, holidays, you name it.

Editorial calendar . Using Kanban for editorial project management ensures you have a constant stream of content ready for publication. With a lot of Kanban apps, you can also switch to calendar view (more on that later), which is useful in this context for obvious reasons.

Manage a sales pipeline . There's a reason why a lot of CRMs offer a Kanban view for sales pipeline management. With columns like "On radar," "Contacted," "Meeting arranged," "Contact later," "Won," and "Closed lost," you can see at a glance what areas you need to focus your efforts on to keep a steady flow of sales coming in.

Manage a product development roadmap . There are lots of Kanban apps out there that are specifically just for development teams (to name-drop a few: Jira, Blossom, and WeKan). Take a look at our guide to Agile, Scrum, and Kanban methodologies to learn more.

Keep tabs on your hiring process . A Kanban board will help you keep tabs on every candidate in your recruitment funnel. Create cards for individual candidates, tag them by department or role, and move them along the board as they reach different stages of the hiring process ("Progressing," "Interview booked," "Offer made," "Hired"). Once you start hiring for lots of roles, you can move over to an applicant tracking system (which might have Kanban built in!). 

These are just a few Kanban board ideas—the options really are endless. Now, let's look at some Kanban principles and the core features to look for in a Kanban app, to ensure you get the most out of these project management tools.

10 Kanban app features you can expect

There are a lot of Kanban apps out there, and there are also a lot of project management apps that offer Kanban as part of their wider package. Regardless of what your needs are, there are a few common Kanban app features to look for—in my experience, they're what make an app more worthwhile than that Post-it board.

Note: the names and specifics of these features vary across apps, but their core functionality remains the same.

1.  Drag-and-drop

Moving cards between lists is at the core of what makes a Kanban board, so you'd be hard pressed to find a Kanban app that doesn't have a drag-and-drop functionality to do this. It should be easy to drag and drop a card—moving it around within a list (up or down) or from one list to another as it reaches different stages of the production line (e.g., to do, doing, done). 

If you want to move or copy a card from one board to another, you'll typically find that option within the card's settings as well.

2.  Assignees or members

Kanban board apps let you invite others to collaborate on a project, whether that's someone inside or outside of your organization. This happens on two levels: board and card.

If you're part of an organization that's already using the app internally, you'll normally see a quick list of your teammates that you can choose from to add to your board with one click. Otherwise, you can typically enter someone's email address to invite them to join a Kanban board for the first time—provided your board settings allow you to do this.

When you add people to a board, they'll be able to add their own cards, move cards around, leave comments on cards, edit cards, and more. They'll also see the activity stream related to that board, so they can keep up with the project even if they're not a direct part of it. 

Cards have members or assigned users, too, but with a different purpose: you'll add members to the card (including yourself) to take or split ownership of the task. If you're not directly responsible for the activity described on a card, but you want to keep tabs on it, another option many Kanban board apps offer is to "follow" or "watch" the card. Following a card means you'll be notified of any new card activity, as if you were assigned to it. 

3. Descriptions, comments, and chat 

Most Kanban apps include a field on each card to write a description of the task and add any additional notes, as well as a commenting option. When you're writing up a card description or leaving a comment, you can tag other board members by @-mentioning their username, which will send them a notification.

Some Kanban apps, like Workstreams , also have a chat feature within cards, so you can chat freely about the details of a task and keep all the discussions in one place. Other apps approach it differently: Taskworld has a project board chat feature that allows everyone to chat more generally. 

Recently, a lot of Kanban apps have also been developing deeper integrations with communication tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack, so you can chat about Kanban projects and leave comments on cards directly from within these chat tools.

4. Checklists

Task work is rarely a simple process, which is why most Kanban apps include a subtask or checklist feature for cards . 

For example, a card on your "Press Outreach" Kanban board might be titled "TechCrunch" and contain the following checklist:

[ ] Initial pitch email 

[ ] Follow up with more information 

[ ] Media assets delivered

[ ] Coverage confirmed

[ ] Coverage published

Depending on your Kanban board tool, the card cover might even show a progress bar or other visual indication changes as you check off tasks, making it easy to see where you are in a process.

I like to use checklists with @-mentions to assign subtasks to particular people in the process, so I get a notification when a team member has completed their task. It reminds me who's taken ownership of each stage and ensures the teamwork is ticking along nicely.

5. Attachments

Attaching documents directly to a Kanban card is really important for keeping everything centralized. I can't tell you the number of times that I've lost a document on my computer and rediscovered it by searching for the related card on Trello. 

You can upload attachments directly (in which case you'll want a tool with a fair amount of cloud storage) or add a link to where the attachment lives in your own cloud storage service . 

In some Kanban apps, if you attach an image file, a preview of the image will even appear on the card cover at the board view level.

6. Work in Progress (WIP) Limits

Processes can get overwhelming when there are too many tasks in a list at once. That's why some Kanban apps let you restrict the number of tasks you can include in a list with work in progress (WIP) limits. 

These constraints are applied to a list, limiting the number of cards you can add to that column. For example, if I'm running a blog editorial calendar on a Kanban board, and I know a writer can only handle writing three posts per week, I can add a WIP limit of three cards to the "Writing" column. 

You'll usually find WIP limit tools in the layout editor for your Kanban board, and you can enter a number for the max number of cards you want in a list. If you add too many, the Kanban tool will warn you that there are already too many things to do—a quick way to know when you need to prioritize and reassign some task due dates.

7. Due dates and notifications

Tasks without due dates often don't get done, which makes setting deadlines for your Kanban cards a really important feature. Click the due date button—typically on a card's Details section—and select the date when the task should be finished.

Most apps offer due date notifications, too. To get a reminder, you'll either need to be a member of the card or follow the card—a feature available in most Kanban tool apps. Then, your Kanban tool will remind you when a task is coming up or overdue. You can usually set the notification to be sent to followers one week, two days, or a few hours before the due date.

6. Labeling, tagging, or color-coding

Labels (sometimes called "tags" depending on the app) add another level of organization to cards in a Kanban list or board. If a card has a specific type or category that isn't covered by its position in a list, a label can be handy.

Returning to the editorial calendar example, you could use labels or tags to denote if a post is written in-house, by a freelancer, or as a guest post. You could also use labels to note tasks that need your design or development team's help, perhaps, or to mark a task's level of difficulty. You could even add multiple tags, to note when tasks need both development and design help, say.

If tagging is something that's going to be a really important part of how you use your board (for example, you have four different teams working on one project and need to see clearly who's working on what), you could try a Kanban app like Kanban Flow or Kanban Tool . These apps let you clearly color code entire cards so they pop off the screen at a glance. 

It's worth noting that labels, tags, and color-coding aren't usually applied across all of your boards. You can customize each board's label colors and names so they fit that board's workflow perfectly.

8. Calendar view

Beyond the default board view of a Kanban board tool, many Kanban apps let you access a calendar view too (although often this feature isn't available on free versions of the app). This quick switch—in Trello, for example, it's at the click of the Calendar button in the top-right—makes it easy to visualize upcoming development deadlines, publishing schedules, or product delivery dates.

And like the board view, the calendar view lets you add, move, and edit cards, too. Need to reschedule an overdue task? Just drag it to the new due date on your calendar, and it will update the due date on the card automatically.

9. Integrations and power-ups

For your Kanban board to really support how you and your team work, you're going to need it to integrate with the tools you already use. Over the years, more and more Kanban apps have started offering deep integrations to satisfy this. Some examples:

Workstreams offers deep Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations.

Kanbanchi is a Kanban app designed specifically to integrate with Google Workspace.

Microsoft Planner is Kanban that's built into the Microsoft 365 package. 

But most Kanban apps also offer optional integrations too (Trello calls theirs Power-Ups ). And for any tools that don't, Zapier will likely facilitate the integration for you.

Zapier is a no-code automation tool that lets you connect your apps into automated workflows, so that every person and every business can move forward at growth speed. Learn more about how it works .

10. Workflow automation 

In most Kanban apps, you can set up a workflow automation that does repetitive tasks automatically for you whenever you take a trigger action.

Say you've got a Kanban editorial calendar board, and you know that every time you add a "design" tag to a card, you need it to do two things:

Let the design team know you need their input before you can publish the article.

Add the task as a card to the design team's own Kanban workflow. 

In this scenario, you could set up a basic if-this-then-that workflow that automatically copies the card onto the design team's Kanban board when a design tag is added to the card. That way, whoever is managing that team's workload knows that you're asking for some of their time, and they can build it into the weekly sprint.  

You can use Kanban board apps to manage projects of all sizes, whether they're individual or team efforts, one-off projects, or ongoing work. These tools offer much of the same functionality as a traditional project management app—or a CRM, applicant tracking system, or editorial calendar tool. You'll just need time to customize your Kanban board to make it your own.

Create boards for your next projects, add lists and labels that fit your workflow, bring in all of your tasks, and give it a try. Customize until everything feels just right. It might take a bit of time, but once you have your board title, list names, and card formats in place, you'll be ready to tackle your first task. And before you know it, you'll be using Kanban boards as much as I do.

Read more: How to make a Kanban board in Google Sheets

This article was originally published in 2015 by Danny Schreiber. The most recent update was in August 2022.

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Katie Paterson

Katie Paterson is a freelance writer and digital marketer specializing in marketing, technology, recruitment, and business growth. She lives in Glasgow, Scotland.

• Project management
• Product management
• Kanban Tool

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Move your project through a visual pipeline from start to finish

• Introduction

What is a Kanban board?

Setting up your first kanban board, kanban board examples, what makes kanban so effective, tips for kanban, kanban with todoist.

Some tasks are one-and-done: washing the dishes, sending an email, going for a walk. Others require more planning and coordination: tracking your sales pipeline, managing a team project, looking for a new job. 

For those bigger projects and goals, you need more than a to-do list — you need a system that lets you see the big picture while keeping track of all the moving details. That’s where Kanban comes in.

We've made a companion video for the Kanban method because everyone learns differently and we know some of you prefer to watch instead of read. Check out that video below, or continue reading for a deeper dive.

The Kanban method is a visual productivity workflow, using a board and cards, that provides an overview of project tasks, from start to finish, so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

The Kanban method was pioneered by Toyota in the 1950s as a way to implement "just-in-time manufacturing" and later adapated as an agile method to manage software development. Today, Kanban is applied to pretty much any type of work you can think of. Product teams use it for managing development roadmaps. Human resources uses it for recruiting and hiring. Sales teams use it for tracking their leads. Individuals even use “personal Kanban” for managing solo projects from college applications to home renovations.

Unlike traditional task lists, Kanban boards make it easy to visually track work in progress and quickly identify what needs to happen when. While it’s particularly effective for collaborative projects with lots of moving parts, it can be equally effective for plotting out your personal goals and keeping them on track.

This guide will walk you through what the Kanban method is, why it’s so effective, and how you can use it to visually manage any project from start to finish — with plenty of real-life examples and templates to get inspired by.

Try the Kanban productivity method if you…

Want a simple, visual method for keeping complex projects and goals on track

Frequently get overwhelmed at work when everything piles on at once

Work on multi-phase projects or “pipelines” with lots of moving parts

Need an easy way to keep track of priorities and work status with a team

Relate to “out of sight, out of mind” and need to see all your tasks to remember them

Feel best when you can visualize all of your work in progress

Really like drag-and-drop and/or sticky notes

Where did Kanban come from?

In the 1950s, a Toyota executive named Taiichi Ohno set out to fix his struggling company by revolutionizing its manufacturing flow. Inspired by the way a Piggly Wiggly supermarket was able to stock just the right amount of product at any given time, Ohno envisioned a process where only the materials actively being worked on were present at any given stage of vehicle production.

To implement this "just-in-time manufacturing" approach, paper sign boards (called “kanban” in Japanese) were attached to every product and every material used to make it. Once a product sold or the material was used, the card would move back to the production line. Workers would only work on an item – and suppliers would only supply a material – once a card made it's way back to them signalling demand.

In this way, materials flowed through the production process as needed rather than piling up in inventory, and Toyota could respond more quickly to actual consumer demand, neither overproducing or underproducing.

At the center of the Kanban method is the Kanban board. A Kanban board plots your work items as cards organized into columns that represent distinct phases of a project. For example, a simple Kanban board can be made up of just three columns: “to do,” “doing,” and “done”. You then move your cards across columns from left to right as the work item progresses through each phase of the project.

The anatomy of a Kanban board

• A Kanban board is a physical or digital space that visually represents work status with work items (as cards) and workflow steps (as columns).
• A Kanban card represents an individual work item that needs to be completed as part of the bigger project. It might be a task, bug report, article, job candidate, job listing, or anything else that needs to pass through a process in order to be completed.
• Each column on the board represents a workflow step that each Kanban card must pass through from left to right. Simple Kanban boards are divided into three workflow steps: To Do → Doing → Done. However, more complex projects may have more workflow steps and use unique labels that mirror the chronological steps within a project.

The Kanban board is central to the Kanban productivity method; understanding the board means you’re halfway to understanding the system.

After understanding the parts of the Kanban board and how it works, it’s time to set up your own. We’ll walk you through how to choose the right Kanban tool, set up your columns, create your Kanban cards, move your projects forward, and review your board as a whole.

Choose your Kanban tool

Your Kanban boards can be physical or digital:

Love pen and paper? Draw your columns on a white board or large poster board, then write out your tasks on sticky notes. Place your sticky notes in the right columns and move them across the board as you go.

A physical board can be a good choice for individuals who love pen and paper or centralized teams who work in the same place. They also work best for sprints or short-term projects. They’re not ideal for distributed teams who work in different places or for teammates who occasionally work from home.

Looking for an app? A digital Kanban tool like Todoist makes creating and managing your boards as simple as a few keystrokes and drag and drop. Though digital tools lack the tactile satisfaction of moving your sticky notes from one column to the next, they will allow you to access your boards from your desktop and phone, share them with anyone anywhere in the world, and collaborate in real time.

If your team works across different locations, or if teammates regularly work from home, a digital Kanban board is a must. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about stickies losing their stickiness.

Choose the Kanban board that suits your personal needs and best serves your project. 

Set up your columns

A board can be divided into any number of columns, or workflow steps. The important thing is that your Kanban board represents the project you’re working on. For generalized and simple projects, use “To-Do”, ”Doing”, “Done”.

For more specialized or complex projects, customize your columns to fit. For example, a content publishing pipeline might have the following workflow steps: Topic ideas → Ready to be written → Writing → Ready to publish → Published. You might even add more steps for each round of edits.

While it’s important to consider which steps your columns should represent at the start, you can always modify your workflow steps as your project evolves. We’ll show you more examples of Kanban boards below so you can better visualize the possibilities and apply the same ideas to your own projects.

Create your Kanban cards

Your Kanban cards are the specific work items that are moved through your designated workflow steps. In the content publishing pipeline example above, your Kanban cards would be the titles of each article. For a hiring pipeline, you might use candidate names as your Kanban cards. In a simple "To-Do → Doing → Done" board, each card would be a task to be completed.

Here are a few other examples of potential Kanban cards based on projects:

Move your Kanban cards to the right

Once you’re ready to get to work with the Kanban method, start by choosing a card in the leftmost column of the board and move it to the right. For example, move a card from “To-Do” to “Doing” to show that a task has been moved from a backlog or queue and is actively being worked on.

Like any other task, a Kanban card might take you minutes, hours, or days to complete, depending on the level of detail you add. Once you’re done, move it to the right again, from “Doing” to “Done”.

Repeat the process until all the cards on your board are in the rightmost column. This signifies all work items have been completed.

Limit work in progress

While you can have more than one card in the “Doing” section at once, it’s best to keep these tasks to a minimum. Limiting work in progress will help you and/or your team prioritize and stay focused. For more advice, jump to the “Tips for Kanban” Section.

Review your board as a whole

While projects are completed one task at a time, Kanban helps you visualize your project as a whole. Regularly reviewing your entire board will help you keep driving your project forward. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to keep your Kanban pipeline flowing smoothly:

Which tasks need to be completed before other tasks can proceed?

How much work in progress is there? Is it realistic? 

Are there stages where tasks are stuck?

By regularly assessing your board and asking these questions, you’ll spot blockers early on, address them directly, and keep project momentum going.

For anyone accustomed to traditional task lists, Kanban requires a shift in how you think about your projects. The best way to learn it is by seeing it in action. Here are a few examples of Kanban boards for both team and personal projects.

Todoist Boards Templates

Curious about planning your next big project with Kanban? Browse our Todoist Boards Project Templates . Download one of the following templates to your Todoist account:

• Development workflow

Book writing

• Social media calendar
• Content pipeline
• Hiring pipeline
• Student project
• Growth Experiments
• Sales Pipeline

Design Requests

• Product Roadmap
• Bug Tracking
• Project Tracker

Collaborative Kanban

With collaborative Kanban, multiple people are working on a project and responsible for particular Kanban cards or columns. This can be the case for a human resources team with multiple people driving the hiring process forward, or a product management team where several team members are tasked with managing different features.

Here are a few team projects you could manage with Kanban:

Product roadmap

If you’re on a Product team, there’s likely a slew of features you want to release to the world. Often, these features are unexplored ideas proposed by users, while others are in the active planning stage. Use a Kanban board so your entire team knows which features are in the research phase and which are in active development.

Design teams manage a lot: email design, landing pages, social media graphics, and customer swag. Use a Kanban board to collectively sort and organize incoming design requests and get them done.

Bug tracking

Even with the most meticulous QA process in place, pesky bugs can sneak into the final product. Use a Kanban board to prioritize the most important issues and communicate the status of fixes.

Personal Kanban

Personal Kanban is a great productivity method for working on a solo project or goal that requires several steps. In those cases, getting a full overview can help ensure you’re working on the right things at the right time. It’s typical to use the workflow steps “To-Do”, “Doing” and “Done” with personal Kanban. However, you can also customize your workflow steps based on the specifics of your project.

Here are a few projects you could implement with personal Kanban:

Home renovation

Renovating your home is a daunting project. Reduce the stress of taking on everything at once by dividing up every task and placing it on your board. At a glance, you’ll see what you're focusing on now, what's coming next, and what you've already accomplished.

Looking for a new job can be a full-time role in itself. Manage the job search with a Kanban board that keeps track of job leads, where you’ve applied, and where you're at in the process with each company.

The average book is 300-400 pages and between 80,000 and 100,000 words. Considering the enormity of the work at the start can be overwhelming. Instead, get organized with a board that divides your process into manageable chapters.

1. It ensures the right work happens at the right time

Even the best-laid project plans encounter unforeseeable roadblocks, shifting timelines, and external events that change priorities. A Kanban board absorbs those changes without disrupting the whole project.

Because only "in progress" items are being worked on at any given time, the board owner can edit and rearrange the backlog of tasks as new information comes in without disrupting what's currently being worked on. In the same way that Kanban allowed Toyota to quickly shift production to account for changing customer demand, modern-day Kanban boards ensure that the right tasks are worked on at the right time given the circumstances in the moment.

2. It automatically communicates priorities and work status

The Kanban board gives a visual summary of current priorities, the status of each work item, and what's coming up next. Anyone can look at the board and quickly see where things stand and what they should be focusing on. This level of transparency makes projects flow smoothly and eliminates countless back-and-forths.

3. It makes it easier to match work in progress with current capacity

One of the biggest benefit of seeing work in progress is being able to limit work in progress. Piling on more work than you or your team have capacity for is a recipe for confused priorities, stress, and overwhelm.

A Kanban board makes it easy to see at a glance how much you and/or your team is taking on right now so you can match your workload with what you're actually able to accomplish. Items in the backlog stay organized and ready to move to "in progress" only when you actually have the capacity to complete them.

4. It makes it easier to identify blockers

On a Kanban board it's easy to see which items are getting stuck or where on the board they're piling up. You'll be able to spot and troubleshoot blockers and bottlenecks before they derail your project.

5. It’s simple, flexible, and scalable

While the Kanban method has a few basic tenets, the specifics are up to you. This makes the methodology extremely flexible, whether you’re working on a home improvement project or applying for jobs. With the ability to set the workflow steps of your choice, you can map any process onto a Kanban board and get started.

Kanban doesn’t have any complex implementation or challenging rules. You simply place the cards where they belong and you move them through the process. Even as the scope of a project gets bigger, this methodology doesn't get harder. A board will get larger, but not more complex.

Though the Kanban method is easy to get started with, there are a few steps you can take to make the productivity method work well for you and your team and avoid common hang-ups that bring projects to a halt. 

Organize your backlog by priority

Keeping your task queue organized by priority makes it clear which task will progress to the "in progress" stage next. When capacity opens up, you or a teammate will know exactly what to work on to keep the pipeline flowing.

Keep your board up-to-date

You can have the perfect board and process in place at the start of a project, but it’s useless unless it reflects the current reality. 

If you’re using Kanban to manage team projects, identify a project manager who will be responsible for updating the board on a daily, or at least weekly, basis. If you’re using personal Kanban for your own projects, incorporate a full review of your boards into a weekly review .

Todoist Tip

Use a recurring task in Todoist to review your Kanban board so it’s always up to date.

Limit Kanban cards to one person at a time

Sometimes it’s clear who’s responsible for a task. Other times, there are grey areas where two or more individuals are responsible for moving a piece of work forward. It may seem harmless to have two or more people assigned to a Kanban card at once, but it can lead to a situation where nobody feels ultimately responsible for a task.

While the responsible person may change depending on where the card is at in the process, ensure that only one individual is assigned to each card at a time.

Keep the Kanban board in plain sight 

Your Kanban should be available for everyone to see. If you’re in an office, keep it in a central place where everyone can access it whenever they need to. For a distributed team, opt for a digital board with open permissions so that everyone can check in and add relevant updates.

If you're looking for a digital board but still want the flexibility to switch back and forth to a more traditional task list, look no further than Todoist . The Boards feature lets you plan out projects from inception to launch and share projects with multiple people. And you can always switch back to list view if you need to.

Todoist's apps are available on Web, MacOS, iOS, and Android so you and your team will be able to access and manage your boards from anywhere.

Create a project with Todoist Boards

When you create a new project in Todoist, you’ll have the option of choosing from a “List” project or a “Board” project. Select “Board” to create and plan your project with the Kanban method.

You can switch between list view and board view in Todoist. Click on the View icon in your Todoist project, and select “List” or “Board” to see an alternate view.

Create your columns

Add a new section for each workflow step your project requires. You can always go back to edit your section names, add new ones, or rearrange their order with drag and drop.

Create your cards

Once you’ve created your sections, it’s time to create your cards. On your Todoist board, each task is a card. Of course, this will be entirely based on your project. In the case of a “Content Pipeline” project, each task could be the working title of a particular article.

You can drag and drop to rearrange tasks within a section or move them across the board to a new section.

Manage your project

Once your tasks and sections are in place, you’re ready to start managing your project board. Drag tasks from left to right across columns as you progress through a project over time.

Once a task is all the way to the right, you can leave it there as a record of what's been accomplished or you can complete it. Completed tasks will disappear from your board, but you can always go back to view them by selecting “Show completed tasks” from the project menu in the top right of your board.

Share your boards and collaborate

Working with a team? Share your board project so you can collaborate together.

In addition to assigning tasks to each responsible person, you'll be able to collaborate in each task's comments . Upload relevant files, share information, ask questions, or discuss details related to the task.

Access your boards from anywhere

Download Todoist on all of your devices so you can review and manage your boards from your computer or on your phone.

Helpful keyboard shortcuts for Todoist Boards ⌨️

• Move tasks to a new section by typing “/” when adding or editing a task.
• Edit any task by holding Alt/Option and then clicking on the task.
• Switch between board and list view using the keyboard shortcut Shift + v .
• Add a task to the beginning of the first column with the keyboard shortcut a .
• Add a section to the end of your project using the keyboard shortcut s .
• Hide the left-hand navigation menu with the keyboard shortcut m .

Kanban is a robust productivity method without any of the complexity. Whether you’re building a company or taking on a home renovation, Kanban can help you realize your most ambitious projects and goals.

Fadeke Adegbuyi

Fadeke is a writer and marketer at Doist. She's passionate about telling stories of better ways to live and work.

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• Agile project management
• 4 kanban principles

4 Kanban Principles for Agile Project Management

Browse topics.

Kanban is a visual project management framework that optimizes workflows and increases efficiency through real-time tracking and collaboration. Think of it as Agile’s best friend—always there to track tasks and workflows and gauge the workload.

Four core principles make up the Kanban framework: start with what you know, pursue incremental change, respect the current process, and encourage leadership at all levels. 

In this guide, you'll learn about these four Kanban principles, how they fit into agile software development , how easy they are to implement, and how they improve project management practices.

How is Kanban applied to software development?

The Kanban methodology was originally developed to improve manufacturing efficiency. It has since been adapted for software development to optimize workflows and reduce wasteful behaviors. At its core, Kanban focuses on visualizing tasks, limiting work in progress, and ensuring a smooth flow of tasks from start to finish.

Kanban introduces a visual aid, the Kanban board , to project management efforts. This visual tool helps teams track task progress, acting as a single source of truth.

Agile project management is the go-to approach for DevOps software development teams who crave flexibility and iterative progress. Agile methodology adapts to change and delivers small, incremental improvements, making it easy to handle constant change in the software development process.

Jira offers a ready-to-use Kanban board template that makes it easy for software teams to prioritize, visualize, and manage a continuous delivery of work. 

What are the 4 Kanban principles?

The Kanban methodology comprises four simple principles that form the backbone of the Kanban framework. These four Kanban principles include:

1. Start with what you do know

Kanban starts with the discovery phase, so you don’t invest resources into fixing something that already works. During this phase, project managers pinpoint existing processes and workflows that work well and identify processes, roles, and responsibilities with room for improvement. By focusing on discrete problem areas that need optimization, managers can minimize organizational disruption and quantify ROI more accurately for Kanban improvements.

2. Agree to pursue incremental, evolutionary change

Kanban focuses on small, manageable changes, so think baby steps, not giant leaps. Sweeping changes can overwhelm teams and introduce unforeseen challenges. For instance, suddenly overhauling your company’s entire software deployment process could lead to missed steps, costly errors and downtime, and even team resistance due to the unfamiliarity. 

On the other hand, implementing incremental changes, such as adjusting one phase of the deployment at a time, minimizes risk. Teams have the opportunity to acclimate, leading to more predictable outcomes. By delivering incremental value, senior management will see tangible results quickly, which can improve buy-in to the process.

3. Respect the current process, roles, responsibilities, and titles

Kanban respects the organizational processes, roles, and titles and aims to enhance rather than disrupt the natural order of operations. This synergy makes it easy to weave Kanban into existing workflows. 

By honoring the current structure, Kanban reduces resistance to change and allows for quick implementation because the company does not need to restructure before starting with Kanban.

4. Encourage acts of leadership at all levels in your company

Kanban encourages empowerment: Everyone, from interns to CEOs, takes ownership of their tasks. People tend to be more engaged, accountable, and happier at work when they feel empowered to take ownership of their tasks. Kanban encourages each team member to contribute to the process. For example, a junior developer might identify a bottleneck in the workflow and suggest a solution backed by data.

Are Kanban principles easy to implement?

Introducing Kanban principles should not create disruptive change as they focus on making incremental changes and do not require an overhaul of existing processes. All a team needs to implement Kanban principles is a board and some cards to represent tasks. A virtual board enables remote teams to share information and streamline team communication.  For software teams, Jira offers a robust feature set of project management tools that support any Agile methodology, including Kanban. With Jira’s ready-to-use Kanban template, teams can easily set up their next project and start moving work forward.

Jira also enables business teams, such as marketing, HR, or finance, to take advantage of Kanban principles and oversee and monitor tasks across various projects and operations. In addition to Calendar and Timeline views, Jira offers teams a board view that gives them a clear and easy way to visualize work.

Jira is the shared platform of collaboration across an organization, allowing software developers and their non-technical counterparts to stay connected while using tools curated for their own use cases. Connect projects, documents, and tasks to streamline collaboration and communication, break down silos, and prevent project delays. 

What are the core Kanban practices?

While Kanban’s four principles highlight the reasons behind its efficacy in enhancing Agile-based software development, its six core practices offer a clear roadmap for implementation. This section unpacks these practices to provide you with a deeper understanding.

1. Visualize workflows

You’ve got to see it to manage it

To manage workflows, you need to be able to visualize them. Kanban boards include columns that represent stages in your workflow, such as “To do,” “In progress,” and “Done.” Each card represents an individual task or user story and includes details such as deadlines, responsible team members, and more. Jira’s ready-to-use Kanban template comes with a pre-configured Kanban board so teams can set up their project quickly and start moving work forward. 

Project managers arrange Kanban cards for each project on the project’s Kanban board. They place them in columns representing their current status. A glance at the board offers a wealth of information. The project manager can instantly see what team members are working on, what they have completed, and what is overdue.

2. Limit work-in-progress (WIP)

Bite off only what you can chew

The chaos of multitasking can be a productivity killer, so limiting work-in-progress is crucial. By setting WIP limits for each column on your Kanban board, team members can focus on completing tasks rather than juggling too many. The goal is for everyone to have tasks on the Kanban board that they need to complete but for no one to need to multitask.

3. Manage flow

Let the Kanban board be your guide

The Kanban board is the go-to tool for identifying bottlenecks and roadblocks. For example, if the "Code review" column is consistently full, code reviews are slowing down the process and may need some attention.

It is vital to move cards in real time to accurately reflect work progress and keep the team in the loop.

4. Ensure explicit process policies

Transparency is key

Well-documented processes keep everyone on the same page. Documenting and defining processes involves outlining roles, responsibilities, workflows, and protocols. The master project documentation template is a great place to start your documentation efforts.

5. Deploy feedback loops

Feedback isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have.

Feedback is the cornerstone of continuous improvement, helping project managers pinpoint what's working and what needs tweaking. This feedback, gathered from team member experiences, interactions with the board, and insights from senior management, serves as the foundation for continuous improvement. It empowers project managers to discern what’s effective and what aspects need adjustments.

6. Improve collaboratively

Improvement is a team sport

Continuous improvement is an ongoing process that involves analyzing performance, spotting opportunities, and making incremental changes. Kanban boards are versatile enough to handle various workflows while ensuring work progress. 

For those looking to dig deeper into performance analysis and root-cause identification, Confluence —a collaboration tool by Atlassian—offers ready-to-use templates for retrospectives and “ five whys ” sessions so you can conduct effective meetings for local and remote teams.

Follow Kanban principles for better project management

Kanban principles and practices go beyond using visual boards and cards to fostering a culture of continuous improvement, efficiency, and teamwork. This holistic approach can significantly elevate your project management approach by refining task execution and augmenting process clarity. 

Jira’s Kanban board view gives agile teams structured frameworks to visualize work, improve efficiency, and enhance collaboration across the organization

Kanban principles: frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a kanban board and a kanban card.

A Kanban card represents an individual task within a workflow. A Kanban board is a visual tool that displays an entire workflow.

Kanban cards include detailed information about each task, including its status, owner, and priority. The Kanban board brings the Kanban cards together to give the team an overall view of a project.

What are the benefits of the Kanban method?

The Kanban method offers a range of advantages that streamline project management and enhance team performance, including:

• Improved workflow: By visualizing tasks on a Kanban board, teams can identify bottlenecks and optimize workflows.
• Increased efficiency: Limiting WIP ensures that team members focus on completing tasks instead of feeling overwhelmed with multitasking. 
• Enhanced collaboration: The visual nature of Kanban boards fosters a collaborative environment, as everyone is aware of their responsibilities and the status of each task.

What is the difference between Scrum and Kanban?

While Scrum and Kanban are both Agile methodologies, Scrum operates in fixed-length sprint cycles, whereas Kanban is a continuous flow method. Scrum teams have predefined roles, such as Scrum Master and Product Owner, and Scrum involves various ceremonies, such as daily stand-ups and sprint planning. Kanban team roles are flexible, and Kanban doesn't require regular meetings, making it adaptable to various projects and team structures. 

However, the principles behind these frameworks are similar, so a Kanban vs. Scrum mindset isn't the way to go. It's best to view these frameworks through the lens of how they can help build better products with fewer headaches.

Kanban - A brief introduction

An introduction to kanban methodology for agile software development and its benefits for your agile team.

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Beginner’s Guide to Kanban Project Management

Kanban project management is an Agile framework used to visualize and improve workflows, reduce waste and inefficiency, and increase team focus by limiting work in progress. First developed by Toyota engineer Taiichi Ohno in the 1940s, Kanban comes from the Japanese word for “sign” or “visual board.” 

While Kanban has its origins in lean manufacturing , the framework has been widely adopted by IT, service delivery, project management, and operations teams across industries. 

Unlike Scrum , Kanban is not based around sprints , ceremonies , and roles . Instead, Kanban is flexible and adapts to existing roles and team structures by categorizing tasks on a Kanban board according to what production phase they are in (To-Do, In Progress, and Complete). 

In this Kanban guide, we’ll cover the principles and fundamentals of Kanban project management and how to use tools like a Kanban card and board for effective task management. In our FAQ sections, we’ll also cover topics like Kanban replenishment , Kanban in SaFe , and how to run a Kanban team .

Finally, look out for our Kanban glossary — a comprehensive overview of key terms and concepts for Kanban teams to know. 

Discover the benefits of Kanban task management and how to leverage this Agile framework for better delivery, production, and project management.

What's in the Kanban Guide?

What is kanban the ultimate guide to kanban methodology, the core kanban principles and practices, what is a kanban board features and fundamentals, everything you need to know about kanban cards, ultimate list of kanban tools and software, practical kanban templates and examples, the complete guide to personal kanban, kanban wip - work in progress limits explained, what is a kanban retrospective meeting, kanban vs. scrum comparison guide, glossary of kanban project management terms, kanban roles.

• How To Become a Certified Kanban Expert
• Kanban Product Owner
• Kanban Team
• Role And Responsibilities of a Kanban Service Delivery Manager

Kanban Processes

• Kanban Productivity System
• Kanban To Do, Doing, Done Lists
• Kanban Risk Management
• Kanban Scheduling

Kanban in Software Development

• Kanban for IT Operations (DevOps)
• Kanban in SAP
• What is Kanban for Software Development?
• What is KanPlan?
• Kanban In Project Management Software

Kanban Delivery

• Kanban Cadence
• Kanban Delivery Planning
• Upstream Kanban

Kanban At Scale

• Scaled Kanban

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Learn about our open source solutions

Read more about AI, Strategy, ADHD, and more.

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Whether you’re a seasoned project manager or just starting, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of the Kanban board. We’ll explore the origins of the Kanban board, how it works, and how it can enhance your project management skills.

We’ll unlock the full potential of the Kanban board by understanding its principles and practical applications. By doing so, you’ll be able to make your projects more efficient and organized.

Table of contents

A brief overview of the kanban methodology, the importance of visualizing work, what is a kanban board, how does a kanban board work, the benefits of kanban boards, kanban board examples, kanban board vs. scrum board, kanban board: visualizing the workflow, how to customize your kanban boards, kanban board functionality in leantime, unlocking its potential.

The Kanban methodology is a visual project management approach focusing on continuous improvement and efficient workflow. It originated in the automotive industry and has since been adopted across various industries to streamline processes and optimize productivity.

Visualizing work in project management is crucial for enhancing collaboration, communication, and transparency. A Kanban board helps teams work better and faster, leading to project success by showing task progress and spotting potential bottlenecks. It organizes tasks in a clear and easy-to-use way.

A Kanban Board is a tool specifically designed to help teams visualize their workflow and optimize their processes. It is a crucial aspect of the Kanban methodology, which emphasizes continuous improvement, efficient workflow, and better collaboration and communication within project teams.

When I first heard about Kanban boards, I thought it was a complex management tool that only software engineers use. Well, they’re pretty simple and super helpful for organizing all kinds of projects – not just for tech teams!

Kanban boards are basically a to-do list on steroids. It allows you to visually map out the different stages of your project in columns on a board. For example, you might have “To-Do,” “In Progress,” and “Completed” columns. Then, you write all the tasks for your project on cards or sticky notes and place them in the appropriate column on the Kanban board.

Did You Know: In 2006, software developers applied the Kanban method to visualize and share project status using whiteboards and cards.

So why is this better than a standard old to-do list? Well, seeing the different workflows visually lets you quickly identify bottlenecks. If you have a jam-packed “In Progress” column and an empty “Completed” column, you know your workflow needs some adjustments. Kanban helps make these workflow issues obvious.

Read More: How to Be More Productive

When using digital Kanban boards, I most enjoy the process of moving Kanban cards from one column to another. It gives you a nice dopamine hit every time you transition a task to the “Completed” column! It just feels so productive seeing your Kanban board fill up with finished tasks. The Kanban method is all about that sense of progress.

Elements of a Kanban Board

They can be broken down into the following elements:

Virtual Signals

It’s like giving each task its own unique identity. You can use different colors or shapes to show if a task is in progress, high priority, or include any other critical details. This visual approach turns your Kanban board into a dynamic and easy-to-understand storybook. These visual signals can help a team member or stakeholder quickly see how tasks are performing and spot potential hiccups with a glance.

The board is divided into columns, each representing a specific activity or status in the project “workflow.” Cards are moved across columns as they progress through the project stages, visually representing the project’s overall progress and individual task statuses. The columns on a Kanban board often include “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Complete,” and others that may consist of “On Hold” or “Waiting for Approval.”

Work-in-Progress Limits (WIP Limits)

These are the maximum number of tasks allowed in each column at any given time. Why a WIP limit? It helps prevent a backlog and keep things flowing smoothly. It’s all about avoiding task overload and making sure each task gets the attention it deserves. A WIP limit can be adjusted as needed based on the team’s capacity and the complexity of the tasks.

Commitment Point

Teams often have a backlog for their Kanban board. This is where customers and teammates put ideas for projects that the team can pick up when they are ready. The commitment point is the moment when the team picks up an idea and work starts on the project; it’s like saying, “Let’s bring this idea to life.” It’s time to turn those creative ideas into reality.

Delivery Point

This is the point at which a task is considered “done.” It can be the same column as “Review,” or it can be a separate column after the review process.

A Kanban board consisting of these five essential elements will definitely set your team up for success.

Instead of a pile of tasks, you have tasks written on cards and columns representing the stages.

Tasks Become Cards

Whether you’re using a digital or physical Kanban board, the process for creating cards is similar. Each task gets its card with a description, due date, and relevant information.

Cards Move Through Kanban Columns

As you work on a task, you move its card from “To Do” to “In Progress.” When it’s finished, it goes to “Done.” This visual movement helps everyone see the progress of each task.

Limits Prevent Overload

How many cards can be in each stage is limited. This can help prevent people from taking on too much at once and ensure a smooth workflow.

Flexibility is Critical

You can add or remove columns as needed and customize the workflow to fit your specific project.

Continuous Improvement

The Kanban system isn’t static. You can constantly review and adapt the board to optimize your team’s efficiency.

Integrating the Kanban board for project management brings plenty of benefits for the team, making everything smoother while boosting collaboration.

Here are a few benefits that Kanban boards offer to you and your project managers:

Improved Visibility and Transparency

Kanban boards’ primary strength is their ability to present tasks and their progress in a clear and concise visual format within a project. With greater visibility, teams can identify bottlenecks, prioritize tasks, and work more efficiently towards project goals.

Enhanced Focus and Workflow Efficiency

Setting Work-in-Progress (WIP) limits isn’t just about managing tasks; it’s a game-changer for personal productivity. With WIP limits, you can focus on what matters, minimize distractions, and amp up your efficiency —no more juggling tasks or feeling overwhelmed.

Plus, regular check-ins and reflections help you stay ahead of challenges, tackling them head-on. It’s all about working smarter, not harder.

Teamwork and Better Collaboration

When everyone owns Kanban boards, that’s when the magic happens. Teamwork and collaboration soar as the digital Kanban board becomes a shared space.

Regular meetings transform into a hub of clear communication and problem-solving. Visual cues do the heavy lifting, making discussions short, sweet, and concise. It’s teamwork made simple.

Improved Communication

Effective communication is crucial in project management, and Kanban boards help to facilitate this by providing a clear and concise overview of tasks and their progress.

The visual nature of the board keeps everyone on the same page, guaranteeing that all team members are aware of the project’s status and potential issues. This leads to better communication within the team, resulting in more efficient and successful project execution.

Increase Productivity

Improved efficiency, in turn, leads to increased productivity . Kanban boards help to enhance your productivity by shifting the focus from beginning tasks to completing them. In Kanban, two essential productivity metrics are cycle time and throughput.

Cycle time refers to the duration of a task to move through a process, while throughput refers to the number of tasks completed within a specific period. Consistently monitoring your cycle time and throughput lets you track your productivity progress over time. The quicker the tasks move through your process, the more tasks can be completed!

Easily Combined with Other Methodologies

They are a flexible task management strategy that can be used with other methodologies, such as Agile methodology and Extreme Programming (XP).

But that’s not all; numerous other options are also available. When combined with another management strategy, the Kanban method can significantly enhance project management and enable project leaders to customize the process to their team’s explicit needs.

Reduce Employee Overload

Uneven workload distribution can happen if there is a lack of transparency. One employee can end up with too many projects while others are given less work than they can handle. The Kanban system provides a visual tool to show each workload, making it easy for team leaders to distribute tasks evenly and avoid overworking anyone.

Reduce Distractions

Multitasking is popular, but as we all know, it can be difficult to work successfully on many tasks at once. Multitasking is less effective and productive than working on a single task at a time.

Statistic:  Approximately 2.5% of people are capable of effectively multitasking. [1] 

Did You Know:  Research findings indicate that transitioning between tasks can result in a loss of up to 40% of our productive time. [2]

Employees can only progress onto another task after finishing their current project. This approach of focusing on one task at a time helps employees concentrate on their work instead of juggling multiple projects, which can divide their attention and disrupt their focus.

The Kanban board is highly adaptable and can be customized to suit a wide range of purposes and workflows. They can be used for anything from simple personal to-do lists to complex software development projects.

Personal Tasks

They’re not just for work. A digital Kanban board can be effectively used to manage personal tasks. They allow you to visually arrange and plan your daily, weekly, or monthly tasks, simplifying the process of organizing and tracking progress.

Whether it’s work-related tasks, household chores, home renovation, or personal goals, a Kanban board offers a straightforward way to see what needs attention and aids in staying organized and on top of responsibilities.

Another Kanban board example can also be used as a visual calendar, helping you to keep track of important dates, events, and appointments. By organizing your calendar into columns representing days, weeks, or months, you can easily see what’s coming up and plan accordingly. Utilize it as a calendar to stay organized and never overlook an important date. 

A roadmap means direction, not details. It precisely delineates a project’s significant milestones and outcomes, offering a transparent visual representation of the project’s timeline and objectives. A roadmap means direction, not details.

With a roadmap, you can strategically plan for the future, maintaining team alignment and focus on achieving your project objectives.

Although both are popular, the significant differences between the two methodologies can impact their effectiveness for different projects.

Differences in Methodology

Kanban boards emphasize continuous improvement, efficient workflow, and better collaboration and communication within project teams. They clearly depict tasks and progress, allowing teams to monitor and adjust their workflow as needed easily.

On the other hand, Scrum boards follow a more structured approach, with tasks organized into sprints – predetermined timeframes during which specific tasks must be completed. They are cleared and recycled after each sprint, and the focus is on delivering a potentially releasable increment of the product at the end of each sprint.

While both methodologies aim to maximize efficiency, their approaches differ in terms of flexibility and workflow organization.

The Flexibility of Kanban Boards

Kanban Boards have a distinct advantage due to their flexibility. Unlike Scrum Boards, they are not bound to a fixed structure, allowing you to adjust priorities and make updates as needed easily.

Doing so makes Kanban Boards an excellent choice to manage projects, whether you are working alone or in a team, handling one-time tasks, or managing ongoing work.

Kanban Boards can also be easily customized to fit individuals’ or teams’ specific needs and workflows, making them an agile project management tool. In contrast, Scrum Boards follow a more rigid structure, which may not be suitable for all types of projects and teams.

The initial step is to visualize your project’s workflow by recognizing the various stages that tasks pass through as they move from the beginning to completion. You can create columns to represent each stage by breaking down your project into distinct stages.

Creating a clear representation of the workflow helps improve project visibility and transparency, ensuring that all team members clearly understand the project’s status and progress.

Setting up Work-in-Progress Limits

Work-in-progress (WIP) limits are essential components. These limits help to prevent bottlenecks and ensure a smooth flow of tasks through the workflow. Before setting up the WIP limits, take a moment to determine the maximum number of tasks that can be in each column at any given time. By adhering to these limits, your team can more effectively manage their workload and ensure that tasks are completed promptly and efficiently. 

Encouraging Continuous Improvement and Leadership

By regularly reviewing the workflow and making adjustments as needed, your team can identify areas for improvement and optimize the process. Promoting a collaborative and proactive environment is important to the success of a Kanban board. Encouraging acts of leadership at all levels empower members of a team to contribute to the project’s success.

Adapting to different environments and workflows it allows teams to tailor their boards to suit their unique project needs, promoting efficient and effective project management. You can customize your board to fit your specific requirements by adapting to different environments and workflows and using labels, tags, and Swimlanes for organization.

Adapting to Different Environments and Workflows

They can be easily customized to adapt to various environments, from manufacturing to software development teams. By understanding your team’s specific workflow and processes, you can create a basic Kanban board structure that accurately represents your project.

This can involve customizing the columns to represent different stages of your workflow or even creating multiple boards for different aspects of your project.

Using Labels, Tags, and Swimlanes for Organization

Another way to customize your board is by using labels, tags, and swimlanes to organize tasks and provide additional context. Labels and tags can be used to categorize tasks by priority, type, or any other relevant criteria, making it easy for team members to identify specific tasks and their associated information quickly.

On the other hand, Swimlanes can be used to organize tasks, dividing them into separate lanes based on factors such as team responsibility or project stage.

Adding labels, tags, and Swimlanes allows you to create a highly organized and visually appealing workspace that accurately represents your project’s unique needs. It enhances the visual clarity of your board and promotes better collaboration and communication among team members, ultimately contributing to the project’s overall success.

Leantime is a comprehensive project management tool offering a Kanban Board functionality tailored for different types of organizations and users.

Features and Capabilities

Leantime’s Kanban Board provides a clear and concise visual representation of tasks and their progress within a project, improving visibility and transparency for any member of the team. It also allows for better collaboration and communication, ensuring that everyone stays on the same page and works efficiently towards the project’s goals.

The Kanban Board in Leantime is highly adaptable, allowing teams to adapt it to their specific needs and workflows. Key components of Leantime’s Kanban Board include:

The Kanban Cards

Task cards that contain essential information such as descriptions, priority levels, and assignees.

Workflow stages are represented by columns, allowing for easy tracking of task progress.

In addition to these core components, Leantime offers advanced features such as task assignment, notifications, and integration with other management tools, making it a powerful solution for managing projects of all sizes and complexity.

Integration with Other Project Management Tools and Methodologies

The digital boards are designed to integrate seamlessly with other project management tools and methodologies, ensuring that teams and project managers can use them alongside their existing processes and systems.

This integration allows teams to leverage the benefits of the Kanban project management methodology while maintaining their existing workflows and tools, resulting in a more efficient and effective process.

The Kanban Board proves to be a versatile and dynamic tool, offering a comprehensive solution for effective project management. Its visual simplicity, emphasis on workflow, and flexible nature enhance collaboration, streamline processes, and contribute to the overall success of projects.

Whether used for personal tasks or team projects, its user-friendly approach empowers individuals and agile teams to achieve their goals efficiently.

Gloria Folaron

Gloria Folaron is the CEO and founder of Leantime. A Nurse first, she describes herself as an original non-project manager. Being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, she has hands on experience in navigating the world of project and product management and staying organized with ADHD.

Support Leantime

Leantime is an open source project and lives and breathes through its community.

If you like Leantime and want to support us you can start by giving us a Star on Github or through a sponsorship.

WeKan ® Open-Source Kanban

Experience efficient task management with WeKan - the Open-Source, customizable, and privacy-focused kanban.

Features in WeKan

You can make many boards for different projects or tasks. Each board can have columns to show the different stages of your work, such as "To Do," "Doing," and "Done." You can also add cards to each board to represent tasks, with titles, descriptions, and due dates. WeKan helps you keep track of your tasks and projects visually, so you can see what needs to be done and what has been completed.

WeKan uses lists on a Kanban board to represent different stages of a workflow, such as "To Do," "Doing," and "Done." Lists help you organize and track tasks on the board. To add a new list, click "Add a list" and give it a name. You can move tasks between lists by dragging and dropping them. Lists can be customized by changing their color or adding custom fields to capture more information about tasks.

A card represents a task on a Kanban board. It includes a title, description, due date, labels, and comments. To create a new card, choose the board and column, and add the relevant details. As work progresses, move the card from one column to another. Cards can be customized by adding labels, files, and checklists. You can also comment on cards to provide updates or feedback.

WeKan has several features to protect your data and keep it secure. WeKan is designed with security in mind.

WeKan is an open-source project, which means that its source code is available for anyone to inspect and audit for security vulnerabilities. This makes it less likely that there are hidden security holes that could be exploited by attackers.

Trello Attachments Downloader

At 2024-04-08, Trello will limit free users to 10 members. xet7 recommends to download all Trello JSON and attachments with Trello Attachments Downloader . xet7 is adding a way to import from those files to WeKan.

Standard for Public Code

WeKan and Standard for Public Code assessment was made at 2023-11. Currently WeKan meets 8 out of 16 criteria out of the box. Some others could be met with small changes.

Self-hosted option

One of the biggest advantages of WeKan is its self-hosting option, which gives you full control over your data, better security, greater customization options, cost-effectiveness, long-term viability, and can help you ensure that your data is not being accessed or shared without your knowledge.

Access controls

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Kanban boards software: 11 top picks for 2023

Kanban board software helps teams visualize work by organizing tasks into columns, like “do,” “doing,” and “done.” In this article, we’ve outlined the best Kanban tool options on the market—including their pros, cons, and how to choose software that’s right for your team.

Seeing a list of project tasks is one thing. But visualizing the status of each task? That’s where the magic happens. 

The more you can quickly see the status of work, the smoother projects will go. Kanban board software helps you do just that by organizing tasks into columns according to their completion stage—just like sticky notes on a physical board. But unlike a physical board, Kanban software lets you visualize work and collaborate with your team in one place, from anywhere. 

With so many Kanban board tools on the market, it’s hard to know which one to choose. To help cut through the confusion, we’ve outlined the top 11 options in this article.

What is Kanban board software? 

A simple task board contains: 

Task cards: These are your virtual sticky notes. They represent each task your team needs to complete, usually with additional information like when the task is due and who owns it. 

Columns: The columns in your Kanban board usually represent the status of each task—like “New Requests,” “In Progress,” and “Complete.” As tasks progress, they move through each column until complete. 

Why use Kanban board software?

Kanban board software lets you do much more than just drag and drop tasks through different stages. It’s a hub where your team can plan, organize, and complete work together—even if you’re not in the same room. With a Kanban tool, you can: 

Keep all your project information in one place.

Build Kanban boards and collaborate with your team in one tool.

Visualize the status of work in real-time.

Monitor project progress and prevent bottlenecks before they happen.

Communicate with teammates by commenting directly on each task. 

Automatically move tasks to different columns as team members complete work.

Set deadlines and assign owners to each task.

Kanban board software is much more flexible than a physical board. As circumstances change, you can easily reassign work, change due dates, and add more columns when processes get more complex. 

How to choose Kanban board software

The best Kanban board software goes beyond simple, single-project organization. It should be flexible enough to use across teams and projects—so engineering can track their sprints, IT can monitor incoming requests, CRM can plan their calendar, and more. The more use cases the software offers, the more value you can get from the tool. And when it’s employed throughout your company, you can use Kanban board software to collaborate across teams—not just for one specific project. 

Key features to look for

Make sure the Kanban board software you choose includes these key features, especially if you want to use it broadly across your organization.

Integrations : Look for software you can connect with the tools your team already uses. This helps you get more value from your existing tech stack, because you can centralize information from apps like Slack, Jira, and Salesforce in one place. 

Automation : Dragging and dropping tasks into different columns doesn’t work at scale. Automations let you instantly move tasks across your Kanban board as your team completes work. The best tools include custom automations that you can tailor to your specific processes—and eliminate time spent on repetitive tasks. 

Dashboards : Don’t waste time manually pulling progress reports. Look for a tool with reporting functionality, so you can instantly visualize metrics like incomplete work items, task completion time, and team bandwidth. 

Time tracking : Knowing how long tasks take to complete is essential as you balance your team’s workload. Ideally, the software you choose should let you estimate time requirements andmeasure how long work actually takes.  

Different view options: Visualizing your work in different ways can help you spot bottlenecks and blockers before they happen. Choose a tool that lets you switch back and forth between different views—so you can see your project as a Kanban board , calendar , spreadsheet-style list, or Gantt chart . 

Templates : Instead of starting new projects from scratch, templates let you kickstart initiatives with a pre-built framework. Look for a tool with a robust template library—plus the option to create custom templates. 

Questions to consider

Aside from features, it’s also important to consider how this new software will fit your team’s (or company’s) specific needs. Here are some questions to ask before taking the plunge: 

Is this software easy to adopt? If Kanban board software isn’t intuitive, teams won’t adopt it. Watch product demos or schedule a session with the sales team to get familiar with the software’s UI—including its web, desktop, and mobile app. Make sure the software has an easy-to-navigate user guide . You want teams to easily get started with the tool on their own, without a steep learning curve.

Will purchasing this tool improve my company’s bottom line? Make sure you can quantify potential return on investment (ROI) from the software. Research pricing and look for independent reports that quantify time savings from different project management tools, like this report from Nucleus Research . 

Is this tool secure? It’s critical to ensure company information stays private, even when employees work in different locations and time zones. Data security is a must-have feature; do your research, and make sure the tool meets your IT team’s required security standards . 

Can our company use this software across different teams? New software shouldn’t contribute to application sprawl. Instead of picking a tool that you can only use narrowly for a specific team, look for options that are flexible enough to cover a broad range of use cases. Ideally, collaboration software should streamline cross-team workflows—like campaign and project planning , work request tracking , or strategic planning .

The best Kanban software of 2023: 11 top picks

Looking to adopt a new tool? Check out this list to pick the best software for your team. 

An enterprise-ready platform, built for any use case  

Asana supports a wide range of enterprise-ready features—so if you’re looking to manage work at scale, it’s one of the best options. With functionality like integrations , automation , and dashboards , your team can save time on repetitive tasks, plus see project performance at-a-glance. According to an independent study by Nucleus Research, Asana can cut the time it takes to complete a project by up to 50%, reduce time spent in meetings by up to 50%, and minimize project errors by up to 90%. 

In addition to Kanban board functionality, Asana lets teams toggle between different project views—like task lists, calendar view , and timeline view . That means employees aren’t limited to just Kanban boards. Instead, they can organize their workspace the way that works best for their specific needs. 

Asana shines for organizations that want to expand beyond simple project planning and task management. It’s flexible enough to deploy across teams and use cases—so instead of siloed projects, you can facilitate collaboration between teams. 

Simple, classic Kanban boards

Trello focuses specifically on Kanban project management, with colorful boards and Kanban cards you can drag and drop into different columns. The simplicity of Trello means it’s easy to get started right away. Trello shines for small teams and single-team projects—but if you want to scale your business, chances are you’ll outgrow Trello. 

A user-friendly tool for smaller teams

With a colorful and engaging interface, it’s easy for teams to get started with Monday.com. You can create Kanban boards with a drag-and-drop builder—plus toggle between other project views like calendars and lists. But while it’s easy to jump into single projects with Monday.com, you may run into barriers as you expand cross-team collaboration. 

Favored by startups with tight budgets

Clickup’s Kanban boards are easy to build, with drag-and-drop functionality, color-coded tags, and other user-friendly features. The tool offers more than just Kanban boards, which means you can visualize your work in different ways—like lists and calendars. However, some users report hitting barriers as their teams expand and cross-functional teamwork becomes a priority.

Businessmap

Full-featured Kanban boards for Agile teams

Businessmap lets you create more complex Kanban boards. The tool includes functionality to link different boards together, split board columns into sub-columns, and create card templates for recurring work. It’s a strong solution for Agile teams—but if you want a tool with additional use cases, Businessmap might feel limiting. 

A spreadsheet-focused tool with Kanban functionality

Smartsheet specializes in spreadsheets. This tool offers more capabilities than Microsoft Excel or Google Docs, like time tracking and collaboration features. It also includes a simple Kanban board view, which allows users to drag and drop cards into different columns. But spreadsheets are where Smartsheet really shines—and since not all teams prefer to work in sheets, this tool may not translate well across your organization.

Colorful spreadsheets with Kanban board options

Like Smartsheet, Airtable’s main focus is spreadsheets—but with a more colorful UI. Airtable’s filtering, sorting, and grouping functionality helps users sift through data that could otherwise be overwhelming in Kanban board format. But while the software is customizable, it can feel limiting as you scale your team and processes. 

Kanban boards for client-facing teams

Wrike offers Kanban board functionality, with cards you can organize into different columns to visualize work status. The tool’s user-friendly security permissions make it easy to safely share information with external clients, which can be helpful for teams that prioritize work with external partners. However, it may be less effective for managing cross-team projects.

Zoho Sprints

A visual, agile-specific tool

Zoho Sprints shines for agile teams, with specific features for Scrum and Kanban project management. The tool supports Agile epic creation and management, plus user stories , work-in-progress limits, and burndown charts . But since Zoho Sprints is so tailored to Agile project management , it may not be flexible enough to use across different teams. 

Made for software developers

Jira was designed for software developers, with Agile-specific features like epics, user stories, and sprints. The tool includes Kanban board functionality, which allows users to track tickets through each stage of the sprint lifecycle—like “backlog,” “in progress,” “in QA,” and “done.” But while Jira works well for technical teams, it may not be flexible enough to use across your company.

Azure DevOps

Development-specific services for Agile teams

Azure DevOps is tailor-made for software development teams. In addition to a Kanban system, the software includes Github hosting and code review functionality, a universal package repository, and test plans to help teams successfully deploy their code. This tool is very specific—so if you’re looking for something to use for different use cases, it may not be the best option. 

Visualize work your way

Kanban boards are a useful tool to visualize where work stands. But by themselves, they’re not enough to coordinate work across teams and bigger projects. That’s why the best Kanban tools offer more than just boards. Great project management software lets teams organize work in the way that works best for them, whether that’s as a Kanban board, checklist, calendar, or Gantt chart. With that flexibility, you can adapt your software to fit your company's needs—rather than changing your processes to fit your software. 

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A Kanban tool for visual planning

Stay organized and quickly visualize processes with a Kanban tool. Work in one shared space, and move teams toward the same objectives, surfacing dependencies and anticipating what’s next.

Over 70M+ users love Miro

Create a Kanban board fast

Miro’s free Kanban board is fluid and highly customizable and helps you deliver great results as a team. Manage projects from start to finish while keeping things simple.

Why Miro is the best Kanban board creator

Quickly visualize processes.

Use Miro’s powerful cards to add tasks with just a few clicks. Avoid wasting time with complicated workflows, and simplify your process using the default setup or customize the Kanban board according to your needs.

Flexible Kanban creation

Miro’s Kanban board has a flexible structure. Drag and drop tasks, and your Kanban board will reformat the cards automatically. Or customize your Kanban tool by color-coding tasks, adding more columns and swimlanes, everything to fit your workflow needs.

Explore integrations

Instantly sync with Jira, Asana, or Azure. Turn cards into Jira issues or import existing tasks from Jira, Asana, or Azure to your Kanban board. When managing projects with Miro’s Kanban tool, keep your existing workflows.

Save time with easy navigation

Use hotkey shortcuts to create Kanban boards quickly, and tag and assign tasks in just a few clicks. Reduce time prepping and focus more on your strategy and delivery.

Manage stakeholders easily

Share your work and get input from each stakeholder. Receive instant feedback with comments or stickies directly on your Kanban board, and iterate processes faster.

Focus on what matters

Simplify workflows and bring focus to teams with Miro’s Kanban tool. Improve collaboration by giving everyone task visibility, quickly predicting outcomes, and changing direction if needed.

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Product Backlog Template

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How to create a Kanban board online with Miro

Find the Kanban tool icon

Click in Apps on the left toolbar.

Click on the plus icon inside your Kanban board. Rename by double-clicking the card heading. Fill out additional information like assignee and due dates.

Add existing Jira tickets

Or turn your cards into Jira issues by clicking on the card and selecting the Convert to Jira issue icon.

Keep track of projects

Move the cards as your project moves forward. That way, you keep track of progress and easily spot any dependency or bottleneck.

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Kaban tool FAQs

What is the kanban tool used for.

Use a Kanban board whenever you need to increase your production efficiency. The Kanban tool is visual, so it’s easy to keep track of tasks, streamline workflows, and identify dependencies. Many high-performing teams adopt the Kanban method, which helps them simplify processes and deliver faster.

What are the benefits of the Kanban board?

Kanban boards help teams deliver projects faster, simplifying workflows and making it easy for project managers to assign tasks, spot blockers, and track progress. Supercharge your Kanban method with Miro’s features, such as cards, stickies, and integrations. Communicate faster and anticipate roadblocks bringing agility to every team.

What are the three elements of the Kanban framework?

The default Kanban framework has three steps: To-do, in progress, and done. It’s important to assess with your team what workflow makes more sense and edit the Kanban steps accordingly. Usually, when a task is added to the to-do list, it’s considered active and taken into account when the manager calculates Lead time. In-progress tasks are the ones currently being worked on and then moved to ‘done’ when they have been delivered and completed.

Kanban Systems, Kanban Boards, and how to visualize tasks

Kanban vs Scrum boards: 11 major differences

Visual guide to Agile methodologies for modern product management

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How to use a Kanban solution to manage your team tasks

When it comes to day-to-day task management for teams, the Kanban board is a simple and powerful tool that can have a big impact on your productivity, efficiency, and bottom line.

First popularized in the 1940s by Toyota in Japan, the Kanban solution has a long history of using physical boards to help visualize potential bottlenecks and manage and improve workflow. Today, it’s also easy to create digital boards using  task management software , which offers many convenient features and customization to help you save time and automate processes.  

The Kanban method has gained popularity among many IT companies that follow the agile approach to project management and software development, using iterative work sequences also known as sprints. However, businesses of all sizes in any industry can benefit from working with Kanban boards to manage daily tasks.

Kanban Solution  

Kanban, which means “billboard” or “signboard” in Japanese, uses boards to organize individual tasks into columns, helping you focus on work in progress without losing perspective of the larger projects at hand. 

Generally, a Kanban board includes two main elements: cards, which represent tasks; and columns, which illustrate tasks at various stages of a project. Columns are usually divided into three sections — “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” Or, if you’re working on a specific project like creating a new software program, you can name your columns “Design,” “Development,” and “Testing.” 

Task cards, which usually contain checklists, assignments, and labels, are distributed between the three columns. As tasks progress, the cards move across the board from left to right, helping you  visualize their status  in the workflow—from “To Do” to “Done.”     Whether physical or digital, the Kanban process fosters  team collaboration  and productivity, helping everyone understand how their individual efforts contribute to the project. Some teams organize daily stand-up meetings around a Kanban board to give status updates, receive feedback, and monitor trends.  

To be considered a proper Kanban board, your board must have a limited number of task items to ensure you’re not working over capacity. Kanban also helps you continuously monitor the workflow to avoid bottlenecks, allowing your team to flag the items piling up in a column faster than they leave.

Physical Kanban boards

Physical Kanban boards are great for teams who are new to the Kanban concept. These boards are easy to read and manage, don’t require an internet connection, and for cross-functional teams collaborating on the same project, can boost workplace engagement and communication.

However, they are not generally ideal for tasks that require more in-depth descriptions and background information. A tangible card can only fit so much content, while digital boards can store a limitless number of notes and comments as your workload increases.   

Moreover, physical boards are less flexible when it comes to tracking task timing and meeting specific deadlines. Digital boards offer customizable reporting options for quick progress evaluation and historic performance data.  

Finally, if you work with remote teams who are rarely at the office, it’s nearly impossible to use a physical Kanban board effectively. A digital board allows your team to access the task management system anytime and from any device.

Digital Kanban boards      If you’ve decided that a physical board full of colorful notes isn’t working anymore, investing in task management software that uses the Kanban method’s principles and visual concepts might be the right option for your team. Moreover, a digital option offers many benefits that physical boards can’t provide, such as data visualization, attachments, and card history.  

In your search for a solution with Kanban functionality, look for one that helps you create content-rich task cards including checklists, labels, and specific due dates. It should also  sync with programs  you commonly use, allowing you to attach text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations to each card. That way your team will have access to all the necessary data in one place without having to switch apps.  

To help you keep moving your tasks into that “Done” column, also consider software that can automatically transform task status into pie and bar charts. This will help you to quickly gain insights into which tasks are on track—and which are not. For example, you’ll be able to make adjustments and reassign tasks if you see that one of your team members regularly misses their deadlines.

Finally, as more companies are shifting to virtual workforces, consider cloud-based task managers that help you to stay on top of your to-do lists from anywhere, on any device.

Benefits of using a Kanban solution

Kanban boards provide a solid base for  organizing your tasks  in a coherent and structured manner. They are especially appealing to people who identify as “visual learners” and prefer to use charts, graphs, diagrams, and other images to interpret and work with information.  

Done right, Kanban boards streamline workflow and reduce interruptions that inevitably arise during projects and tasks. That’s because all team members are focused on delivering work in a consistent rhythm. Kanban boards can show when a specific task is holding up a project, which makes it easy to change course if necessary.  

Ultimately, Kanban boards focus on boosting efficiency by ensuring team members aren’t spending time on unnecessary tasks; rather, each task plays into a broader goal. As a result, Kanban has the potential to significantly enhance team task productivity.

One of the most popular mantras of the modern workplace is “Stop starting and start finishing.” The Kanban solution is all about focusing on task completion. 

If your team keeps failing to finish tasks, now is an ideal time to try the Kanban method. It may take some time to set up your board and develop a process to perfection, but with determination and a view toward continuous improvement, you and your team have more productive days ahead.

Learn more about task management software  based on the Kanban method.

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Kanban Board – Task Management

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🔹 Visual Workflow Management: Easily visualize your project's progress and identify bottlenecks.

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Demand Management: Process, Importance and Tools

The relationship between supply and demand is Economics 101. Whether a business is manufacturing or managing a warehouse, understanding demand management goes a long way to ensure that stock levels are always balanced with customer needs.

This requires first an understanding of demand management and how it benefits business. Next, we’ll outline the demand management process to learn how to implement this planning methodology and how software can facilitate that process.

What Is Demand Management?

Demand management is the process of managing customer needs for a product that a company sells. It’s a planning methodology that tries to forecast what a customer will want, when they’ll want it and the logistics of getting that product to them. By planning, companies can identify and avoid potential problems, such as bottlenecks in production or the supply chain and market volatility.

In manufacturing , demand management comes after supply chain management, such as managing procurement and suppliers, but before portfolio management. Demand management is cross-functional as it crosses many disciplines, from consumer demand, supply teams and inventory to marketing and customer service.

One way to look at demand management is as a bridge between the marketplace and a company’s internal operations. That is, demand management works to create interactions between operations and marketing with the goal of being able to develop actions that align the fluctuations of the market with a company’s strategy, production capacity and customer needs.

Managing production is key to demand management and project management software is essential to that process. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software with resource allocation features to keep teams working at capacity. Use the team page or the color-coded workload chart to monitor your team’s allocation. If some are over- or underallocated, the team’s workload can be balanced quickly to keep them as productive as needed to meet demand. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

What Is the Importance of Demand Management for Businesses?

Understanding customer demand will benefit any business that manufactures or sells products. Demand management is a crucial part of any business strategy so they have stock on hand to meet customer needs. Here are some other reasons that illustrate the importance of demand management for businesses.

Helps Organizations Establish their Production Budget

Demand management allows companies to analyze and predict changes and trends in market demand. This leads to a reduction in costs due to overproduction or stockouts. It also informs the production budget to make sure that there are enough funds to meet demand but not add unnecessary costs through excess inventory, labor, etc.

Allows Businesses to Meet Customer Demand

Knowing what customers want allows for better planning of delivering it to them. If there’s a spike in customer demand or if customer demand is waning, production planning must follow suit or suffer a loss in business or the cost of carrying unwanted inventory. Demand management allows for a better gauge of customer demand.

Prevents Excess Inventory and Overproduction

As stated above, excess inventory is costly. All that product must be stored, which leads to money spent on items that aren’t being sold. Ideally, a company wants a warehouse full of inventory that will move due to a balance between what’s in stock and the customer demand. Demand management is a way to achieve that balance.

Helps With Supply Chain Planning

Supply chain planning is all about optimizing the manufacturing and delivery of goods. It starts with raw materials, moves to finished products and ends with customers. A clear picture of customer demand will inform these steps, from knowing how much raw material is needed to the quantity of items produced, etc. Demand management, then, is an integral part of this process and helps a business spend only what it needs.

Informs Workforce Planning

Demand management helps managers understand the current and future workforce requirements, which allows them to plan better. The managers better understand customer demand, which leads to knowing how to allocate resources to meet that demand by having the right people with the right skills.

Demand Management Process

Demand management helps businesses to oversee and manage customer demand. To do this, though, requires a process. The demand management process includes knowing what customers want and the steps necessary to fulfill those needs. To plan for current and future demand requires following these six steps in the demand management process.

Demand Forecasting

Demand forecasting is the process of predicting customer needs for a business’ products. That demand determines what adjustments need to be made or if new offerings should be added. Estimating what customers want and how much of each item they’ll want isn’t an exact science. To get an accurate estimate, businesses use many methods, some qualitative and other quantitative. Data, software and analytics are all used in this process, but predictions should always be hedged by noting their strengths and weaknesses.

Demand Planning

Once the forecast is clear, the planning begins. Demand planning is part of the demand management process that enables a business to plan to meet the demand forecast through the production of its products. This is also part of the larger supply chain process and requires an understanding of horizon (timeline for the demand plan), frequency (how often the plan is updated) and granularity (level of detail in the plan). This allows for the creation of a demand plan that meets customer needs.

Demand Modeling

One way to make a more accurate demand forecast and, therefore, have a better demand plan is through demand modeling. Demand modeling uses predictive analysis to understand customer behavior. It looks at things such as the propensity of a customer to purchase a product and how the propensity changes based on things like the price of that product. Historical data is also used to better understand the customers’ behavior.

Demand Capacity

Demand capacity is a ratio that compares the production that a company makes with the demand coming from its customers. When manufacturing, businesses measure demand capacity to make sure they have the production capacity levels that allow them to meet the demand for their products. Calculating this uses several sources, such as sales records, customer feedback, inventory levels, production reports or service logs.

Demand Sensing

Another way to predict customer demand is with demand sensing, which uses real-time data and analytics to understand and predict what a customer will want, when they’ll want it and how much they’ll want. This is done by reviewing sales history, inventory levels and customer behavior, point-of-sale systems, online sales platforms and customer surveys. While not perfect, demand sensing can reduce forecast error by up to 50 percent and increase accuracy by up to 20 percent.

Demand Shaping

Demand shaping is a supply chain strategy that uses tactics such as price and promotion incentives, product substitutions and cost modifications to lure customers to buy specific products. Through these means, a business can influence demand for a certain item to match its planned supply.

What Does a Demand Manager Do?

The person responsible for the demand management process is a demand manager or demand planning manager a professional tasked with overseeing the daily operations of the demand planning team, who analyzes customer and vendor demand to create and refine their forecasts.

Demand managers are responsible for reviewing purchase history, sales history and the marketing strategies businesses use to promote products and stimulate growth. They also evaluate their effectiveness and respond accordingly to improve.

To do this, the demand manager will come up with effective forecast models based on industry trends and demand patterns. They’ll implement solutions to improve the accuracy of demand forecasting, as well. They are highly analytical and have a deep knowledge of advanced mathematical and forecasting policies.

How to Manage Production With ProjectManager

Demand management has a great influence on production. It tells manufacturers how much of a product customers want so they can produce just the right amount or as close to that number as possible. This saves money on labor, storage and more. However, demand management can’t help create a more effective production plan, but project management software can. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software with multiple project views to plan production activities, schedule resources and track labor costs to ensure that manufacturing goes according to budget.

Plan Production Activities

Managers can plan their production activities on robust Gantt charts that link all four types of task dependencies to avoid delays. Once the schedule is made, resources allocated and costs determined, set a baseline to capture that plan so it can be compared to actual progress and costs during production. Real-time dashboards capture key performance indicators (KPIs) on easy-to-use graphs and charts for a high-level overview of production. There are also customizable kanban boards with columns that reflect the production cycle and cards that track costs, progress and schedule resources. Use kanban to manage order fulfillment, too.

Track Labor Costs With Timesheets

Keeping a close eye on labor costs helps manage production costs. Employees can use timesheets that automatically add their hours and are securely sealed once sent to a manager to review and pass onto payroll. While this streamlines the payroll process, it’s only part of what timesheets can do. Timesheets capture labor costs and let managers see how far each team member is in terms of completing their assigned tasks. This allows managers to calculate whether the production is progressing as planned or if resources need to be allocated to get back on track.

Stakeholders can stay up to date with production by using one of the multiple project views to track progress, such as the calendar view, which is more a high-level overview of the production cycle. But there are also customizable reports on project status, portfolio, variance and much more. All can be filtered to show only the data stakeholders want to see and shared with them across formats.

ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software that connects teams whether they’re in the office or on the factory floor. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Join teams from companies, such as Avis, Nestle and Siemens who are using our software to deliver success. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

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The Ultimate Guide To Web Development Project Management in 2024

Emilia gette.

Emilia Gette serves as a marketing associate at Workast, specializing in crafting innovative strategies to engage with the audience. With a focus on creativity and attention to detail, she contributes to driving impactful results across various marketing channels.

Starting a web development project can be an exciting yet complex journey. From defining project goals to selecting the right project management methodology, every step plays a crucial role in delivering a successful website. 

In this guide, we'll explore the key aspects of web development project management, including popular methodologies like Agile and Waterfall, effective steps for project planning and execution, and top project management software tools. 

Whether you're a seasoned web developer or new to the field, this guide will provide valuable insights to navigate your web development projects with confidence.

What is Web Development Project Management?

Web development project management is the process of planning, organizing, and overseeing the execution of a web development project from inception to completion. 

3 Project Management Methodologies for Website Development

Here's a structured guide on three project management methodologies commonly used in website development, each providing unique benefits and approaches to managing web projects effectively:

1. Waterfall Methodology

Waterfall methodology is a traditional, linear project management approach where tasks progress sequentially through requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. 

Phases of Waterfall Methodology:

Requirements Gathering:

Detailed gathering of client requirements and project specifications.

Clear documentation of project goals, scope, and deliverables.

Creation of design mockups, wireframes, and prototypes based on gathered requirements.

Approval of design elements before proceeding to development.

Development:

Implementation of the approved design into functional website components.

Coding, programming, and integration of features as per specifications.

Thorough testing of the developed website to identify bugs, errors, and functionality issues.

Testing includes unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing (UAT).

Deployment:

Deployment of the tested and approved website to the live environment.

Configuration of servers, databases, and other infrastructure components.

When to Consider Waterfall Methodology:

Clear and well-defined project requirements and scope.

Stable project timelines and limited need for frequent changes during development.

Client expectations aligned with the initial project plan.

Smaller-scale website development projects with straightforward functionalities.

Projects where a linear, sequential process is suitable and efficient.

Benefits of Waterfall Methodology:

Clear project structure and defined milestones.

Well-documented requirements and deliverables.

Sequential progress ensures each phase is completed thoroughly before moving forward.

Suitable for projects with stable scopes and limited changes during development.

Limitations of Waterfall Methodology:

Limited flexibility for accommodating changes during development.

Client feedback incorporated late in the process, potentially leading to revisions and delays.

Risk of delivering a product that may not fully meet evolving client needs or market expectations.

2. Agile Methodology:

Agile methodologies, such as Scrum and Kanban, prioritize flexibility, collaboration, and iterative development. Scrum divides the project into short iterations called sprints, usually 2-4 weeks long, where cross-functional teams work on specific tasks. 

Experts at Clickysoft , a leading web development in Houston , suggest leveraging Agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban for website development projects. They emphasize that Agile's focus on flexibility, collaboration, and iterative development aligns well with the dynamic nature of web projects. 

Key Components of Agile Methodology:

Iterative Development:

Projects are divided into short iterations called sprints, usually 2-4 weeks long.

Cross-functional teams work collaboratively on specific tasks during each sprint.

Continuous Feedback:

Regular feedback loops with clients and stakeholders ensure alignment with project goals.

Iterative development allows for adjustments based on feedback received during each sprint.

Adaptability:

Agile teams are adaptable and responsive to changes, accommodating new requirements or priorities as they arise.

Flexibility in planning and execution allows for quick responses to market demands or client needs.

Collaboration:

Close collaboration between team members, including developers, designers, testers, and clients, promotes transparency and communication.

Daily stand-up meetings, sprint reviews, and retrospectives facilitate collaboration and problem-solving.

When to Consider Agile Methodology:

Projects with evolving or unclear requirements may benefit from iterative development and frequent feedback loops.

Client-centric projects where continuous collaboration and responsiveness to feedback are crucial.

Complex projects require flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to prioritize deliverables based on changing priorities.

Benefits of Agile Methodology:

Enhanced flexibility and adaptability to changing requirements.

Continuous delivery of working features or increments, providing value throughout the development process.

Improved collaboration, communication, and transparency among team members and stakeholders.

Client satisfaction through early and frequent delivery of functional components and responsiveness to feedback.

Limitations of Agile Methodology:

Requires active involvement and collaboration from clients and stakeholders throughout the project.

May be challenging to estimate timelines and budgets accurately, especially in the early stages.

Continuous changes and iterations can lead to scope creep if not managed effectively.

3. Lean Methodology

Lean project management focuses on maximizing value while minimizing waste. It emphasizes efficiency, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction. 

Lean principles, like eliminating unnecessary steps, optimizing processes, and prioritizing customer needs, can be applied to website development to streamline workflows and deliver high-quality results efficiently. 

By identifying and eliminating bottlenecks, Lean helps teams deliver websites that meet client requirements and exceed expectations.

Key Principles of Lean Methodology:

Value Stream Mapping:

Identifying and optimizing value streams to eliminate waste and inefficiencies in the development process.

Streamlining workflows and processes to deliver value to clients and end-users efficiently.

Continuous Improvement:

Encouraging a culture of continuous improvement and learning within teams.

Regularly assessing and refining processes, tools, and practices to optimize performance and outcomes.

Customer Focus:

Prioritizing customer needs and preferences in website development, aligning solutions with client expectations.

Incorporating user feedback and data-driven insights to enhance user experience and satisfaction.

Waste Elimination:

Identifying and eliminating non-value-adding activities, such as redundant tasks, unnecessary documentation, or inefficient processes.

Streamlining workflows and resources to maximize productivity and value delivery.

When to Consider Lean Methodology:

Projects focused on delivering value efficiently and optimizing processes for maximum efficiency.

Customer-centric projects where understanding and meeting customer needs are top priorities.

Continuous improvement-oriented projects aiming to eliminate waste and optimize workflows.

Benefits of Lean Methodology:

Increased efficiency and productivity by eliminating waste and non-value-adding activities.

Enhanced customer satisfaction through solutions aligned with customer needs and preferences.

Streamlined processes and workflows, reducing lead times and improving time-to-market.

Data-driven decision-making and a continuous improvement culture drive innovation and quality.

Limitations of Lean Methodology:

Requires a cultural shift and commitment to continuous improvement within teams and organizations.

May face challenges in complex or large-scale projects where process optimization and waste elimination are more intricate.

Balancing efficiency with quality and innovation requires careful planning and execution.

5 Effective Steps for Web Development Project Management

Here are five effective steps for web development project management:

Step 1: Define Project Scope and Objectives:

Defining the project scope and objectives is crucial for setting clear expectations and goals. This involves understanding the client's requirements, business goals, target audience, and desired outcomes. By clearly defining what needs to be achieved and the boundaries of the project, you can avoid scope creep and ensure everyone is aligned on the project's purpose and deliverables.

Step 2: Gather Requirements:

Gathering requirements involves detailed discussions with clients, stakeholders, and end-users to understand their needs and expectations. This step includes documenting functional requirements (e.g., features, functionalities, user interactions) and non-functional requirements (e.g., performance, security, scalability). Effective requirements gathering ensures that the final product meets user needs and aligns with the project's objectives.

Step 3: Create a Project Plan:

Developing a project plan involves creating a roadmap that outlines tasks, timelines, milestones, and resource allocations. A well-defined project plan helps in organizing work, managing priorities, and tracking progress. Project management tools such as Gantt charts or Kanban boards can be used to visualize the project's timeline and dependencies, facilitating effective project management and communication within the team.

Step 4: Design and Development:

The design and development phase involves translating requirements into tangible components of the website. This includes creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes to visualize the layout, user interface, and user experience. Development tasks focus on coding, programming, and integrating functionalities based on the approved design. Collaboration between designers, developers, and other team members ensures a cohesive and functional website.

Step 5: Testing and Quality Assurance:

Testing and quality assurance are essential to ensure the website meets quality standards and functions as intended. This phase includes various types of testing such as unit testing, integration testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), and performance testing. Identifying and fixing bugs, errors, and usability issues during testing helps deliver a reliable and user-friendly website.

3 Best Web Design Project Management Software Tools

Here are three of the best web design project management software tools:

Trello is a popular project management tool known for its intuitive Kanban board interface. It allows teams to create boards, lists, and cards to organize tasks, collaborate on projects, and track progress. 

Trello's visual approach makes prioritizing tasks, assigning responsibilities, setting deadlines, and communicating within teams easy. Integration with other tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox enhances collaboration and productivity.

Asana is a versatile project management platform suitable for managing web design projects. It offers features such as task management, project timelines, team collaboration, and customizable workflows. Including Salesforce integration , Asana enhances productivity and collaboration.

Asana's intuitive interface, project templates, and dependency tracking help teams streamline processes, stay organized, and meet project deadlines effectively. Integration with popular tools like Adobe Creative Cloud and Slack enhances productivity and collaboration.

3. Workast:

Workast is a robust project management tool tailored for teams working on web design projects. It offers features like task assignment, customizable workflows, project timelines, and collaboration tools.

Workast's user-friendly interface and integration with communication platforms like Slack make it easy for teams to manage tasks, track progress, and communicate effectively. Its flexibility allows teams to adapt workflows to their specific project needs, ensuring efficient project management and timely delivery.

Managing a web development project requires careful planning, collaboration, and the right tools. By understanding the nuances of project management methodologies and following effective steps, you can streamline workflows, meet client expectations, and deliver high-quality websites. 

With the help of project management software tools like Trello, Asana, Jira, Basecamp, and Monday.com, teams can enhance productivity, communication, and project transparency. 

Using best practices and continuous improvement ensures successful outcomes in web development projects, driving business growth and customer satisfaction.

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5 Microsoft To Do alternatives that will boost your productivity

Microsoft To-Do is basic at best. Instead, check out these alternatives to power through a productive day.

Key Takeaways

• Todoist offers robust task management features with AI assistance and integrations, starting at $4 per month.
• TickTick includes a Pomo timer, habit tracker, and basic collaboration features for $4 per month.
• Any.do is ideal for personal, family, or small team use, with simple interfaces and integrations starting at $3 per month.

Microsoft To-Do is the default task management app on Windows. However, unlike other Microsoft 365 apps, this one is bare-bones and leaves a lot to be desired for power users. Thankfully, there is no shortage of capable task management apps for Windows. If you are looking for a robust to-do app for personal use or for a small team, check out the top Microsoft To-Do alternatives for your laptop .

We won’t be focusing on all-in-one apps like Notion, Basecamp, Trello, Coda, or ClickUp. These are full-fledged apps with reminder functionalities. Instead, we will list out the top software options that have been designed with task management in mind.

These 5 programs are way better than Microsoft Outlook

If you have played with task management apps before, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Todoist tops the list. Todoist has pretty much everything you need for task management. It has certainly nailed the basics with quick add, recurring due dates, and integration with more than 80 apps.

For example, you can simply write "Do 20 minutes of meditation every day at 8 am" and it creates a recurring task in your list. Todoist also works well with your preferred productivity apps like Slack, Outlook, Gmail, Evernote, and others. For instance, you can add a Todoist extension to your Outlook mail and convert any email into a task with a single click.

You can also manage projects with sub-tasks, by priority, and with labels. Or explore the AI assistant to help you with filters and invite your team members for live collaboration. It also supports a calendar and board view to keep your schedule in check. You can visualize your habits, activity history, and overall productivity trends from a dedicated statistics menu.

Todoist paid plans start at $4 per month. It is available on every platform you can think of: you can access Todoist from a wearable, via your preferred browser, phone, desktop, and even Linux devices.

TickTick is another robust Microsoft To-Do alternative out there. Apart from task management, it comes with a bunch of features to take your productivity to the next level. Similar to Todoist, it has features including quick add, location reminders, and recurring tasks.

But two of the best TickTick features are the Pomo timer and habit tracker: these let you track your productivity hours better, and you can even play white noise in the background while using the timer. At the end of the month, you can glance over the statistics page to check your task completion rate, completion distribution, and overall work efficiency.

TickTick also offers live collaboration features, but they are basic at best, and we wouldn’t recommend using it for complex project management.

TickTick has native apps on all the major platforms, and the pricing starts at $4 per month.

Any.do is ideal for personal use, families, and small teams. Whether you want to plan your day, manage a small project, create a road map, manage an event, or draft a content calendar, Any.do has ample features to get the work done faster.

You can create to-do lists, check your daily planner, and explore integration with third-party apps to manage your tasks like a pro. Any.do also lets you import your existing projects and tasks from other apps like Trello, Asana, and Todoist.

The user interface is minimal, straightforward, and easy to work with. When you work with different apps at your workplace, you can utilize Any.do’s third-party integration to manage your tasks and projects in one place. You can also explore Zapier integration to take your automation experience to the next level.

Another neat add-on is the ability to create tasks and get reminders directly in WhatsApp. Any.do Premium plan starts at $3 per month.

Taskade is the most expensive Microsoft To-Do alternative on the list. There is a good reason for that though. Taskade offers task and project management, with notes, docs, mind maps, and other features which are infused with AI. You can add tasks and subtasks, check them in a flowchart, create a Kanban board, explore calendar integration, use Gantt charts, and more. Furthermore, task management is just the tip of the iceberg.

Taskade is jam-packed with AI agents to automate tasks, plus robust team collaboration tools for video chats and meetings. If you are simply looking for a reminder app to replace Microsoft To-Do, Taskade may feel like overkill. Besides, it requires a learning curve to familiarize yourself enough to really utilize its many available features. Taskade Pro starts at $8 per user per month.

Remember The Milk

Dating all the way back to 2004, Remember The Milk is one of the oldest task management apps out there. Similar to Todoist and TickTick, it supports smart add to insert your tasks easily with a single sentence. Smart Lists is an interesting add-on which helps you create special lists based on search criteria. For example, you can quickly create a list of high-priority tasks due for the next month with a single click.

Remember The Milk also supports integration with third-party apps like Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, and others. Developers can even write their own code with MilkScript and automate their workflow. Although there are over 100+ themes to choose from, the core UI still looks slightly outdated compared to the competition.

Remember The Milk has apps for web, Mac, Windows, mobile, and tablet platforms. The Pro plan is set at $50 per year.

Now get ready to check off your tasks in style

Gone are the days of managing your tasks using a pen and paper combo. It’s counterproductive and an ineffective way to get you through a busy day. The default to-do apps from Microsoft, Google, and Apple fall flat for a modern user’s needs. You can do much better. This is where these third-party apps come into play. Pick a relevant app based on your needs, budget, and features list, and you'll boost your productivity in no time. Speaking of which, you should also consider our top productivity apps for Windows or top productivity apps for Mac to streamline your workflow.