Kanban Software Buyers Guide
Last updated: September 27, 2023
Adopting agile techniques and frameworks continues to be a widespread practice in many enterprises. Teams wanting to boost productivity are always on the lookout for technological solutions to support their objectives, so they frequently use a cost-free, primary tool that provides everything they require. And at first, the initial problems pertaining to their disjointed workflow are resolved satisfactorily.
However, the free, entry-level tools that function at the team level cannot, usually, be scaled throughout the enterprise; giving a company the assistance it needs as it expands.
Enterprise Kanban software, the solution, here, is now deemed a necessity for many teams and expanding businesses. As a result, numerous applications have emerged over the last two decades geared to satisfy consumer demand on this front.
What is Kanban?
The word 'Kanban' originates from Japanese and it means 'card'.
A Kanban Board maps out a visual workflow over at least three columns. These, typically, are the: To Do, Doing, and Done fields. As a task progresses through its many stages of completion, it is represented by cards that move from one column to another (and/or from left to right). As a result, Kanban Boards provide a summary of the stage at which each of your ‘To-Do’ task is currently positioned.
Although Kanban Boards can be concrete, physical boards on which cards or post-it notes are moved from one column to another, online boards make for the preferred mode nowadays. These allow teams to collaborate and track their progress in real-time, no matter where they may be located.
Different Features Offered by Kanban-Integrated Applications
1) Allows Feedback
With this feature, there is always a chance that one team member will spot a fault or offer a solution that another team member may not have thought of. You can also allocate time for workshops on knowledge-sharing and feedback.
2) Handle Work in Progress
You can visually see how much work you're taking on by creating task cards, which helps you avoid adding too much at once.
3) Easy Login
Your team's Kanban Board must be kept constantly updated, just like any other project management tool. Further, your team members should always have your Kanban tool open so they may shift tasks from column to column as they are completed.
4) Policy Implementation
This feature helps maintain explicit standards for how tasks should be performed, so everyone on the team understands how the job moves from one phase to the next.
5) Follow and Meet Deadlines
It can usually be challenging to keep track of when specific tasks are due. Kanban Boards, for their (resolutory) part, put a lot of emphasis on illustrating what stage of your workflow various activities are in. Most online Kanban applications let you add deadlines to individual tasks as well so that you don't miss them. Moreover, they even flag jobs that are overdue or reaching close to their deadline.
6) Visualize Workflow
Use various components of the board to arrange the work visually and make it more understandable.
Different Components of a Kanban Board
A whole project represented on a Kanban Board is usually broken down into three main task categories:
- Requested Tasks
- In-Progress Tasks
- Completed Tasks
This process is straightforward. Just like a computer's processing which includes input, process, and output.
The cards that graphically represent work activities and the columns that delineate the project stages are the primary components of a Kanban board.
Kanban Cards
Every project job is represented by a card with contains details such as a summary, due date, and an allocated team member’s credentials. The cards may be different colors or shapes to display who is in charge or to distinguish the cards as the components of a bigger whole.
Kanban Columns
The various steps of the workflow are divided into columns on the Kanban board. To demonstrate where a task is in the production process, the cards travel through these fields.
Work in Progress Column
Teams can focus and work more effectively without distraction when the number of tasks in the ‘Work in Progress’ column is limited. Cards in this space are the only ones that teams actively work on at any given time; all other cards are either finished or awaiting initiation.
Kanban Boards: Illustrative Work/Project Staging
Kanban boards illustrate all stages of the project workflow in real-time. The ultimate objective with their use is to locate (and avoid) any potential bottlenecks to keep the project on schedule.
Create Columns
‘To-do’, ‘In-Progress’, and ‘Done’ task columns are the norm for Kanban boards. You can take these ideas or develop new column names that more accurately describe your project. As necessary, additional columns may be added, including customized goals like development or monitoring.
Cards
All of the tasks necessary to finish a project are represented by the cards. Each card needs to have a task description and a completion date. Adding specifics to each stage is crucial because cards are made to encourage a balanced workflow.
Card Application to Columns
Each job on a card should be assigned to a team member along with any necessary paperwork or data. The first column, regardless of whether it is titled ‘To-Do’ or has another label, should come in succession.
Card Movement through Workflows
Cards should be moved to their appropriate columns as tasks are finished to ensure fluid project transitions. This enables every team member to know the exact order of workflow and keep an eye out for any potential obstacles or delays.
Types of Kanban Boards
Contemporary Kanban boards are digital platforms that enable rapid and easy access of the status of each project component by all team members. Additionally, a digital board makes cooperation and notification management simpler. That is especially helpful when teams are working from home/remotely.
Kanbanize, Kanban Tool, and Trello are some of the top project management software solutions in the project management field.
However, implementing these software types might not be necessary for smaller projects and teams. Here, a big whiteboard, some markers, and a variety of sticky notes can serve for a suitable, inexpensive, alternative.
What are the Benefits of Working with the Kanban Board Methodology?
Increased Flexibility
Every organizational project may be managed using the Kanban board method. It gives every team member the flexibility required to finish their allocated tasks. Everyone can see what has to be completed and when through the board's visual feature set.
Promotes Efficiency
On Kanban boards, team members are encouraged to communicate both frequently and actively. This fluid communication flow results in greater productivity. The promotion and implementation of continual improvement is another fundamental component of the board system.
Downtime Reduction
Downtime is significantly decreased due to the enhanced workflow brought about by using the Kanban board. Work delivery by the team and delivery procedures are quicker and more evenly distributed.
Top Market Tools that Feature Kanban Board Integrations
Aha! Software
The Aha! Project Management Software provides a full range of road mapping tools that assist customers in visualizing their product roadmaps and formulating marketing plans. The program is adaptable and may be tailored to the demands of users. It enables businesses to introduce new products and organize their data efficiently. It is one of the top Kanban-using tools available within the PM sphere.
Miro
Project management templates form a sizeable part of the Miro PM software’s features set. Users also have to option to begin with a blank canvas and building their own visual workflows using the digital versions of sticky notes, sketches, and other widgets. Miro lends itself to creating anything from organizational charts to reports and roadmaps because it functions more like a virtual whiteboard than a pure Kanban solution. More than 70 different products, including Adobe XD, Airtable, and Slack are integrated with it.
Trello
Trello is renowned for its significant Kanban design/tools provision orientation. Using the application’s Butler function, you can automate tasks, set deadline reminders, and easily categorize priorities. You can also add labels and tags to tasks. The program offers many other features, such as building checklists with progress meters. An essential aspect of Trello is that it offers more than 10 Kanban boards in its free plan. Moreover, the app integrates with a range of other prominent PM tools as well, including Slack, Google Drive, and Gmelius.
Monday.com
With the help of a Kanban board, Monday.com has a to-do list and map view. This helps users switch between different workflows and automatically handle repetitive tasks. Additionally, it connects technologies like Zoom, Google Calendar and Gmail. Overall, the program offers a fantastic reporting dashboard that lets you monitor the success of your team.
ClickUp Software
The motto behind ClickUp software is 'to replace them all' – meaning that the tool aims to become the most widely used software for project management. It is an application with various project views, like the Kanban Board view, and features for documents, chat, calendars, setting goals, and more. As a result, if you wish to replace your complete stack, it might be an intelligent choice. However, ClickUp is perhaps a bit of an overkill if you are only searching for a Kanban Board solution.
Final Thoughts
With respect to the information provided above, it is safe to claim that the Kanban methodology is widely being used by different software applications. We have penned down this users’ guide to help you understand how Kanban Charts work – on a basic level.
For more detailed info and custom, Kanban-Chart-integrating, software recommendations, please reach out to our friendly customer care reps today through the pop-up chat box or the contact number on top (page right).
