What do minivans and Kanban boards have in common? They both come from a little company called Toyota. Kanban is a Japanese word meaning “visual signal.” Industrial engineer Taichi Ohno first coined the term while trying to improve manufacturing efficiency at the car company.
But what is a Kanban board in Agile project management? It’s a visual tool that helps you manage all those moving pieces in a project. Think of it as your digital or physical "to-do" list, except it’s way more flexible and way more powerful for keeping your team on track with its tasks.
Whether you're managing a big project or just your daily to-dos, a Kanban board can help you visualize what’s happening, what’s coming up, and what needs to get done.
What is the purpose of a Kanban board?
The reason why people like this tool so much is because they provide a bird’s eye view of everything in the works. So, what type of information is depicted on a Kanban board?
Tasks move from left to right through three columns:
- To do: You can see what the future holds to help you better plan your present
- In progress: Keep track of what’s on your desk at the moment
- Done: Time to check that box and let everyone know you’re finished
A report from Asana tells us that knowledge workers spend about 84 minutes every day just trying to find the info they need to do their jobs. A Kanban setup makes it super easy to understand the flow of work and spot bottlenecks before they slow things down.
Kanban boards allow you to manage everything from daily tasks to complex projects — where you can add multiple columns to include steps, dependencies, or different workstreams. Companies that use Agile and Lean thinking often use Kanbans instead of Scrum boards — they are great for showing how work is done and making processes more efficient.
Related: Scrum vs. Kanban board: which to use?
Kanban board examples
Let’s get into some examples of Kanban boards to see how they work in real life. They come in various styles depending on the project’s needs, so we'll help you find the one’s that’s right for you.
Standard Kanban board
This is the classic Kanban board template you might have seen before. It usually has columns like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done," and it’s great for managing any kind of daily tasks, such as updating Agile documentation, writing new content, or assigning someone in the team to order pizza.
Weekly Kanban
A weekly Kanban template helps you break down your workload into manageable chunks to munch on between Monday and Friday.
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Quarterly Kanban
If you’re planning long-term projects, the quarterly Kanban board helps you map your tasks over three months. Keep your eye on the big picture without missing any of the day-to-day.
How Kanban boards help you keep track of projects
What’s so great about using one of these types of Kanban boards?
- Increased visibility of tasks and project status: You can see exactly where every task stands at any moment. Switching your workflow to Agile can boost your operational performance by 30 to 50%, according to McKinsey.
- Enhanced team collaboration and communication: Because everything is visual, Kanban boards help teams communicate better and stay on the same page.
- Improved productivity through efficient workflows: By visualizing work and limiting tasks in progress, teams can focus on finishing assignments rather than the additional task of making sure something should be on their desk that isn't.
- Strengthened morale: Knowing exactly what you need to do each day is also comforting. For 95% of respondents to a Project.co survey, the clarity of having a daily to-do list is great for their mental health. Kanban boards provide that sense of calm by taking the guesswork out of task management.
How to use a Kanban board
Ready to jump in? Here’s a quick guide on how to use a Kanban board effectively:
1. Create the structure of your board
Start by defining your workflow. What steps does your team follow to get from "To Do" to "Done"? Set up your board with these columns. This is crucial whether you’re using a physical board or a Kanban board online.
2. Start small and iterate
You don’t need to go all-in from the start. Begin with a simple setup and adjust as you go. Agile templates can save you tons of time and allow you to customize according to your specific workflow.
3. Limit work in progress
Juggling too much at once? That’s a recipe for disaster. Limit the number of tasks in progress at any one time to keep things focused and efficient. Hold regular meetings to review the board, discuss priorities, and address roadblocks.
Related: How to run efficient Agile meetings
4. Continuously review and improve
Once your board is set up, keep checking in on how things are going and making adjustments when needed. Use the board for retrospective meetings and plan future sprints based on what you’ve learned.
Start your online Kanban boards with Mural
Ready to get your Kanbans up and running? Mural is an easy-to-learn and fun-to-use visual work platform that makes managing your workflows easier with Kanban boards.
Streamline your projects and tasks with Mural's intuitive features such as:
- Agile project management software: Manage your tasks, sprints, and projects all in one place with ease.
- Library of templates: Mural has Kanban templates for any kind of project scope. We've got the right board for every size.
- Online retrospective boards: Discuss what worked, brainstorm new ideas, and make your projects run even smoother by learning from past mistakes.
- Integrations: Connect your Kanbans with the tools you already use, like Slack, Jira, Microsoft Teams, and more.
Whether you’re setting up a board for the first time, or you’re a seasoned expert, Mural has collaborative design solutions to keep your projects on track.
Try Mural for free and see how easy visual project management using Kanban boards can be.
