Discover the Power of Kanban Boards in Effective Project Management
Project management is a crucial domain in the sphere of IT. A skilled project manager knows how to organize the working routine to get the best results in the least amount of time. Project managers operate resources, time, and the scope of work. They are also responsible for the quality of the outcome. There are hundreds of different tools that can facilitate the job of a project manager and effectively set up the processes in a team. Some of the tools are new developments, others are well-known solutions. In this overview, we will focus on a familiar and therefore reliable assistant in the process of project management, which is a Kanban board.
What is Kanban?
A Kanban board is a tool that visualizes work, limits work-in-progress, and maximizes efficiency. It consists of cards and columns, with the cards representing project tasks and the columns indicating the level of task completion, such as “to-do,” “in progress,” and “done.” They are designed to help teams establish order in their daily work and can be used for both agile and DevOps teams. Kanban boards are known for improving communication, facilitating better understanding of project needs, and streamlining the workflow.
What are the benefits of Kanban?
Progress visibility. It is much easier to understand the general scope of work if the tasks are depicted visibly. The team arranges the efforts, sees the dependencies between the tasks, and a critical path. It contributes to
mutual help and team cooperation.
Just-in-time approach. Cards with urgent tasks can be added to the board when it is necessary. This enables the team to be very flexible, iterate tests, and update the tasks to achieve the best result.
Improved communication and collaboration. Team members using a Kanban board can easily see what others are working on, which encourages collaboration, feedback, and idea sharing
Job satisfaction. That feeling when you cross out something you have successfully dealt with. The same is here. The team sees the results. They are content with their performance and motivated to go on.
Choose your Kanban solution for 2024
Webix JS Kanban
Webix Kanban widget is a customizable solution ready to be integrated into any environment. It is designed to be highly customizable and can be adjusted to suit your specific needs. Some of the key features of Webix JS Kanban include:
Drag-n-drop support: Easily move tasks between columns by simply dragging and dropping them to the desired position.
Filters: Users can filter tasks based on specific criteria, such as status, priority, or assignee.
Tasks grouping: Tasks can be grouped together, allowing for better visualization and organization of work.
Contextual menu: Provided for users to perform actions on specific tasks, such as editing, deleting, or assigning
Lightning rendering speed: Ensures smooth and responsive performance.
Pure JavaScript code: Allows for easy integration and customization.
Documentation: Webix provides comprehensive documentation, samples, and user guide to better understand and utilize the Kanban board widget.
Different columns for each track on the board: This feature allows for better organization and customization of the Kanban board to suit specific project requirements.
Attaching graphics to the task card: Users can add visual representations, such as icons or images, to task cards for better identification and organization.
Commenting cards: Users can leave comments on specific tasks, facilitating better communication and collaboration.
Other popular Kanban widgets
DHTMLX
The functionality of this solution includes creating and editing tasks in columns and swimlanes, cards’ multiselection and drag-n-drop, assigning dates and people, and setting priorities. The Kanban board supports TypeScript and localization.
Syncfusion
he functionality is quite extensive. It comprises data binding, scrolling, built-in themes, and swimlanes. The board is fully compatible with any device and touch screen.
Bryntum
This one is another solution that is fully integrated with the most popular frameworks (Angular, Vue, React). Swimlanes, grouping, and collapsing columns are included in standard functionality. The board is fully customizable, and any style can be applied.
Kendo UI
The functionality is standard, but apart from that, you can add any templates to enrich the possibilities of the project. Validation rules enable managers to monitor the speed and progress of the team by limiting the number of cards or allowing only cards that are “In progress” to be moved to the “Done” column.
Conclusion
There is no ideal solution. The decision should be made according to the requirements of each particular project and the preferences of the project manager. The obvious thing here is that a Kanban board from any provider will definitely become a handy assistant in the development process and facilitate arranging and monitoring activities.