Kanban View - The Power of Organized Simplicity

The word "Kanban" comes from Japanese, and means "Sign Board". In modern knowledge work like development or digital services, what you do can be a bit invisible 👻... A Kanban Board is like a magic window that makes your work visible. You can share it with others, and everyone stays on the same page. Thanks, Toyota 🚗!

What is a Kanban Board?

A Kanban Board is a visual representation of the workflow or process. It consists of columns that represent different stages of work, and each column contains cards representing tasks or work items. For example, a simple Kanban board might have columns like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done." Each task card starts in the "To Do" column and moves through the stages until it reaches "Done." This allows teams to see the work in progress and identify bottlenecks or areas that need attention.

The primary purpose is to provide a clear and visual way to understand the status of tasks as they move through the workflow, from initiation to completion.

Kanban View

Kanban views are like picture galleries for your data, making it easier to track your tasks and keep projects moving smoothly. You can set up a Kanban view to display your data in a visual list, giving you a clear picture of what's going on. It's a handy tool for staying organized and ensuring your deals and tasks keep progressing.

So, in short, a Kanban view is like looking at your to-do list, but instead of seeing words in a row, each task is like a ‘colorful’ card. You can drag these cards to different sections, making it efficient and easy to track your progress.

In summary, a Kanban Board is the entire setup with columns and cards, while a Kanban View is specifically how you see your tasks – like looking at your to-do list more dynamically and visually. Both these help you manage your work efficiently.

I delved deep into the Kanban View benefits before I started to build Tooling Studio - the Kanban Board Extension for Google Workspace. The integration of Kanban Boards and Views aims to level up the Google Tasks experience. And make it useful for teams and people working together.

Benefits of Kanban

See the Big Picture: With Kanban, you see all your tasks at once. It's like having a clear view of your entire to-do list on a wall, so you know what needs to be done.
Easy to Organize: You can move your task cards around. It's like rearranging sticky notes. If something's in progress, you move it to the "Doing" section. When it's done, it goes to "Done."
Spot Bottlenecks: Imagine if your to-do list had traffic lights. Kanban helps you see where things might be stuck. If too many cards are piling up in one stage, it's like a red light saying, "Hey, check here! We can optimize this!"
Focus on What Matters: You only see a few tasks at a time. It's like looking at a small section of your list. This helps you focus on what's important now without feeling overwhelmed. Keep every task small to avoid procrastination.
Collaboration Made Easy: If you're working with others, everyone can see the same board. It's like having a shared wall where everyone knows what's happening. This makes teamwork smoother.
Flexible and Adaptable: You can add new tasks or change things easily. It's like updating your list on the go. Kanban is flexible, so it suits whatever you're working on.
Celebrate Progress: When tasks move to "Done," it's like crossing things off your list. Kanban gives you a visual celebration of progress, making you feel accomplished.
Continuous Improvement: Kanban helps you look at your process and think, "How can we do this better?" It's like fine-tuning your to-do list system over time.

Conclusion

So, Kanban is like a super-organized, flexible, and dynamic to-do list that helps you and your team stay on top of tasks, spot issues, and celebrate achievements. It's a visual way to make work more manageable and enjoyable.

Want to know more about my product, which is an enhancement of Google Workspace by integrating Kanban Boards? Follow me on X and Linkedin.

Originally published on my LinkedIN