An agile software developer is updating Kanban board.
Image: Berk/Adobe Stock

Kanban boards have become a staple within the realm of project management. There’s a good reason for that. Kanban boards give you an at-a-glance look at the state of a project in a way that most other project management tools cannot. And there are plenty of services that offer kanban boards, many of which also focus on other elements found in project management platforms, such as Gantt charts and calendars.

One service, however, opts for the purist route and offers just kanban boards, and that is Kanban Tool. This service features an outstanding user interface to build kanban boards and includes features like task archiving, multiple projects, Power-Ups for extra functionality, real-time collaboration, time tracking, Android and iOS apps, third-party app integration, on-site hosting, flexible workflow editor, board cloning, task transfer between boards, customizable card templates, up to 15 custom fields, file attachments, and card cloning.

SEE: Hiring kit: Project manager (TechRepublic Premium)

So, if you’re looking for a project management tool that sets its sights solely on kanban, Kanban Tool might be just what you need.

I’m going to show you how to take your first steps with this platform, by way of creating a custom board.

What you’ll need to create a custom board with Kanban Tool

The only things you’ll need for this are a web browser and a valid Kanban Tool account. I suggest you start with the Free tier, so you can kick the tires to find out if this service is a good match.

If you’re interested in its other pricing option, Kanban Tool offers three tiers:

  • Free: 2 boards for 2 users
  • Team: $5 per user per month for unlimited boards and unlimited file attachments
  • Enterprise: $9 per user per month for unlimited boards, unlimited file attachments, time tracking and reporting, user group management, and process automation

However, the Free tier should suffice for this tutorial. That’s it. Let’s create that first board.

How to create your first custom board

Log in to your Kanban Tool account and you should see two cards: Start With A Welcome board and Create Custom Board (Figure A).

Figure A

The Kanbantool dashboard.
The Kanban Tool dashboard.

Click Create Custom Board.

The first step is to give your board a name and click Next (Figure B).

Figure B

Naming your new custom kanban board.
Naming your new custom kanban board.

 

In the next window, you define the workflow for the board (Figure C). Essentially, this is creating the different columns that you’ll use.

Figure C

Creating your workflow in Kanbantool.
Creating your workflow in Kanban Tool.

By default, you’ll see 4 columns. You can rename these how you need. Once you’ve named the fourth column, you’ll see a fifth appear. You can add as many columns as you need before clicking Next.

The next window has you customize the types of work items that will appear on your board (Figure D).

Figure D

Creating custom work items for your board.
Creating custom work items for your board.

These items could be customer orders, reports, requests, maintenance, or just about anything you’ll need to add to cards on your board. Fill this out, and click Next.

You can then select a background for your board, and create a few initial tasks, before clicking Create Board (Figure E).

Figure E

Select a background color, and add a few tasks to your new kanban board.
Select a background color, and add a few tasks to your new kanban board.

You can create some initial tasks or simply click Create Board, and you’ll be transported to your new, custom kanban board (Figure F).

Figure F

A custom kanban board I created in a couple of minutes with Kanbantool.
A custom kanban board I created in a couple of minutes with Kanban Tool.

Congratulations, you are now ready to start managing your projects with the ease of kanban and the simplicity and elegance of Kanban Tool.

Subscribe to TechRepublic’s How To Make Tech Work on YouTube for all the latest tech advice for business pros from Jack Wallen.

Subscribe to the Developer Insider Newsletter

From the hottest programming languages to commentary on the Linux OS, get the developer and open source news and tips you need to know. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays

Subscribe to the Developer Insider Newsletter

From the hottest programming languages to commentary on the Linux OS, get the developer and open source news and tips you need to know. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays