Kanbantools

Kanbantools is a category of tools and platforms designed to support the implementation of the Kanban method across industries such as software development, manufacturing, and services. The term covers both physical tools, like Kanban boards with cards and lanes, and digital tools that visualize work, limit work in progress (WIP), manage flow, and facilitate collaboration.

Core features commonly found in Kanbantools include visual boards with draggable cards, WIP limits, pull-based scheduling, and analytics such as throughput and cycle time. They often provide templates for workflows, explicit work policies, backlog management, and automation rules that move items between stages or alert teams. Integration with other systems—issue trackers, version control, calendars, and chat tools—is also common.

Kanbantools come in various forms. Physical boards remain in use in manufacturing settings and some team environments, while digital options enable real-time collaboration and remote work. Popular digital Kanban tools include Jira Software, Trello, LeanKit, and Kanbanize, among others. Tools may offer customizable workflows, service-level agreements, and dashboards to monitor flow metrics.

The Kanban concept originated in the Toyota Production System as a scheduling and signaling method to improve throughput and reduce waste. In software development and knowledge work, Kanbantools help teams visualize work, limit WIP, manage flow, and support continuous improvement through feedback loops and policy transparency.