projectboards

Projectboards are a visual management tool used to plan, track, and coordinate work within a project. They present tasks as cards that move across columns representing stages of a workflow, enabling teams to see the status of work at a glance. Boards can be physical, using whiteboards and sticky notes, or digital, implemented in software applications.

Core elements typically include columns that denote stages in the process, cards that represent work items, and sometimes swimlanes to separate different tracks. Many boards also support work-in-progress limits to avoid overloading team members and to encourage smooth flow.

Common variants include Kanban boards, which emphasize a continuous flow of work and pull-based scheduling, and Scrum boards, which organize work into time-boxed sprints with a backlog and a sprint board.

Usage and benefits: A board provides visibility, helps identify bottlenecks, and supports collaboration. Moving cards across the board makes progress transparent and can facilitate daily standup meetings and planning.

Limitations: Boards can become unwieldy if they are too large or poorly organized. They require discipline to keep up-to-date and may require governance or tooling to scale within larger teams.

History: The Kanban method originated in manufacturing with Toyota’s production system and was later adapted to software development in the 2000s. Scrum, developed in the 1990s, likewise uses boards as a core artifact.

Projectboards are widely used across industries, including software development, marketing, and product management, due to their simplicity and flexibility.