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? The first mention of the Kanban board is connected with the Toyota Production System. The board was used to indicate the parts and materials that the production would soon run out of. The approach allows users to deal with possible shortages in time and avoid delays. The idea was used and adapted by a software engineer from Microsoft, David J. Anderson, who noticed the potential of this system for any other project that needs proper organization. The Kanban board that we know today consists of three columns: 1. To Do 2. In Progress 3. Done The cards with tasks are located in those columns according to the stage of their performance. The solutions available on the market complement their functionality with drag-n-drop, resource allocation, setting dependencies, sharing progress reports, and so on. Besides, a tool worthy of attention should be easily integrated into the existing system of any complexity. What are the benefits of Kanban? 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. 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. 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. Progress visibility. Just-in-time approach. Job satisfaction. Popular solutions in 2022 Webix JS Kanban Webix Kanban widget is a customizable solution ready to be integrated into any environment. Advanced features include expanding and collapsing columns, swimlanes, filtering and sorting, highlighting cards, and multiselection. The library provides developers with full documentation and samples. The price starts at $498. 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. The provider offers a 30-day free trial period, technical guides, and samples. The price starts at $389. Syncfusion The 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. The license starts at $995 per year and includes 70+ components. 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. Kanban from Bryntum is compatible with any screen size. The price starts at $850. Kendo UI Kendo offers the possibility to create a unique Kanban board that will meet any requirements. 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. The price starts at $999 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.
