Kanbanflow - a good application to control pending tasks

Kanbanflow, is a productivity tool, which can be used through the browser or on mobile devices, it is widely used in remote labor relations, that is, freelance type; with it the organizations or working groups can see the progress of activities of each of its members. If you are one of those who have multiple tasks and do not know how to organize, or you have multiple employees and do not know how to monitor your progress, Kanbanflow is for you.

In this article, we will show the use of this tool completely free, through an example; not without first showing the main view or dashboard. The web interface is quite simple, when you enter you can see a main bar that contains: the menu button - boards- (1), notifications (2), configuration (3), help (4) and profile of the person that belongs to the organization (5).

Likewise, there are two tabs in the main view, one –boards- where all the created boards are located, owned by the member who has entered the platform, and also those that have been created by the immediate supervisors.

In the second tab - members - there is the list of all the members of the working group and their contact email.

• Example of use

To illustrate the operation better, an example will be made from a real assignment.

1. Create board:  you can create as many boards as you want, in these is that all the tasks will be managed and placed. To create the board, there are two options, one in the main view of the tool, where you click on the button create board - believe board- (1) and the second one is through the configuration button (2); there is the view of the organization, and the amount of boards it has and the button create board.

2. It is possible to create a board by selecting one of the following options: kanban board, with this you create a board with the columns of your preference, the second option is to copy a previously created board (with the same structure), and the third is create a dashboard that shows the information of the multiple dashboards that the organization has.

3. It starts with the first option, where the name of the board is indicated (1), and it is selected if the board belongs to an organization, or is of independent use (2). The process is followed (3), and the column window is opened, the system opens 4 columns by default (4), each one indicates the progress level of each task. The names can be modified and are also adjusted depending on the dynamics and needs of the work group, adding or eliminating columns (5), the process is followed (6).

4. The next point is to specify in which of the columns the finished jobs will be placed (1), if the tool creates a new column, or if it is not necessary to specify (2) in the current board. The last step is to indicate, how many tasks can be accommodated for each column - WIP (4), the process (5) is finished.

5. At the end the board is observed, to add the tasks, click on the green cross next to each column name (1), a window with the data of the task is opened, the name - column where it is lodged (ideas ) (2), color preference of the window, members that will perform the task, associated labels for a better search (3), description of the assignment (4), related comments (5). On the right side of the window, a series of tools appear to make even more specifications about the task (6).

• The use of colors in assignments can be relevant for many, since with these it is possible to differentiate completely different or equal processes, so that you can visualize the progress of each of the tasks much faster.
• The comments, is another point that makes this tool great, since the owner of the board, or the supervisor of the activity can indicate specifications with respect to the activity, is another way of relating to the member who is executing the process itself.

6. The tools that help to better manage the task are the following: Add (1): you can add descriptions, members, tags, subtasks, deadline, estimated time of duration, manual time, comments,

Move (2): move to another board or another column. Timer (3): Start countdown (counter), this has the peculiarity that integrates the pomodoro technique, which consists of establishing fixed time periods between 25 and 50 minutes; it is completely configurable by accessing its configuration once started. Reports (4): results reports. More (5): Create URL associated with the activity. Delete (6): delete

The reports can give an idea of ​​how the activity has progressed, and therefore of the person who is carrying out the activity. Facilitates in itself, that the supervisor does not have to make external reports to the platform, which would be considered a waste of time. Likewise, the pomodoro technique allows you to perform a task in 50 minutes, being able to give the executor of the activity rest periods of 5 minutes, these small spaces of rest is called pomodoros, after the person accumulates 4 pomodoros, rest next will be 15 minutes.

7. The sub-tasks are key for the establishment of the assignments, this because, with them, it is possible to identify how much the activity has progressed, after having them clear, a check is made on each of the boxes, until determining that the process is complete and the task can be moved to the completed activities column.

8. After the preferences have been established, the assignment is as follows, and is added to the corresponding column.

9. When the task changes status, it is simply taken with the cursor and dragged to the position considered. However, it is necessary to limit, that new tasks cannot be included, until those that are in process are carried out, this is a way to ensure that all tasks are completed, and that people do not massively include tasks that later do not they may end.

10. It is a completely customizable tool, in the configurations of the boards, you can define other types of characteristics, such as changing the name, owner, if you want to archive or move the organization, specify the colors of each board, time limit, estimation units (points or time)

11. From the mobile you can track the tasks, through the browser of your choice, it is not a mobile application, which can be downloaded from any app store, however, to verify the status of the tasks while there is no a nearby computer is very useful.

12. The boards are shown, and obviously each one of the tasks created, to visualize each column, simply slide the screen so that all the processes and their level of progress are shown.

Closing remarks

It is a big step for leaders of small businesses, digital businesses and even those people who need to organize themselves in their activities (such as students or shared personal projects), and these in turn are integrated by another set of multiple sub-tasks .

In addition, it is a way for supervisors to delegate activities to their group of members. It is interesting, as with a free tool like this, it is possible to visualize all the movements of the organization, it is not limited in terms of any of the functionalities, there is no blocked action, which gives greater freedom of use. And, if that were not enough, it does not end as employees are assigned activities -as it happens with agendas, notebooks and other office resources-, this is another plus that can make you migrate your data to this tool.

We hope it has been helpful, and invite interested parties to access Kanbanflow from your website, or from the mobile browser, will be for a whole way to enter the productivity of the digital age in an easy and friendly way.