What is Kanban?
Quick Definition
A visual workflow management method that uses boards with columns to represent stages of work, helping teams track tasks from start to completion.
How it works
Kanban originated in Toyota's manufacturing system in the 1940s and was later adapted for software development and knowledge work. The core idea is simple: visualize your work as cards on a board, with columns representing stages like 'To Do,' 'In Progress,' and 'Done.' Teams pull work through the pipeline rather than having it pushed to them, which naturally limits work-in-progress and highlights bottlenecks.
Kanban in practice
A design team might have columns for 'Backlog,' 'Designing,' 'Review,' and 'Shipped.' Each task is a card that moves left to right. When the 'Review' column gets full, it signals that reviewers are the bottleneck—time to help clear the queue before starting new work.
How Ultra Task uses Kanban
Ultra Task includes AI-powered kanban boards with custom statuses. Create any columns you need, and let AI automatically sort new tasks into the right column based on their content.
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