Introducing Kanban boards – a visual way to manage your activities

Before the digital age, the Kanban method was used for visual overviews by making cards and arranging them on a board. Today, virtual Kanban boards are a popular and efficient way to track progress and ensure clear communication between project team members, and are especially useful for managing the workflow in Horizon 2020 (H2020) projects.

How does it work?

The Kanban method consists of two basic elements:

• The Board represents your process or workflow. Imagine a whiteboard with vertical lines marking different sections, each of which represents a step in your process, from beginning (left) to end (right). For example, “In Planning”, “Not Started”, “In Progress”, “Completed”, etc. The flexibility of EMDESK’s Kanban board allows you to customize the number and labels of each status of the process.

• The Cards represent your work – activities and tasks. Imagine work items represented by cards; like sticky notes. Every card starts on the left-hand side of your board. As an example, your “In Planning” section. As the work on each card progresses, you move the card through the sections of your workflow board until it reaches the end.

Benefits of using Kanban in your Horizon 2020 workflow

1. Kanban makes your workflow more focused

We understand that Horizon 2020 project managers are under a lot of pressure when it comes to managing activities, deliverables, and deadlines. Kanban can help relieve some of this stress by allowing you to track activities and tasks more efficiently. EMDESK’s Kanban board is designed to help you and your Horizon 2020 project team members accurately visualize your work process. Its all in one view allows you to see the status of each project’s item allowing you to make decisions about how to use your time and what to focus on more easily.

2. Kanban brings transparency to the workflow

The Kanban tool gives every user a visual, intuitive representation of their activities in Horizon 2020 project’s roadmap; from start to finish. Instantly know which of your activities are waiting in the queue, are in progress, have been already completed, and how close you are to meeting milestones or deadlines. Using the EMDESK Kanban tool guarantees that all your Horizon 2020 project team members are always up to date on the project status. As soon as a team member starts or completes a task, its status is instantly updated in the workplan for all to see.

3. Kanban provides visibility of the project

Kanban provides the visibility needed by everyone to stay on the same page, while ensuring greater autonomy, responsibility, and accountability throughout the project lifecycle. Combined with project management software, Kanban increases your Horizon 2020 workflow transparency and efficiency, regardless of project size.