- Kanban Board Template
- Kanban Board Template
- Download
- Description
- What is a Kanban Board?
- Online Collaborative Kanban Boards
- Kanban in a Spreadsheet
- Google Sheets vs. Excel
- What is a Sprint?
- References and Resources
- TIPSOGRAPHIC
- by Stefania Galatolo
- ChatGPT Prompts by Stefania Galatolo
- 15+ Juicy Kanban Board Templates for Excel, Free
- Free Online Kanban Boards, 15+ Templates in Excel
- Generic Templates
- Department Based Templates
- Note about the Use of These Templates
- TIPSOGRAPHIC
- by Stefania Galatolo
- ChatGPT Prompts by Stefania Galatolo
- Kanban Board Template for Excel and Google Sheets, Free Download
- 1. Kanban
- 2. Online Kanban Board by Tipsographic
- Download Kanban Board Template
- 3. How to Download
- 4. Changelog
- Note about the Use of This Template
- Free Kanban Board Templates: Excel, Google Sheets, PowerPoint, PDF & Word
- Basic Kanban Board Template
- Kanban Board Spreadsheet Template
- Kanban Board Presentation Template
- Agile Sprint with Kanban Board Template
- What Are Kanban Board Templates?
- Why Use Kanban Board Templates?
- Optimize Your Kanban Boards with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet
Kanban Board Template
After learning about Agile development, Kanban, and Scrum, we decided to try implementing a very simple system to help our small team work more effectively. Vertex42 is focused on continuous content and product delivery (just like many software companies), but it’s easy to get overwhelmed with too many tasks and competing priorities. So, we decided to combine some principles from both the Kanban and Scrum methods into a simple tool that we can use both collaboratively and remotely. This Kanban Board Template was born from that idea.
Kanban Board Template
Download
License Agreement: Private Use (not for distribution or resale)
Description
At first look, this spreadsheet may seem like just a glorified task list, but it’s much more than that. It was designed to apply principles from agile project management. The idea of categorizing and prioritizing activities and moving the tasks through the «To Do», «In Progress» and «Done» lanes comes from the Kanban method. The idea of using a backlog and identifying activities to complete within a two-week period or «sprint» comes from the Scrum method.
What makes a good collaborative task management tool? In our experience, the answer is that we actually WANT to use it. And that’s what we’ve found with this spreadsheet . it’s fun to use, extremely simple, and takes very little time to update.
Update 10/1/2021: Try the new Spreadsheet.com version! It has a card-style Kanban board view that allows you to drag cards between lanes. It also features automations that make it easy to move backlog ideas into new sprints and to archive tasks by simply checking a box.
What is a Kanban Board?
A Kanban board is a collaborative work flow or task management tool used in Agile project management. Team members add cards or sticky notes to a board on the wall representing the features or tasks they will be working on during their one or two-week sprint. The team has regular stand-up meetings to discuss their progress, update priorities, and physically move the tasks from In Progress to Testing to Done as they complete them.
Online Collaborative Kanban Boards
There are quite a few software companies that have developed online agile tools. Many of these, such as LeanKit and smartsheet have developed a «card» system where features and tasks are added to and moved between columns on the screen. With Vertex42’s new template designed specifically for Agile sprints, Spreadsheet.com is now a great option for blending spreadsheet functions with visual Kanban Board views and email notifications.
Kanban in a Spreadsheet
Instead of placing cards in vertical lanes our template for Excel and Sheets uses horizontal lanes, where each row represents a separate card (activity, task, feature, etc.). In the Spreadsheet.com version, you can also switch to the Kanban Board view to see and edit the tasks as cards.
It is easy to move rows around in Excel and Sheets. In Excel: Select a row, then hold the SHIFT key as you left-click on the edge of the range and drag it. In Google Sheets: Select a row and then drag it when the mouse icon changes to a Hand.
You can add more details or notes to your tasks by adding columns, without making it any more difficult to move tasks between lanes.
Google Sheets vs. Excel
Google Sheets provides a great place to use this Kanban board template because of real-time collaboration and the ease of moving tasks between lanes by dragging and dropping.
When using Excel, we recommend using Microsoft OneDrive because it allows you to upload and share the file with multiple users, giving everyone online access to the file as well as access through Excel’s mobile apps.
An Office 365 subscription allows you to edit the Kanban workbook in real-time using the co-authoring feature of Excel. See this article.
What is a Sprint?
A sprint in the Scrum methodology is normally a week or two-week period where the team works on developing and delivering a fully functional feature, or perhaps even an entire product. In our case, that might be a new template or maybe a new blog article.
What we like most about the sprint approach is that it provides a deadline. By estimating the hours to complete each activity, we can plan how much we might accomplish during the sprint.
Backlog: We love the idea of the backlog. Maybe we don’t use it the way it was meant to be used, but it allows us a place to stick all our ideas without cluttering up our current sprint goal. We can evaluate the list of backlog items before the next sprint to decide what to work on next. Hiding the rows in the backlog keeps them out of sight and out of mind — to avoid having the huge list of to-dos distract us from the priority items.
Sprint Progress Chart: The top of the worksheet shows a new type of chart that I developed specifically for this spreadsheet. It shows the overall progress as filled-in flag icons and the current day as an hourglass, so you can interpret the chart as your race against time.
The formula for creating a sprint chart is explained in this blog article. If you have questions or comments, please let us know by commenting in that post.
References and Resources
This page isn’t meant to teach you everything you need to know about Agile, Kanban, and Scrum. To learn more, here are a few resources we found useful:
- LeanKit Kanban at LeanKit.com — A good explanation of how to use a Kanban board, and it shows their online tool that is based on the card system.
- The Scrum and Sprint within an Agile Project — at dummies.com — Explains some of the basics.
- Collaborate on Excel in Real-Time with Co-Authoring — at support.office.com — Learn how you can co-author this template in real-time with Excel for Office 365.
Note: The information on this page describes how we have adapted some of the Agile principles into our own work and into the Kanban template. It is not meant as a general reference for how Agile, Kanban, and Scrum should be applied in all businesses.
TIPSOGRAPHIC
by Stefania Galatolo
ChatGPT Prompts by Stefania Galatolo
15+ Juicy Kanban Board Templates for Excel, Free
Among Agile methodologies, Kanban is a set of techniques for reducing work in progress, and Kanban boards are the centerpieces of a successful practice.
Tipsographic’s Kanban Board templates for Excel are a fast, easy, and effective way for achieving a nice continuous flow toward the stage of “done”. Simply, download a ready-made free Kanban board and start typing.
That’s all there is to it.
Add, delete, or move tasks. Moreover, you can customize these Kanban spreadsheets by changing colors, or even uploading your logo. Compatible with LibreOffice Calc and G Suite application, in this article, you’ll find links to the best Kanban tools in Excel currently available on the web.
Use these bespoke Excel Kanban spreadsheets.
Free, easy!
Free Online Kanban Boards, 15+ Templates in Excel
The best free online kanban board templates for Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets (Google G Suite), and LibreOffice Calc available on the web
Generic Templates
Department Based Templates
Note about the Use of These Templates
These templates may be used and copied free of charge, provided that the copyright notice isn’t removed. You may not make the files downloadable from a public server or website, but feel free to bookmark or link to this page.
TIPSOGRAPHIC
by Stefania Galatolo
ChatGPT Prompts by Stefania Galatolo
Kanban Board Template for Excel and Google Sheets, Free Download
Download here the ultimate online kanban board template with WIP monitoring and avatars, part of 15+ kanban board templates for Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets (Google G Suite), and LibreOffice Calc.
1. Kanban
A kanban board is a visualization tool that enables improvements to the flow of work by making bottlenecks and work quantities visible. Kanban boards replace task boards, are generally more sophisticated than “mere” task boards and are not “reset” at the beginning of each iteration.
The online kanban board template by Tipsographic is a great start for teams who are new to the kanban concept.
2. Online Kanban Board by Tipsographic
Tipsographic’s kanban board example consists of 5 columns and 6 sub-columns, with WIP (work-in-progress) built-in formulas and 2 sets of avatars.
On a side note, the To Do and Done columns do not require WIP limits, as they do not represent work that is In Progress and cannot create bottlenecks by themselves.
This simplified online kanban board for Excel, Google Sheets (Google G Suite), and LibreOffice Calc is a great way for beginners to visualize their work and establish the foundations of a highly efficient workflow.
Download it and start collaborating now!
Download Kanban Board Template
3. How to Download
You can download this and earlier versions of the workbook on the releases page.
Here an easy peasy reference guide on how to save locally the Google Sheets version of these kanban board tools.
Important! Do NOT use the “Request Edit Access” method, because I can’t grant permission to edit the original.
4. Changelog
- 2018-12-13: Cards made metrics ready: added project prefix to ID numbers, added timestamps, and applied minor design tweaks. Moved WIP limits to the separate sheet “Settings”.
- 2018-11-25: Added a dedicated section for the setting of WIP limits on the sheet “KanbanBoard”. Added conditional formatting-triggered if WIP limits exceeded-on the column headers of the sheet “KanbanBoard”.
- 2018-10-4: Remodeled the board layout. Added two sets of avatars on a dedicated sheet “Avatars”. Renamed sheet “TermsOfUse_EULA” to “©”.
- 2018-07-24: Initial release.
Note about the Use of This Template
This template may be used and copied free of charge, provided that the copyright notice isn’t removed. You may not make the file downloadable from a public server or website, but feel free to bookmark or link to this page.
Free Kanban Board Templates: Excel, Google Sheets, PowerPoint, PDF & Word
September 19, 2022
We’ve compiled the most useful Kanban board templates for Kanban leads, Scrum masters, project managers, service delivery managers (SDMs), service request managers (SRMs), and Agile team members.
Basic Kanban Board Template
Try this easy-to-use basic Kanban board template to increase your Agile team’s efficiency and establish a framework for your future sprints. Create a Kanban card for each task in your sprint, and place it in any of the five columns or swimlanes: Backlog, To Do, In Progress, Testing, and Completed. The template is available with and without sample data, and each Kanban swimlane is color coded to distinguish between project stages. This completely customizable basic Kanban board template is the perfect solution for Agile teams looking to benefit from the visually dynamic Kanban method of development.
To learn more about optimizing your team’s development projects using Kanban boards and cards, read this comprehensive article on free Kanban card templates.
Kanban Board Spreadsheet Template
Download a Kanban Board Spreadsheet Template for
Excel | Google Sheets
Increase productivity with this all-inclusive Kanban board spreadsheet template. The template enables you and your team to document detailed tasks and move them between swimlanes. This detailed template is unique in that it provides several selectable details, such as the type of Kanban card (e.g., Feature, Research, Content, Update, Task), the role or team member who will complete it, a description of the feature or activity, the reason for the task, its priority, the total number of Agile story points, and the projected hours to complete it. The template enables you to set the length of your sprint, gauge task-completion progress, and track the story points completed at any point in the sprint.
Check out this comprehensive guide to creating an online Kanban board, and ensure that you maximize all the benefits that the Kanban method has to offer.
Kanban Board Presentation Template
Download a Kanban Board Presentation Template for
PowerPoint | Google Slides
Provide compelling and accurate information on your sprint or project progress with this presentation-ready, visually rich Kanban board presentation template. The template enables you to create your own numbered Kanban tickets, assign them to team members, and move them through the stages of an Agile sprint: Backlog, Active, Development, Testing, Deployment, and Complete. This unique template is shareable and presentable online, and it helps Scrum masters, project managers, project sponsors, and Agile team members ensure that the sprint is progressing on schedule.
Agile Sprint with Kanban Board Template
Download an Agile Sprint with Kanban Board Template for
Excel | Google Sheets
Ensure that you meet, and even exceed, your sprint workload obligations with this extensive Agile sprint with Kanban board template. For each feature or task on the Tasks tab, you can assign a swimlane, a type (Feature, Update, Task, etc.), the roles responsible for completing it, the reason for the task or feature, and who gets the assignment. The template also allows you to set a priority level and projected time to completion for each task or feature. Use this unique template’s Backlog tab to create tasks. In the Archive tab, you can add archived tasks for your records. Finally, compare the efficiency and productivity achievements of your sprints in the Record Book tab.
What Are Kanban Board Templates?
Kanban board templates are project management tools used by Agile teams to maximize productivity. Use a Kanban board template to apply Kanban’s scheduling system and help your team visualize tasks that need to be completed on time.
A Kanban board provides a structure for reviewing active project tasks, priority levels, and team member assignments. Project managers, Scrum masters, project sponsors, and Agile team members who use a Kanban board can easily see each task, the person responsible for completing it, and its current status. Use a Kanban board to lend structure to your Agile team’s development sprint cycles and to keep all stakeholders apprised of project progress.
While Kanban board templates are customizable, they typically include at least the following four status columns, or swimlanes, depicting the linear progress of development tasks:
- To Do: List all of your required tasks on individual Kanban cards, then assign team members to be responsible for each. Also include the effort each will take, either in points or work hours.
- In Progress: Sometimes called Doing, this column indicates that the team members assigned to each task have begun work on them.
- Review: Once each task is completed, a team member or manager should review it to verify that the work has been successfully completed.
- Done: Also called Completed, this column indicates that a task has been reviewed and verified as completed.
As Kanban templates often vary, some include the following stages-of-progress columns, depending on the nature of the project or the team’s process:
- Backlog: Create a backlog of to-do tasks that, although they might not be included in the current sprint, will need to be completed at some point in the future.
- Ready for Refinement: Place sprint or project tasks that need additional details before your team adopts them into this column. This way, it’s clear to team members and stakeholders that more information is required before a task can be pulled onto a sprint.
- Verify: Similar to the Review column, you can apply a Verify Kanban stage in which a team member verifies a task.
- In Test: Place Kanban cards in this status column to indicate that they’re currently being tested for accuracy.
- Open: Use this Kanban board status option to indicate any items that are still open and need to be completed by sprint’s end.
- Blocked: For any task that is blocked, place its Kanban card into this category to indicate that it needs to be unblocked to be successfully completed.
Why Use Kanban Board Templates?
A Kanban board template provides a visual representation of your remaining work and the progress made on each task. Use a Kanban board template to track your project’s progress and to ensure that you meet your efficiency and productivity goals.
For Scrum and other Agile development teams, if you don’t have a way to track each sprint’s deliverables, you probably aren’t working as efficiently as you could be. By using a Kanban board template, you can easily create Kanban cards for each task that must be completed and ensure that it progresses across the status or stage columns. When you have a task-tracking Kanban board for your sprint, you provide a visual status board of each task’s progress.
By using a Kanban board, teams track not only their sprint or release’s task progress, but how much they can take on in a successive sprint or future project. Kanban boards can help Scrum masters and other team members determine their work-in-process (WIP) limit. Knowing your team’s WIP limit prevents bottlenecks and is paramount to efficiency in the Kanban method.
For example, if your team has 20 tasks to complete in a two-week sprint, but you have 19 tasks in the In Progress or Review stage the day before your sprint ends, you’ve exceeded your WIP limit. Chances are all 19 tasks won’t be completed by the final day of the sprint. By including an upper limit of tasks in progress, or WIP, the team’s Scrum master can ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and meet quality standards.
Use a Kanban board template to visualize the work that needs to be completed, increase your team’s efficiency, and limit your WIP. By using a Kanban board template, you not only help ensure that all work is completed for the current sprint, but that your future sprints are sufficiently planned, staffed, and executed.
Optimize Your Kanban Boards with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet
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