Quickstart

3. Build Your Workflow

Processes — The Flow of Work

A Process in KanBo defines how work moves from initiation to completion through a series of statuses that represent the real steps of a business workflow. Each Process assigns responsibility, ensures a clear flow of execution, and creates repeatability across teams and departments. Processes turn abstract procedures into living, actionable workflows executed through Cards moving across statuses in a Space.

A Process is built using:

• Statuses — stages of the workflow (e.g., Review, Approve, Execute, Complete)
• Status Roles — semantic meaning of each stage (Information, Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Cancelled)
• Card Roles — responsibility and ownership during execution (Responsible Person, Co-Workers, Visitors)
• Views — visual representations of the process (Kanban, Gantt, Forecast, Time Chart)

KanBo replaces static BPM diagrams with living processes that teams execute, track, and improve in real time — directly where their work happens.
Best practice: Each Space should define exactly one Process to ensure clarity, consistency, and adoptability across the organization.

Workflows define how work progresses from initiation to completion.
KanBo uses Statuses to represent process stages.

Define Statuses

Common status roles include:

• Information – reference or context cards
• Not Started – work identified but not yet active
• In Progress – currently being worked on
• Completed – finished work
• Cancelled – tasks stopped or no longer needed

Assign Roles

Clarify accountability using card roles:

• Responsible Person – owns the outcome
• Co-Workers – collaborate and contribute
• Visitors – observe and comment

Combine statuses and roles to design a clear flow of work ownership and responsibility.

Example

In Product Development, define statuses: “Design,” “Testing,” and “Release.”
Assign one Responsible Person for each Card to maintain clarity.

Learn more: Statuses and Roles →