Quickstart

Build Your Workflow

Define how work moves from intention to completion

In KanBo, a workflow is not a visual layout of tasks. It is a shared definition of how work progresses, how responsibility is handled, and when work is considered finished.

A workflow exists to make outcomes predictable, visible, and repeatable.

Workflows are built with statuses and status types

Every workflow in KanBo is defined by statuses. A status is a user-defined stage in the flow of work (name, color, icon).

Each status is interpreted by KanBo through a status type, which gives it a clear, system-wide meaning.

This separation allows teams to use their own business language, while KanBo maintains consistent interpretation across reporting, views, and analytics.

KanBo uses five status types:

Status type	Purpose
Information	Used for reference or context. No execution is expected and date notifications are disabled.
Not Started	Work is identified but has not begun.
In Progress	Work is actively being executed.
Completed	Work has reached its defined outcome.
Cancelled	Work has been stopped and will not be completed.

A workflow describes progress — not activity

Statuses do not describe what people are doing. They describe where work stands in relation to completion.

Moving a card from Not Started to In Progress signals commitment. Moving it to Completed signals that the outcome has been achieved.

This makes progress explicit and measurable — without additional reporting.

Responsibility is part of the workflow

KanBo workflows rely on clear responsibility:

• each card has a single responsible owner,
• contributors and observers are visible,
• accountability follows the card through all statuses.

This ensures that every stage of the workflow has a clear driver — and that work does not stall unnoticed.

One Space, one workflow

Each space in KanBo should represent one coherent workflow.

This principle keeps work:

• understandable for all participants,
• consistent across time,
• and easier to improve.

Multiple workflows in one space dilute meaning and reduce predictability. Clarity is more powerful than complexity.

Views make the workflow visible

A workflow only creates value if it can be seen. KanBo provides multiple views that visualize the same workflow from different perspectives.

View	Purpose
Kanban view	shows flow across statuses,
Gantt chart view	shows timing and dependencies,
Forecast and Time Chart	show risk, predictability, and efficiency.

Workflows are connected — work can move between them

In real organizations, work rarely ends where it starts. A task may begin as an idea, continue as a project activity, and later become part of an operational process.

In many tools, this means copying information, losing history, or starting over.

KanBo works differently.

Feature	Use	Benefits
Cards can move between spaces and workflows	A card can be moved from one space to another — from one workflow to the next — when the nature of the work changes.	This allows work to: transition between projects, processes, or departments, continue in a new workflow without losing history, remain connected to documents, discussions, and decisions.
Context and knowledge always move with the work	A Card carries its full context forward — allowing the next team or workflow to act with understanding, not guesswork.	When a Card moves: its description, notes, and checklists remain intact, attached documents stay linked, activity history and decisions are preserved, responsibility and relationships remain visible.

Real-life work transitions

This capability reflects how work actually happens in organizations:

• an idea becomes an initiative,
• a project deliverable becomes an operational task,
• an issue becomes a permanent improvement action.

KanBo allows these transitions to happen inside the system, without fragmentation.

Why this matters

KanBo treats cards as living carriers of work, not disposable tasks.

Context flexibility	Outcome
When work cannot move:	information is duplicated, context is lost, and outcomes depend on manual handovers.
When work can move with its context:	coordination improves across teams, knowledge is retained, and delivery becomes continuous instead of reset-driven.

How this fits the KanBo model

Spaces define workflows. Cards move through Statuses — and when needed, through Spaces. This makes KanBo suitable not only for projects, but for end-to-end organizational work, where outcomes span multiple workflows and responsibilities.

Natural transition 

With workflows defined and work able to move between them, the next step is managing execution at the Card level.