An Agile board is a visual framework designed to display and synchronize tasks moving between production steps. Typically utilized in conjunction with the two most prominent Agile development frameworks, Kanban and Scrum, an Agile board helps software developers and project managers manage workloads in a flexible, transparent, and iterative manner.
Benefits of using an agile board
1. Enhances Progress Visibility
An Agile board acts as a reliable source of information for all the work that needs to be accomplished, ensuring complete visibility of the project for everyone involved. A single board for all tasks enables team members and stakeholders to stay informed about progress and productivity.
2. Defines Deliverable Expectations
Creating task lists and notes on an Agile board helps set expectations for each team member regarding their responsibilities and deadlines. By establishing clear deliverables, you foster open communication around any unrealistic expectations.
3. Streamlines Task Assignment
Visualizing the workload on an Agile board simplifies the process of assigning tasks to the appropriate team members. Agile team members typically choose which tasks they prefer to work on, and collaborative discussions are held around the tasks displayed on the board. By signing up for specific tasks, Agile teams can share project responsibilities and select those that align best with their skill set.
4. Facilitates Issue Identification
Utilizing an Agile board is helpful in identifying potential bottlenecks within a project's process. If a task remains stuck in the 'In Progress' column, it alerts the project manager to a possible blocker that could be impeding or slowing down progress.
5. Enhanced Accountability
Transparency leads to accountability. The use of task boards ensures that everyone involved is accountable for the work they have agreed to undertake. By moving sticky notes between workflow columns, every individual is responsible for the progress of their assigned tasks.
6. Improves Organizational Alignment
In addition to progress columns, Agile boards can include swimlanes that divide the board into sections showcasing work across multiple departments. This organizational alignment promotes efficiency by preventing duplication of work and ensuring nothing goes unnoticed.
How to create an agile board
Display and sync on tasks moving between the production steps. Use the template to track your project or team progress.
1. Use the Agile Board Template and enjoy that it is fully customizable depending on your team, project, and tasks.
2. Invite your team to the board and plan tasks while tracking progress.
3. Customize your workflow in three progress columns named to do, in progress, and done. You can customize these names depending on how you work. You can add columns if needed.
4. Populate your board by beginning with the sticky notes in the to-do section. Fill in the notes with the tasks that need doing.
5. Update the board by moving sticky notes around as tasks get done.
6. Discuss issues with your team as the board is a conversation point. This is a good time to answer questions.
7. Add tasks from Jira if needed to track them together on the board or convert sticky notes. The information will sync automatically.
Common use case of an effective agile board
Below is an example of how a software development team can utilize an Agile board for project planning and tracking. In this scenario, the team is developing a food delivery app using the Scrum framework.
The Scrum Master downloads the Agile Board Template and, adhering to Scrum methodology, uses user stories to categorize their agile board. They modify the board into five columns: 'Story,' 'To Do,' 'In Progress,' 'Testing,' and 'Done.'
Before each sprint, the product owner and scrum team determine which user stories they will work on in that sprint. For instance, "As a user, I want to find nearby restaurants so that I can get food delivered to my address." These user stories are then added to the 'Story' column. The 'To Do' column is populated with sticky notes representing tasks based on these user stories.
Below is a detailed explanation of each column on the Agile board and how tasks progress through the workflow:
Story: This column contains user stories that offer context to the development team regarding what they are constructing and why.
To Do: The 'To Do' column only includes specific tasks agreed upon by the team for the current sprint.
In Progress: Tasks that have been initiated should be moved to this column. This indicates to all team members that work is underway on this task.
Testing: Once tasks are completed, they should be transferred to this column so that other team members can review them. For instance, new features in a food delivery app need testing. If issues arise during testing, then the task and corresponding sticky note are returned to the 'To Do' section.
Done: Completed tasks that require no further modifications should be moved to this column at the end of each sprint.
In Scrum, all sticky notes should be transferred to the 'Done' column by the end of each sprint. Following the sprint retrospective, all sticky notes are removed to clear the board for the next sprint.
