Kanban Project
1. Introduction of Sanplex features
1.1. Core Management Framework
1.1.1 Program
1.1.2 Project
1.1.3 Product
1.1.4 Execution
1.1.5 Management Models
1.2. Dashboard
1.2.1 Getting Started with Tutorials
1.2.2 Quick Add
1.2.3 Notification Center
1.2.4 Effort Tracking
1.2.5 Dashboard - Project and Execution
1.2.6 Dashboard - My Work, Contribution, and Recents
1.2.7 Dashboard - Approval
1.2.8 Contacts
1.3. Program
1.3.1 Program List
1.3.2 Program Kanban
1.3.3 Create Program
1.3.4 Create Sub-Programs
1.3.5 Project Charter Management
1.4. Product
1.4.1 Create Product
1.4.2 Manage Modules
1.4.3 Multi-Branch and Multi-Platform Management
1.4.4 Manage Plans
1.4.5 Manage Requirements
1.4.6 Requirement Reviews
1.4.7 Requirement Status and Phase
1.4.8 Create Releases
1.4.9 Track Progress
1.4.10 Business Requirements and Multi-Level Requirements
1.5. Project
1.5.1 Scrum Project
1.5.2. Waterfall Project
1.5.2.1 Manage Project Phases
1.5.2.2 Project Design
1.5.2.3 Project Matrix
1.5.2.4 Project Reports and Earned Value Management
1.5.2.5 Project Baselines
1.5.2.6 Project Change
1.5.3. Kanban Project
1.5.3.1 Set Up Kanban Projects
1.5.3.2 Configure Kanban Boards
1.5.3.3 Use Kanban Boards
1.5.4 Hybrid Agile Project
1.5.5 Hybrid Waterfall Project
1.5.6. Project Settings
1.5.6.1 Project Setup
1.5.6.2 Project Executions
1.5.6.3 Project Requirements
1.5.6.4 Project Builds
1.5.6.5 Project Tests
1.6. Admin Settings
1.6.1 Confluence Data Import
1.7. Workflow

Configure Kanban Boards

2026-08-24 18:43:14
Sanplex Content
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Last edited by Jing WANG on 2026-08-24 20:42:05
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Summary: Learn how to switch Kanban views, create and link work items, configure Areas and lanes, adjust board layout, and manage column WIP limits.

Catalog

After a Kanban board is created, teams can configure its board views, create or link work items, organize Areas and lanes, adjust the board layout, and use Work in Progress (WIP) limits to manage workflow capacity.

This section explains the main configuration options available in the Development Kanban Board.

I. Switch Board Views and Manage Work Items

Open a Kanban board. Use the board selector in the upper-left corner to switch between:

  • All KanBan Boards
  • Parent Story KanBan
  • Story KanBan
  • Task KanBan
  • Bug KanBan

You can also select Show Parent Task to display parent tasks on the board.

Development Kanban Board showing the board selector with All KanBan Boards, Parent Story KanBan, Story KanBan, Task KanBan, and Bug KanBan options.

1. Create and Link Work Items

The Create menu in the upper-right corner provides actions for creating and linking work items, including:

  • Create Story
  • Batch Create
  • Link Stories
  • Link Stories by Plan
  • Report Bug
  • Batch Report
  • Create Task
  • Import Bug
  • Transfer Task
  • Batch create task

After items are created, imported, or linked successfully, they appear in the corresponding board lane and column.

Development Kanban Board with the Create menu expanded, showing actions for creating and linking Stories, reporting Bugs, and creating or transferring Tasks.

Story-related actions are also available directly from the Backlog column. Click the + button to access Create Story, Batch Create, Link Stories, and Link Stories by Plan.

Backlog column with its local Create menu expanded, showing Create Story, Batch Create, Link Stories, and Link Stories by Plan.

The following example uses Create Story.

Complete the required Story information on the creation page, such as the linked product, reviewer, Area, lane, hierarchy, Story name, priority, estimate, description, and acceptance criteria.

Create Story dialog opened from the Kanban Board, showing product, reviewer, Area, lane, hierarchy, assignment, priority, estimate, and Story content fields.

When linking Stories by plan, select the required plan and click Link Stories. Active requirements associated with the selected plan are linked to the board.

Link Stories by Plan dialog showing the selected delivery plan and the Link Stories button for associating active requirements with the Kanban Board.

Stories created or linked to the board are displayed as cards. The avatar in the lower-right corner of a Story card indicates its assignee.

Story cards displayed in the Backlog column with assignee avatars shown in the lower-right corner of each card.

II. Configure the Board Layout

Click Settings in the upper-right corner of the Kanban Board to configure board display settings.

Development Kanban Board highlighting the Settings button used to configure column width and lane height for the current board.

The Set Kanban dialog provides settings for Column Width and Lane Height.

Set Kanban dialog showing Fixed and Adaptive Column Width options together with Adaptive and Custom Lane Height settings.

1. Manage Areas

A Kanban board can contain multiple Areas. Open the board-level more actions menu and select Create Area.

Kanban Board more actions menu with Create Area highlighted, providing access to the Area creation function.

Enter an Area Name and select an Area Style.

You can create a customized Area or copy the structure and style of an existing Area.

Create Area dialog showing the Area Name field and Area Style options for customization or copying an existing Area structure and style.

After an Area is created, use its more actions menu to manage it. Available actions include Create Area, Edit Area, Create Lane, and Delete Area.

Release Readiness Area with its more actions menu expanded, showing Create Area, Edit Area, Create Lane, and Delete Area.

2. Set Lane Height and Card Count

Under Settings > Lane Height, select Adaptive to let Sanplex adjust the lane height based on card and lane-name height.

Select Custom to control the lane height by the number of visible cards. The Card Counts value must be an integer between 3 and 100.

Set Kanban dialog with Custom Lane Height selected and the Card Counts field highlighted for controlling the number of visible cards.

When the number of cards exceeds the configured visible card count, a scrollbar is displayed so that additional cards can be viewed within the lane.

Kanban Board showing vertical scrollbars in lanes where the number of cards exceeds the configured visible card count.

3. Set Column Width

Sanplex provides two column-width modes:

  • Fixed Column Width uses one configured width value.
  • Adaptive Column Width uses a configurable minimum and maximum width range.

These settings control how board columns use the available display space. Select the mode and width values that fit the current board layout.

Set Kanban dialog with Adaptive Column Width selected and minimum and maximum column width values configured for the board.

After the width setting is applied, the board displays its columns using the selected column-width configuration and the available board space.

Kanban Board showing the resulting column layout after column-width settings are applied across multiple lanes and board columns.

4. Configure Column Names and Colors

Open the more actions menu for a board column to edit the column settings.

You can change the Column Name and select a display color for the column.

Column Settings dialog for Backlog showing the editable column name and the color palette used to configure the column display color.

5. Set WIP Limits for Board Columns

Open the WIP Settings for a column to configure its Work in Progress (WIP) limit.

Enter a value in WIP Counts, or select No Limit when the column does not require a WIP limit.

WIP Settings dialog for the Backlog column showing WIP Status, WIP Phase, WIP Counts, and the No Limit option.

When the number of items in a column exceeds its WIP limit, Sanplex highlights the WIP count and displays a warning indicator. Hover over the indicator to view the WIP Limit Exceeded message.

Backlog column showing 8 items against a WIP limit of 5, with a red warning and WIP Limit Exceeded message.

For columns that contain subcolumns, WIP information is displayed at both the parent-column and subcolumn levels.

The following example shows the parent Development column with its development subcolumns.

Kanban Board showing the Development parent column and its subcolumns, with WIP counts displayed separately at each level.

When the number of items in the parent column exceeds its configured WIP limit, the parent column displays the corresponding WIP warning.

Development parent column showing a WIP count above its configured limit and displaying the WIP Limit Exceeded warning.

When configuring WIP limits for subcolumns, the total WIP limit of the subcolumns cannot exceed the WIP limit of the parent column. Sanplex displays a validation message when the configured values do not meet this rule.

WIP Settings dialog for the In Development subcolumn showing a validation message when subcolumn WIP limits exceed the parent column limit.

6. Manage Lanes

Open the more actions menu on the left side of a lane to manage it.

Available actions include Edit Lane Name, Edit Lane Color, and Delete Lane.

Task lane with its more actions menu expanded, showing Edit Lane Name, Edit Lane Color, and Delete Lane.

Select Edit Lane Color to choose a display color for the lane.

Edit Lane Color dialog for the Task lane showing the available color options and the selected lane color.

After the setting is saved, the selected color is applied to the lane indicator on the left side of the board.

Development Kanban Board showing the Task lane with the selected green color applied to its vertical lane indicator.

When deleting a lane, Sanplex displays a confirmation dialog indicating that the columns and cards contained in the lane will also be deleted. Click Confirm to continue or Cancel to keep the lane.

Confirmation dialog warning that deleting a swimlane also deletes the columns and cards contained within that lane.

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