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# What Is a Kanban Board in Operations Management?
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/what-is-a-kanban-board/
- Published: 2026-09-17T22:32:33.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-17T22:32:33.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

A **Kanban board** displays records as cards in columns, where each column is a phase of a process. It answers one question well: where is each item right now.

## When a board is the right view

Boards suit work that progresses. They suit reference data badly.

- **Good fit** — requests, tickets, deals, projects, candidates
- **Poor fit** — products, suppliers, cost centres, anything static
- **Complementary** — a table for bulk editing, a dashboard for totals
- **Not a replacement** — the board is a view, not where data lives

## What a board should be configured with

| Setting                 | What it controls               |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| **Phase field**         | The columns cards move through |
| **Displayed fields**    | What appears on the card cover |
| **Colour conditionals** | Which cards stand out, and why |
| **Filters**             | Which records each person sees |
| **Density**             | How much fits on screen        |

## How to build one in Jestor

1. Create a **Kanban** from any table in **Jestor** with one click.
2. Choose the field defining the phases — single select, radio, user, or connected.
3. Select which fields appear on the card cover, with conditionals per phase.
4. Add colour conditionals so priority or risk is visible without opening cards.
5. Enable log metrics on the phase field so **SLA** timing is captured.

## Why choose Jestor for board-based work?

In **Jestor**, boards are views over relational tables rather than containers for data, which means the same records can appear as a board, a table, a list, and a dashboard simultaneously.

Cards carry SLA tracking, tasks, subtasks, attachments, chat, and full change history — so the board is a working surface rather than a summary.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does a board store my data?

No, it displays records from a table. See [jestor.com](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com).

### Can columns come from something other than status?

Yes — radio, user, and connected fields also work.

### Is timing captured automatically?

Yes, once log metrics are enabled on the phase field.

## Video Tutorial: Step by Step

Check out other practical tutorials on the Jestor YouTube channel.

## Get to know Jestor

With **Jestor**, you can automate workflows, connect teams, and build internal systems your way — all without code and powered by **AI**. Discover Jestor at [jestor.com](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com) and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.