Kanban Example: Real Boards and Use Cases for Teams
Ryan Tanner
Product Marketing Specialist
Aug 5, 2026
Ryan Tanner
Aug 5, 2026
13 min read
Kanban has become one of the most widely used methods in project management because it makes work visible, structured, and manageable. A kanban example is simply a real-world kanban board example that shows how tasks move through a workflow—from start to finish—using columns, cards, and limits on work-in-progress. These boards help teams see bottlenecks, improve collaboration, and deliver results more efficiently.
In this guide, we will tell you how to use built-in Kanban templates that are easy to customize for software, marketing, HR, or sales projects. Let's dive in.
What is a Kanban example?
A Kanban example is a visual workflow board that illustrates how Kanban principles are applied in real-world projects. Instead of abstract theory, it demonstrates how tasks move step by step through a process, making work visible and manageable. Whether it's a kanban board example image on a whiteboard or a digital board in Jira, the goal is always the same: to improve flow and reduce waste.
Most examples of Kanban boards share a few key features:
- Columns that represent different stages of work (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
- Cards that represent tasks or deliverables moving across the board.
- Work-in-progress (WIP) limits that prevent overload and ensure focus.
- Progress tracking that gives teams visibility into where bottlenecks occur.
In Lark Base, kanban examples are available as ready-made templates for software development, sales pipelines, marketing campaigns, and HR recruitment. With built-in automation, teams can move beyond static boards—triggering reminders, updates, and reports as cards flow through the system.
Software development Kanban example
In software development, a kanban board example helps teams bring clarity to fast-moving, complex projects. A typical board is structured into columns such as:
Backlog → In Progress → Testing → Done
Each card represents a piece of work—like bug fixes, user stories, or code reviews—that moves across the board as the team progresses. This visual flow makes it easy to see what's being worked on, what needs attention, and what's complete.
Why it works: Development teams benefit from immediate visibility into workloads and bottlenecks. By limiting work-in-progress and tracking tasks through each stage, Kanban reduces delays, shortens cycle times, and helps teams deliver features to users more quickly.
With Lark Base, developers can manage sprints, track backlogs, and link boards to Messenger for daily stand-ups. This integration keeps updates visible and communication smooth, turning a Kanban board into a living, collaborative workspace.
Marketing Kanban example
Marketing teams juggle multiple deliverables at once—campaigns, content, social posts, and more. A kanban board example brings order to the chaos by creating a clear, visual pipeline for creative work. A typical marketing Kanban board might include columns such as:
Plan → Design → Publish → Review
Each card represents a specific task, such as campaign briefs, blog drafts, or social media posts. As cards move from planning through to publishing, the team gets an immediate view of what's in progress and what's ready to launch. This flow keeps content moving instead of getting stuck in long approval chains.
Why it works: Marketing projects often fail due to miscommunication or bottlenecks during the design and approval process. A Kanban board ensures work doesn't disappear into inboxes—it makes progress transparent and deadlines easier to manage. By visualizing campaigns from start to finish, teams keep momentum and ensure content is delivered on time.
With Lark Calendar, campaign launch dates are scheduled and shared across teams. Creative briefs reside in Lark Docs, ensuring designers and writers always have access to the latest reference materials. Meanwhile, Base templates for marketing Kanban boards keep tasks organized, while automation ensures notifications and reminders happen at the right time. Together, this creates a content pipeline that flows smoothly and predictably.
Sales Kanban example
Sales pipelines can be complex, with multiple deals at different stages of the process. A kanban board example brings structure and transparency by showing exactly where each opportunity stands. A typical sales Kanban board is set up with columns like:
Lead → Contacted → Proposal → Closed
Each card represents a potential deal, such as a new sales opportunity, a client pitch, or a follow-up reminder. As cards move from "Lead" to "Closed," the entire team has visibility into the pipeline, making it easier to prioritize efforts and forecast outcomes.
Why it works: Sales often depends on timing and consistent follow-up. Without visibility, opportunities can slip through the cracks, and managers lose sight of conversion rates. A Kanban board makes the pipeline measurable—teams know exactly how many leads are active, which stage deals are in, and where to focus their energy to close faster.
With Lark Base CRM templates, sales teams can automatically assign opportunities and track progress in real-time. Automated workflows ensure follow-up alerts are sent without manual effort, keeping reps proactive and deals moving forward. This reduces the risk of missed opportunities and helps managers make data-driven decisions about the pipeline.
HR Kanban example
Recruiting and onboarding often involve multiple steps, from sourcing candidates to preparing them for their first day. An HR Kanban board example simplifies this process by making each stage visible, usually with columns such as:
Sourcing → Interviewing → Offer → Onboarding
Each card represents a candidate, including their resume, interview tasks, or profile. As candidates move across the board, recruiters and hiring managers gain a clear view of progress, ensuring no one gets lost in the shuffle.
Why it works: Hiring can easily get bogged down in paperwork, repeated screenings, or scheduling delays. A Kanban board eliminates confusion by clearly indicating the current status of each candidate in the pipeline. This clarity helps HR teams hire faster while improving the candidate experience.
Lark fit: With Lark Base, recruiters track every candidate in one place, Lark Calendar coordinates interviews seamlessly, and Lark Docs stores resumes and interview notes securely. Together, these tools make hiring a structured, efficient, and transparent process.
Operations and manufacturing Kanban example
Kanban originated in manufacturing, where efficiency and flow are critical. A typical operations Kanban board example reflects that heritage, with stages like:
Raw materials → In production → QA → Delivered
Each card represents tasks, parts, or quality checks that move through the process. This helps teams visualize where resources are, what's being produced, and what's ready for delivery.
Why it works: By mapping production visually, teams can identify delays, minimize waste, and ensure goods move smoothly from one stage to the next. It's a direct link to Kanban's lean manufacturing roots, where minimizing inefficiency drives both speed and quality.
Lark angle: Operations teams utilize Lark Sheets to record throughput and monitor performance metrics. By visualizing cycle time and delivery rates in charts, managers can identify bottlenecks and continuously improve production flow.
How to design a Kanban example on your own in Lark
Lark makes it simple to build a Kanban board example that fits your team's workflow. With pre-built templates, automation, and connected project management tools, you can set up a practical board in just a few steps:
Step 1: Open Lark Base and choose a Kanban template: Start by opening Lark Base and selecting a ready-made Kanban template. These templates give you a solid foundation, whether you're running a software sprint, planning a marketing campaign, or managing a sales pipeline.
Step 2: Define workflow stages as columns: Columns represent the stages of your process—for example, "To Do," "In Progress," "In Review," and "Done." You can rename, add, or remove columns to ensure the board aligns with your team's exact workflow.
Step 3: Add cards with details, deadlines, and owners: Each card represents a task or work item. Fill the cards with key details, such as task name, description, deadline, and assigned owner. This ensures nothing gets lost and responsibilities are clear.
Step 4: Use Tasks to assign responsibilities: For extra clarity, link each card to a Lark Tasks. This allows you to break work into subtasks, track progress, and ensure everyone knows exactly what they're accountable for.
Step 5: Automate reminders and WIP alerts with workflow: To keep things moving, use automated workflows. Set rules to send reminders when due dates are close or trigger alerts when too many cards are stuck "In Progress." This keeps the board flowing and prevents bottlenecks.
Step 6: Track metrics in Sheets for cycle time and throughput: Finally, connect your board to Lark Sheets to measure performance. Metrics such as cycle time (the time it takes to complete a card) and throughput (the number of tasks completed within a set period) provide insight into efficiency and help you continuously improve.
Conclusion
Kanban examples prove that visual workflows can transform how teams manage projects, whether in software, marketing, sales, HR, or operations. By turning tasks into cards and processes into columns, Kanban makes work visible, bottlenecks clear, and progress measurable. It's a simple framework with powerful results—faster delivery, better collaboration, and greater accountability. With Lark Base templates, automation, and integrations, teams can build Kanban boards tailored to their needs in minutes and keep them running smoothly at scale. Regardless of your industry, Kanban helps you stay focused, efficient, and adaptable in work environment.
FAQs
Can Kanban examples be applied to personal productivity?
Yes, Kanban isn't just for teams—it works great for personal productivity too. By setting up columns like To Do → In Progress → Done, individuals can organize tasks visually and reduce overwhelm. In Lark Base, you can create a personalKanban board with reminders and automation so your tasks never slip through the cracks.
How do Kanban examples improve team accountability?
Kanban makes responsibilities visible. Each task card has an owner, deadline, and progress status, so it's clear who's working on what. This visibility reduces confusion and finger-pointing. With Lark Base, accountability goes further—team members get automatic notifications and managers can track progress in real-time.
What are common mistakes when setting up a Kanban example?
One mistake is overloading the board with too many columns or tasks, which creates clutter instead of clarity. Another is ignoring Work-in-Progress (WIP) limits, leading to bottlenecks. Teams also sometimes forget to update cards regularly. Lark Base solves this by automating updates and setting WIP alerts, keeping boards clean and functional.
Can Kanban examples be scaled for enterprise-level projects?
Absolutely. While Kanban is simple at the team level, enterprises can scale it by linking multiple boards, tracking cross-team workflows, and measuring throughput at scale. Lark Base supports this with connected templates, reporting in Sheets, and integrations across departments—making Kanban powerful for both startups and large organizations.
How do Kanban examples connect with Lean manufacturing principles?
Kanban originated in Lean manufacturing, where the focus is on minimizing waste and optimizing flow. A Kanban example in operations—like Raw materials → In production → QA → Delivered—directly reflects these principles. Lark Base adds a digital layer, helping teams collect data, measure cycle times, and continuously improve processes in line with Lean values.
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Table of contents
Start using Lark today
Manage all your work in one place
Boost team efficiency by 10x
Save up to 70% on software costs
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