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2024 Product Review: Monday.com Kanban View and App Overview

By: Aidan O’Brien, CAPM; Editor: Dr. Michael J. Shick, MSPM, PMP, CSM

Quick summary: The Kanban View is a powerful tool for project management, offering a visual representation of tasks and their progress. This view aligns with the principles of the Kanban methodology, which involves using a board with Kanban columns and cards to manage projects, a strategy that originated in a Toyota factory in Japan and was later introduced to software development by David J. Anderson. Compared to other kanban tools like monday.com, it offers unique features and pricing options that cater to different user needs.

Hey there, welcome to my review of Monday.com Kanban View.

As an MBA student and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), as well as multiple other SaaS-related badges and certifications, I’ve had the chance to delve deeply into a variety of productivity tools to find the most effective ways to manage tasks and projects. Through my extensive experience, I’ve found Monday.com to be a standout platform, particularly its Kanban View, which is designed to help users visualize and streamline their workflows.

In this review, I’ll cover everything you need to know about Monday.com Kanban View. You’ll discover its key benefits, any potential drawbacks, and how it compares to other tools like Notion. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of whether this tool is the right fit for you, whether you’re a student, startup founder, project manager, or productivity enthusiast.

Reading this review will give you valuable insights into how Monday.com Kanban View can enhance your productivity and help you manage projects more effectively. So, let’s dive in and explore how this tool can transform your workflow.

Now, let’s get into the details and see why Monday.com Kanban View might be the perfect project management solution for you.

Pros and cons

Pros

User-Friendly Interface: Monday.com’s Kanban View offers a sleek and intuitive interface that simplifies project management. It makes it easy to visualize tasks and progress at a glance, reducing the learning curve and increasing productivity right from the start. Among other Kanban software, Monday.com stands out for its ease of use.
Customization: The platform allows extensive board customization to fit any workflow, whether you’re managing personal projects or complex team tasks. You can organize tasks and visualize progress by setting up Kanban columns, hiding certain columns, and dividing Kanban cards by different values. This flexibility ensures that the tool adapts to your needs rather than the other way around. Users can set up and customize Kanban columns to fit their workflow, ensuring that each column represents a specific stage in their process.
Enhanced Collaboration: With features designed to improve communication and teamwork, Monday.com enables real-time updates, task sharing, and commenting. This fosters a collaborative environment where everyone is on the same page.
Time-Saving Automation: Automation features can handle repetitive tasks, such as status updates or deadline reminders, freeing up your time for more strategic work. This leads to increased efficiency and fewer manual errors.
Seamless Integration: Monday.com integrates with popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams, bringing all your essential apps into one platform. This integration streamlines workflows and reduces the time spent switching between different tools. Compared to other Kanban tools, Monday.com offers superior integration capabilities.

Cons

Pricing: For individual users or small teams, the cost might seem high. However, the value offered through increased productivity and efficiency can justify the investment over time.
Initial Learning Curve: While the interface is user-friendly, the vast array of features can be overwhelming for new users. Starting with the basics and gradually exploring advanced features can mitigate this issue.
Feature Overload: The extensive features available might be more than what some users need, potentially leading to complexity. Focusing on the core features that benefit your specific use case can help streamline the experience.

Quick verdict

Is Monday.com Kanban View Worth It?

Absolutely, yes. Monday.com Kanban View is an excellent investment for anyone looking to streamline their project management and boost productivity.

Key Selling Points

Visual Organization: The Kanban boards provide a clear visual representation of tasks and progress, making it easier to manage and prioritize work. Kanban columns help in organizing tasks and visualizing progress by allowing you to move items between different stages. Each Kanban column can be customized to display specific information, enhancing the overall functionality and adaptability of the board.
Customization: Extensive customization options allow you to tailor the boards to fit your specific needs, whether for personal use or team projects. Additionally, kanban board templates are available for different project types, making it easy to get started with pre-designed layouts.
Collaboration: Real-time updates, comments, and task assignments enhance team communication and collaboration.
Automation: Automate repetitive tasks to save time and ensure consistency, allowing you to focus on more strategic activities.

Overcome Objections

Cost: While the pricing may seem high, Monday.com‘s value in terms of increased productivity and efficiency more than justifies the investment. Additionally, the free trial allows you to test the platform before committing.
Complexity: The initial learning curve can be steep due to the vast array of features. However, starting with the basics and gradually exploring more advanced features can help ease the transition.

Minor Criticisms

Overwhelming Features: The extensive features might be more than what some users need, leading to a cluttered experience. However, focusing on the most relevant features for your use case can mitigate this.
Learning Curve: New users may find the platform overwhelming initially. To address this, take advantage of the available tutorials and support resources to get up to speed quickly.

Ready to take your project management to the next level? Try Monday.com’s Kanban View with a free trial today and experience a boost in productivity and efficiency for yourself. Don’t miss out on transforming your workflow with this powerful tool.

Who is it for?

Who Will Benefit from Monday.com Kanban View?

Students: If you’re juggling multiple assignments, projects, and deadlines, Monday.com Kanban View helps you stay organized and on top of your workload. Imagine having all your tasks visually laid out, making it easy to prioritize and manage your time effectively.
Startups and Small Businesses: Startups and small teams looking to streamline their workflows will find Monday.com invaluable. It’s perfect for managing everything from daily tasks to large projects, ensuring everyone is aligned and productive. The tool simplifies the creation and management of new projects, making it easy to get started and stay on track.
Project Managers: As a project manager, you’ll love the ability to visualize project timelines, assign tasks, and track progress in real time. The customizable boards allow you to adapt to any project’s needs, ensuring successful completion.
Productivity Enthusiasts: If you’re passionate about optimizing your personal and professional productivity, Monday.com Kanban View offers a versatile tool that can be tailored to any workflow, helping you achieve your goals more efficiently.

Who Might Not Benefit from Monday.com Kanban View?

Individuals with Tight Budgets: If you’re an individual or a very small team operating on a shoestring budget, the cost of Monday.com might be a concern. However, consider the long-term productivity gains as a potential return on investment.
Users Seeking Simple Task Management: If you’re looking for a very basic, straightforward task management tool without many features, Monday.com’s extensive capabilities might feel overwhelming. Simpler tools like Trello might be more suitable for your needs.
Those Resistant to Change: If you or your team are not open to adapting to new tools and technologies, Monday.com‘s initial learning curve might be a hurdle. It requires a bit of effort upfront to fully integrate into your workflow.

Project Management Product Overview

What is Monday.com Kanban View?

Monday.com Kanban View is a visual project management tool that helps individuals and teams organize tasks and track progress using customizable boards. You can create a new board within your workspace, customize it for managing tasks and projects, and start organizing your workflow. A Kanban board is a method within Monday.com where each task is represented as a card that moves through different stages of completion, providing a clear overview of the workflow.

Key Benefit/Unique Selling Point

The unique selling point of Monday.com Kanban View is its combination of powerful customization options and user-friendly interface. This allows users to tailor the tool to their specific needs, enhancing productivity and collaboration with this Kanban tool.

What Does it Do/Come With?

Customizable Boards: Create and customize Kanban boards to fit any workflow, from personal task management to complex project tracking.
Task Cards: Each task is represented by a card that can be moved across different Kanban columns representing various stages of completion.
Collaboration Features: Include comments, file attachments, and task assignments to facilitate team communication and collaboration.
Automation: Automate repetitive tasks such as status updates and reminders to save time and reduce manual errors.
Integrations: Seamlessly integrates with other popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and more, consolidating your workflow into one platform.

How is it Different from Competitors?

Monday.com stands out from its competitors through its high degree of customization and integration capabilities. While other tools might offer basic Kanban boards, Monday.com allows users to create detailed and personalized boards that can adapt to any type of project. Additionally, its robust automation and integration features make it a comprehensive tool for improving productivity and collaboration across various platforms.

Personal Opinion

Reasons I Recommend Monday.com Kanban View

Enhanced Visualization and Organization

One of the standout features of Monday.com Kanban View is its ability to visually organize tasks in a clear and intuitive manner. The customizable boards allow you to see the progress of tasks at a glance, which is particularly beneficial for project management. This visual approach has helped me prioritize tasks more effectively and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.

By providing a visual overview of tasks, you can manage your workload more efficiently and reduce the risk of missing deadlines.

In my experience managing multiple school projects, the visual organization provided by the Kanban boards has been instrumental in keeping everything on track.

Customization and Flexibility

The level of customization available on Monday.com is unparalleled. You can tailor the boards to fit any workflow, which makes it suitable for a wide range of users—from students to large teams. This flexibility has allowed me to create specific boards for different projects, each with its own set of stages and task types. It is helpful to start with their kanban board template and go from there.

Customizable boards allow you to adapt the tool to your specific needs, whether you’re managing personal tasks or coordinating a team project.

I’ve customized boards for everything from class assignments to collaborative group projects, and this adaptability has significantly improved my productivity.

Improved Collaboration

Monday.com’s collaboration features are top-notch. The ability to comment on tasks, attach files, and assign tasks to team members has made group projects much more manageable. Real-time updates ensure that everyone is on the same page, which has greatly improved communication within my teams.

Enhanced collaboration features help streamline communication and ensure that team members are always informed about the latest developments.

During a recent group project, real-time updates and task comments were crucial in maintaining clear and consistent communication among all members.

Time-Saving Automation

Automation is a game-changer on Monday.com. By automating repetitive tasks, such as status updates and reminders, I’ve been able to save a considerable amount of time. This has allowed me to focus more on strategic planning and less on administrative tasks.

Automation features reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, allowing you to focus on more important aspects of your work.

Setting up automation for task reminders has ensured that deadlines are consistently met without the need for manual follow-ups.

What I Liked

User-Friendly Interface: The platform is easy to navigate, which makes setting up and managing boards straightforward.
Versatility: Suitable for a wide range of users and project types.
Robust Integration: Seamless integration with other tools enhances overall productivity.

What I Didn’t Like

Initial Learning Curve: The vast array of features can be overwhelming at first. However, once you get the hang of it, the platform’s full potential becomes apparent.
Cost: While the platform offers great value, the pricing might be a barrier for individual users or small teams.

My Experience

I’ve used Monday.com extensively to manage both personal and group projects. The visual organization, customization options, and collaboration features have significantly improved my workflow. While there was an initial learning curve, the time saved through automation and the improved communication with team members has more than compensated for it. The investment in Monday.com has been well worth it, given the boost in productivity and efficiency I’ve experienced.

Overall, I highly recommend Monday.com Kanban View for anyone looking to enhance their project management capabilities. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, making it a valuable tool for students, professionals, and teams alike.

Features Breakdown

Customizable Boards

What is it? Customizable boards on Monday.com allow you to create Kanban boards tailored to your specific workflow. You can define columns that represent different stages of your project, known as ‘kanban columns’. You can customize task cards with various fields such as due dates, assignees, and file attachments. The Kanban view can sync with the main table to reflect changes in real-time, allowing for the visual movement of projects in the main table to be reflected in the Kanban view as well.

Why is it special? The ability to customize every aspect of your board means that it can adapt to any project, regardless of complexity or size. This level of flexibility ensures that the tool is useful for a wide range of users, from individuals to large teams.

My Experience: Creating customized boards for different school projects and group assignments has made it significantly easier to keep track of tasks and deadlines. I can set up boards that reflect the unique needs of each project, ensuring that everyone involved is on the same page.

Task Cards

What is it? Task cards represent individual tasks within a project. Each card can include details such as task descriptions, due dates, assignees, file attachments, and comments.

Why is it special? Task cards are highly detailed and interactive, allowing for real-time updates and collaboration. This makes it easy to track the progress of each task and communicate with team members directly on the card.

My Experience: Using task cards has streamlined my workflow by providing a centralized place for all task-related information. I no longer have to search through emails or messages to find updates; everything is right there on the card.

Automation

What is it? Automation in Monday.com allows you to set up rules that automatically perform actions based on certain triggers. For example, you can automate task status updates, send reminders, or move tasks between columns.

Why is it special? Automation reduces the need for manual intervention in repetitive tasks, saving time and reducing the risk of errors. This increases efficiency and ensures that your workflow runs smoothly.

My Experience: Setting up automation for routine tasks has been a huge time-saver. For instance, automatic reminders for upcoming deadlines ensure that I never miss a due date, and automated status updates keep everyone informed without the need for constant manual updates.

Integration with Other Tools

What is it? Monday.com integrates with various popular tools, such as Slack, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and more. This integration allows you to bring all your essential tools into one platform.

Why is it special? By integrating with other tools, Monday.com consolidates your workflow, reducing the need to switch between multiple apps. This not only saves time but also improves overall productivity.

My Experience: Integrating Monday.com with Slack and Google Drive has streamlined my communication and file management processes. I can easily share files and updates with my team without leaving the platform, making collaboration much more efficient.

Collaboration Features

What is it? Collaboration features on Monday.com include commenting on tasks, tagging team members, sharing boards, and assigning tasks. These features facilitate communication and teamwork within the platform.

Why is it special? Enhanced collaboration features ensure that everyone involved in a project is on the same page. Real-time updates and comments make it easy to address issues promptly and keep the project moving forward smoothly.

My Experience: The ability to comment on tasks and tag team members has significantly improved communication within my project teams. We can quickly discuss and resolve issues directly on the task card, keeping everyone informed and engaged.

Time Tracking

What is it? Time tracking on Monday.com allows you to log the time spent on each task. This feature helps you monitor productivity and understand how much time different tasks and projects take.

Why is it special? Time tracking provides valuable insights into your workflow, helping you identify areas for improvement. It also helps with accurate billing for client projects, if needed.

My Experience: Using the time tracking feature has given me a better understanding of how I spend my time on various tasks. This has helped me optimize my schedule and improve my time management skills, leading to increased productivity.

Templates

What is it? Monday.com offers a variety of templates for different types of projects, such as marketing campaigns, software development, and event planning. These templates provide a starting point that you can customize to fit your needs.

Why is it special? Templates save time and effort by providing a pre-built structure for your projects. This is especially useful for common project types where the basic workflow is similar. Additionally, these templates come with more features that enhance project management capabilities.

My Experience: I’ve used several templates to kickstart my projects, which has saved me a lot of setup time. The templates are easy to customize, allowing me to quickly adapt them to the specific requirements of my projects.

Overall

Final Verdict: Should You Use Monday.com Kanban View?

Absolutely, yes. Monday.com Kanban view is a highly effective and versatile tool that can significantly enhance your project management capabilities. Its user-friendly interface, extensive customization options, and robust collaboration features make it an excellent choice for students, startups, project managers, and productivity enthusiasts.

Throughout this review, I’ve highlighted the key benefits of Monday.com Kanban View:

Enhanced Visualization and Organization: The customizable boards help you stay organized and prioritize tasks efficiently.
Improved Collaboration: Real-time updates, comments, and task assignments foster better teamwork and communication.
Time-Saving Automation: Automating repetitive tasks frees up your time for more strategic activities.
Seamless Integration: Integrations with tools like Slack and Google Drive streamline your workflow.

Addressing Objections

Cost: While the pricing might seem high, the productivity gains and efficiency improvements make it a worthwhile investment. Plus, there’s a free trial available to test the platform before committing.
Initial Learning Curve: The platform can feel overwhelming at first due to its extensive features. However, starting with the basics and gradually exploring more advanced options can help ease the transition.

Explore Monday.com Kanban view today and see the difference it can make!

Alternatives

Notion

Notion is a versatile all-in-one workspace that combines note-taking, task management, and project collaboration features. While Monday.com focuses heavily on project management and task tracking with a visual approach, Notion offers a broader set of functionalities, making it ideal for users who need a more comprehensive tool for various purposes.

Key Differences

Scope of Use: Notion is designed to be an all-in-one workspace, incorporating notes, databases, tasks, and wikis. Monday.com, on the other hand, specializes in project management and task tracking with a visual focus.
Customization: While both platforms offer customization, Notion provides more flexibility in creating custom layouts and integrating various types of content within a single workspace. Monday.com’s customization is more geared towards tailoring workflows and visual task management.
User Interface: Notion’s interface is more text-centric and minimalistic, whereas Monday.com offers a more colorful and visually engaging interface with Kanban boards and other visual tools.

Why Notion Might Be Superior

Comprehensive Workspace: Notion’s ability to combine notes, tasks, databases, and wikis in one place makes it a superior choice for users looking for an all-encompassing productivity tool.
Flexibility: The extensive customization options in Notion allow users to create unique layouts that cater to a wide range of personal and professional needs.
Content Integration: Notion’s strength lies in its ability to seamlessly integrate different types of content, making it ideal for users who need to organize diverse information in one place.

Why Monday.com Might Be Superior

Visual Task Management: Monday.com’s visual approach to project management, with its customizable Kanban boards, is superior for users who prefer a visual representation of their tasks and progress.
Collaboration Features: Monday.com offers more robust real-time collaboration features, such as task comments and status updates, which are essential for team projects.
Automation: Monday.com‘s automation capabilities are more advanced, making it a better choice for users who want to streamline repetitive tasks.

Who is Notion Intended For?

Students: Ideal for students who need to organize notes, assignments, and projects in one place.
Freelancers: Perfect for freelancers who require a flexible tool to manage various types of work and client information.
Knowledge Workers: Great for professionals who need to integrate and organize diverse information, from notes to databases.

Who is Monday.com Intended For?

Project Managers: Monday.com is best suited for project managers who need to track project progress and collaborate with team members visually. It stands out among other project management tools for its visual task management and collaboration features.
Teams: Ideal for teams that require robust collaboration features and automation to enhance productivity.
Startups: Perfect for startups looking to streamline their workflows and improve project management efficiency.

Notion: Many users praise Notion for its versatility and flexibility. For example, students and professionals alike appreciate how they can create custom dashboards that cater to their unique needs, from tracking daily tasks to managing large projects.

Monday.com: Reviews highlight Monday.com’s ability to enhance team collaboration and streamline project management. Project managers and team leaders often mention how the visual Kanban boards and automation features have significantly improved their workflow and productivity.

In conclusion, while Notion offers a comprehensive and flexible workspace ideal for organizing a wide range of information, Monday.com excels in visual task management and collaboration, making it a powerful tool for project management. Choose the one that best fits your specific needs and workflow preferences.

Ready to supercharge your productivity and streamline your workflow? Try Notion today.

Ready to experience streamlined workflow automation and robust project management? Try Monday.com today and see how it can transform your team’s productivity with industry-specific templates and powerful automation capabilities.

About the author: Aidan O’Brien, CAPM, is a project management professional at ROSEMET LLC, who holds the Notion Essentials and Settings & Sharing Badges. He is also a certified SmartSuite Pro who is currently pursuing an MBA at Western Carolina University.