Category Archives: Agile & Scrum

Posts related to Agile/Scrum methodology

We made it easier for people to join board teams

March 26, 2024Agile & Scrum, Kanban & Lean, Team Collaboration, UsabilityAccount, Kanban, Scrum, Task Board, Teams, WhiteboardKerika

Board Admins can now invite people to join their boards as Team Members or Visitors by simply sharing a unique link that’s created for each board. We added this function because some of latest users include schools that want to add large groups of parents to boards with a single action. Here’s how it works:

When you open the Board Team dialog (as a Board Admin), you will see a new option at the bottom, called Let People Join Using a Link:

Clicking on this will bring up a dialog that let’s you create links for adding people as Board Admins, Team Members, and Visitors:

For additional security, separate links are created for each role: Board Admin, Team Member, and Visitor. When you turn on one of these options, Kerika will create a special link that you can then send to a large group of people to join you board.

(We obscured the link in the screenshot above, for our own security!)

When you create a link, it’s also automatically copied to your clipboard for easy pasting in an email or chat.

If you are concerned that the link may have been compromised, perhaps because the people you sent it to have carelessly passed it on to others, you can always turn it off: turning off a link will automatically make it useless for future use.

You can then create a new link if you want to.

Try it, and let us know what you think.

A naming change for Done and Trash

February 18, 2024Agile & Scrum, Kanban & LeanKanban, Scrum, Task Board, UsabilityKerika

We are making a change to the names of the Done and Trash columns on Task Boards, to make it easier for new users to understand what these columns represent.

The Done column will become Completed and the Trash column will become Deleted.

Looking at the demographics of our new users, we found that over 80% had never used any kind of boards before, and we think the new names will be easier for them to understand.

This is just a naming change, there’s no difference in functionality.

You can now add chat to cards in Done and Trash

November 2, 2023Agile & Scrum, Kanban & LeanScrum, Task BoardKerika

Previously, when a task card was moved to the Done or Trash columns on a Kerika Task Board, it was frozen: no changes of any kind were possible.

We have loosened this restriction a little: now you can add chat to these cards. We found there were situations where someone needed to add a comment on a card after it had been moved to Done or Trash, so we are being flexible!

We made it even easier to see what’s changed inside a Task

October 23, 2023Agile & Scrum, Kanban & Lean, UsabilityKanban, Scrum, Task Board, UsabilityKerika

When working on our Task Boards, users will now find it even easier than before to see exactly what changed inside a task (card): new attachments, for example, are flagged like this:

And that’s true for new chat:

And for checklist items:

We know Kerika is used for some really large projects with thousands of cards, so we are always looking to see how we can make it super easy for distributed and global teams to keep up with what their colleagues are doing.

A new Undo feature for Task Boards

September 29, 2023Agile & Scrum, Kanban & Lean, UsabilityScrum, Task Board, Task Management, UsabilityKerika

We have added a new Undo feature that you can use to correct any mistaken drag-and-drop actions, or mistaken Move to Trash and Move to Done actions.

When you have moved a card, an Undo button will appear on the top-right of the app (along with a new Zoom button):

Undo works just like you would expect it to. The Undo button shows for 2 minutes after a task (card) has been moved. (Keeping it there longer would actually be confusing for users who might not remember what exactly will be undone if they click on it.)

A new Zoom feature for Task Boards

September 27, 2023Agile & Scrum, Kanban & Lean, UsabilityKanban, Scrum, Task Board, Task Management, UsabilityKerika

Along with the new Undo feature we have added a Zoom button that appears on the top-right of the app, on laptops, desktops and tablets:

When zoomed out, the board shows all tasks (cards) as a single line, and this is handy if you are dealing with a large board. Here’s what a zoomed-out view looks like:

This feature has existed for a while in our mobile apps; now you can use it on your desktop as well.

We have also improved this feature on mobile to make it possible for you to add new tasks while you are zoomed-out.

Digital Workplace: Essential Tools to Optimize Workflows

May 29, 2023Agile & Scrum, Kanban & Lean, Team Collaboration, TechnologyCommunication, Task Management, Teams, WorkflowKerika

The transition to remote work has been swift, and digital tools have become the backbone of modern workplaces. However, the landscape of remote work is still fairly new and many teams are still far from their greatest potential. Still, if they polish their processes, remote teams can be as productive as they would on-site, and even more. This article will present digital tools essential to optimize digital workplace workflows and productivity.

Project Management Tools

Project management tools are the backbone of any team’s workflow. Project management tools centralize your team’s tasks and projects, enabling employees to manage tasks, deadlines, and resources.

Use a project manager to track progress and identify any bottlenecks. Likewise, logging tasks and project information adds a layer of transparency and accountability to project management tools.

In any case, your workflow can only be as good as the project management software you use allows you to. Some of the most popular project management tools available include Asana, Trello, and Basecamp. However, Kerika stands out from the rest by its own merits.

Kerika: The Ultimate Management Tool for Remote Teams

Kerika is a powerful project management tool that helps teams work efficiently and collaboratively. It offers a variety of features to meet the requirements of the most demanding users. Here are some of the features that make Kerika a must-have tool for any digital workplace:

Visual Boards. Whiteboards and task boards from which users can see the big picture of a project. Visualize the workflow and identify any bottlenecks at a glance.
Integrated Chat. This feature eliminates the need for external communication tools to collaborate since team members can communicate in real-time without leaving the platform.
Task Assignments. Easily assign tasks to team members and track their progress in a complex yet intuitive tasks board. Ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities and deadlines, making it easier to complete projects on time.
Customizable Templates. Kerika offers customizable project board templates that can be used for different types of projects. Save time and ensure that all team members are on the same page. Plus, templates are handy for onboarding new employees into your workflow.
User-Friendly Interface. Kerika’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate and use, so everyone on the team can use the tool without any training or technical expertise.

File Sharing and Collaboration Software

File-sharing software enables employees to store and work with files no matter where they are located and from multiple devices. Such flexibility reduces the time and effort needed to search for documents or to track down the latest version of a file, something methodic and disorganized employees enjoy alike.

File-sharing tools such as Google Drive also enable multiple people to collaborate on the same document simultaneously, opening the possibility of real-time feedback and faster completion of tasks. In like manner, users can easily leave comments and make suggestions.

Administrators can easily control who has access to specific files or folders, ensuring that confidential information is kept secure. Permissions can be set to allow different levels of access to different users, making it easy to share files with only those who need to see them.

Communication Platforms

Effective communication is key to a successful digital workplace. With communication platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, team members can stay connected and work together seamlessly through video and audio calls, and screen and file sharing.

On the other hand, video conferencing tools with virtual reality (VR) technology are a more cutting-edge option. VRth finds industrial applications in industries such as architecture and engineering by allowing teams to visualize and interact with 3D models Yet, VR can also work as a space for brainstorming, meetings, and events. To know more about VR meeting platforms, check Virbela and NextMeet.

Cybersecurity Tools

Cybersecurity tools such as firewalls, and intrusion detection systems help businesses to protect their data from cyber threats. On the other hand, these tools also help businesses to comply with data protection regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

Additionally, virtual private networks (VPNs) are essential for any business that values data privacy and security. VPNs create a secure and encrypted connection between a business’s network and the internet, preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information. VPNs are especially important for remote workers who need to access company resources from outside the office. Here is a list of some of the cheapest VPNs.

Process Automation Software

Business process management software can help businesses streamline their operations by automating repetitive tasks and workflows, including data entry, invoice processing, and customer service.

Besides, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is increasingly being used to improve productivity in the digital workplace, taking care of complex tasks and clearing humans from them. AI-powered productivity tools can help automate tasks, provide personalized insights and recommendations, and analyze data to identify opportunities for improvement. Tools of this kind include beautiful.ai, for coming up with presentations, and Mem made to organize information.

Mind Mapping Software

Mind mapping software can help teams visualize and organize complex ideas and concepts through brainstorming, planning, and collaborating. Among popular mind-mapping tools, we find MindMeister, MindManager, and XMind.

On the other hand, digital whiteboards can help teams collaborate and brainstorm more effectively, especially in remote settings: Visualize ideas by drawing or writing them, or share them with others and receive feedback. Popular digital whiteboard tools include Miro, Google Jamboard, and Microsoft Whiteboard.

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How to make sure someone sees your Chat

February 12, 2022Agile & Scrum, Kanban & Lean, UsabilityChat, Kanban, Notifications, Scrum, Task Board, Task Management, Usability, WorkflowKerika

With our latest update we have made it easy for you to ensure that someone on a board team always sees your chat message, even if they are not assigned to that card.

The old rule was that everyone who is currently assigned to a card would get new chat pushed to them as emails. Now, you can make sure someone gets that email notification right away, even if they aren’t assigned to a particular card:

Screenshot showing examples of directed chat — Directed chat

Using this feature is simple: just type the letter “@” anywhere in your chat message and Kerika offers all the matching suggestions:

Screenshot showing example of sending new chat — Sending new chat

“@All” lets you push your chat to every Board Admin and Team Member — something you should do only rarely to avoid annoying people!

Try this feature and let us know if we can improve it.

Some improvements for Task Auto-Numbering

January 10, 2022Agile & Scrum, Kanban & Lean, UsabilityKanban, Scrum, Search, Task Management, UsabilityKerika

We got feedback from some users after our last big release on how we could improve the user experience for folks who like to use the auto-numbering feature for Task Boards, and we have made these changes:

When you open a task, it’s number is shown (but can’t, of course, be edited)

Screenshot showing the Task Details dialog with numbering turned on — Editing a Numbered Task

You can now search for a numbered task simply by typing “#number” in the Search box

Screenshot showing how search by task number works — Search by Number

We made it easier to work with multiple Kerika Accounts

December 22, 2021Agile & Scrum, Kanban & Lean, UsabilityAccount, Task Board, Task ManagementKerika

We have done a bunch of things to help folks who need to work with multiple Kerika accounts: a common situation with consulting, outsourcing, or other professional services who need to work with clients who all have their own Kerika accounts.

It starts at the Home page, where we made it easier to filter you view of Boards and Templates to a subset of all the Kerika accounts you can access:

Screenshot showing Kerika Home page — New Kerika Home

You can use the check boxes in the left navigation area to temporarily hide some accounts, if you want to narrow your view of boards and templates.

More importantly, you can now access boards from different Kerika accounts in the same session: you don’t need to log out of one account and log into another, to be able to quickly switch between boards from different accounts.

The Board Switcher, which shows all the boards you currently have open, across accounts:

Screenshot showing Board Switcher dialog — Board Switcher

It’s also easy to set your preferences on a per-account basis:

Screenshot showing Account Preferences — Account Preferences

The Dashboard (previously labeled “Views”) has new capabilities so you can get a great overview of all your projects, across all your accounts:

Screenshot showing Dashboard Settings — View Settings

This makes it as easy to filter your Views on desktop as we had previously done for mobile users.

Get more done, with Kerika

Task Management for Remote Teams