An illustrative example: almost every card on a department board is “in progress”. Everyone is busy, but nothing reaches the next stage. The kanban has become an attractive car park with every engine running.
A kanban is a board of stage columns and task cards. It shows work moving, but does not decide how many assignments someone can handle simultaneously.
Separate queued work from started work
Agree what moving to “In progress” means. For example, the assigned person has actually started and has the necessary inputs. Assignment alone does not mean work has begun.
The next task can wait in the queue. That is more honest than marking it active to create a feeling of movement. A named person agrees queue priorities, rather than the most persistent chat participant.
Do not confuse board stages with a task’s formal status. After configuration, test both on a training example: an attractive card position must not replace actual completion.
Set a clear workload limit
Discuss how many started tasks the team can realistically move forward. Choose a trial limit and an exception rule. This is a management agreement; do not assume the interface automatically enforces it.
When the limit is reached, first help finish existing work or remove an obstacle. Accept urgent new work with an explicit decision about which current task gives way. Urgency without that decision just increases the queue inside someone’s head.
Do not give every role the same limit without checking: a brief approval and extensive preparation require different attention.
Configure the board in Bitrix24
Open the relevant project, its tasks and Kanban mode. Stages can be configured for the workflow; the official guide describes it. Check permissions and capabilities for your edition and plan.
Start with a small number of clear columns. Write an entry and exit condition for each. If you use “Review” and “Done”, identify who accepts the result, or unfinished acceptance may hide behind a green colour.
Discuss obstacles, not just assignees
In a short review, ask which started task has been stuck longest, what it lacks and who can help. Waiting for a customer reply and waiting for an internal decision need different actions.
For a distributed team in Kyrgyzstan, agree a review time and a clear way to flag blockers. Do not make constant chat presence a condition for having a problem noticed.
After the trial period, compare started and completed tasks and reasons for waiting. Do not promise a fixed productivity gain: you need your own observations first.
QQDev implements Bitrix24 and trains teams. The implementation page is a place to discuss the board and task movement rules. Bring an overloaded column example, along with who sets priorities and what prevents completion.