Odoo Kanban Magic: Customize for Visual Workflow Mastery

🚀 Introduction: The Power of Visual Workflows

Imagine walking into your office and instantly knowing exactly where every project stands—without digging through endless spreadsheets or chaotic email threads. That’s the magic of Kanban boards, a visual workflow system that turns complexity into clarity.

Odoo’s Kanban view takes this a step further by letting you customize every detail—stages, colors, fields, and even progress bars—so it perfectly mirrors your workflow. Whether you’re managing sales leads, support tickets, or manufacturing orders, a well-tuned Kanban board can boost productivity, reduce bottlenecks, and keep teams aligned.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to unlock Odoo’s Kanban potential—from basic tweaks to pro-level tricks. Let’s make your workflow as smooth as dragging and dropping a card!

🎨 Section 1: Why Customize Your Kanban Board?

A default Kanban board is useful, but a customized one is a game-changer. Here’s why:

✅ Clarity at a Glance – Color-coding and custom fields help teams instantly identify priority tasks.
✅ Better Workflow Fit – Adjust stages to match your exact process (e.g., "Lead → Qualified → Proposal → Won").
✅ Motivation & Accountability – Progress bars and deadlines keep teams on track.
✅ Fewer Errors – Mandatory fields at certain stages prevent missed steps.

Example:

A sales team using a generic Kanban might struggle with lost leads. But with a customized pipeline (e.g., adding a "Follow-Up Needed" stage), they can reduce drop-offs by 30%.

🛠️ Section 2: How to Customize Your Odoo Kanban Board

1. Adjusting Stages (Columns)

Stages represent workflow steps (e.g., "To Do," "In Progress," "Done"). To edit:

1. Go to Settings → Technical → User Interface → Views.
2. Find your Kanban view (e.g., crm.lead.kanban).
3. Modify stages in XML:

<kanban>  
    <field name="stage_id"/>  
    <templates>  
        <t t-name="kanban-box">  
            <!-- Your custom card design here -->  
        </t>  
    </templates>  
</kanban>  

Pro Tip: Rename stages to match your workflow (e.g., "Awaiting Approval" instead of "In Review").

2. Color-Coding for Instant Clarity

Colors help teams spot urgent tasks quickly.

• By Priority: High = Red, Medium = Yellow, Low = Green.
• By Deadline: Overdue = Red, Due Soon = Orange.

How to Add Colors:

<kanban class="oe_kanban_color_${record.priority.raw_value}">  
    <!-- Card content -->  
</kanban>  

3. Custom Fields on Kanban Cards

Display key info directly on cards (e.g., contact name, deadline, budget).

<div>  
    <field name="partner_id"/>  
    <field name="expected_revenue"/>  
</div>  

4. Progress Bars for Deadlines

Motivate teams with visual progress indicators.

<div t-if="record.deadline.raw_value" class="progress">  
    <div class="progress-bar" role="progressbar"  
         t-att-style="'width: ' + record.progress.raw_value + '%'">  
    </div>  
</div>  

🚀 Section 3: Pro Tips for Next-Level Kanban

🔥 Tip 1: Use Dynamic Filters

Let users filter boards by:

• Assignee
• Priority
• Custom tags

<filter name="filter_high_priority" string="High Priority"  
        domain="[('priority', '=', 'high')]"/>  

🔥 Tip 2: Drag-and-Drop Automation

Trigger actions when cards move (e.g., send an email when a lead enters "Won").

@api.model  
def write(self, vals):  
    if 'stage_id' in vals:  
        if vals['stage_id'] == self.env.ref('crm.stage_lead_won').id:  
            self.send_win_email()  
    return super().write(vals)  

🔥 Tip 3: Mobile-Friendly Kanban

Ensure cards display well on phones by:

• Keeping text concise
• Using icons instead of long labels

🎯 Conclusion: Your Turn to Optimize!

A well-customized Kanban board isn’t just a tool—it’s a productivity supercharger. By tweaking stages, colors, and fields, you can eliminate confusion, speed up workflows, and make work visually intuitive.

Ready to transform your Odoo Kanban?
👉 Try one customization today—start with color-coding or progress bars!

Question for You:
What’s the biggest bottleneck in your current workflow that a Kanban board could solve? Share in the comments!

📌 Key Takeaways

✔ Custom stages = Better workflow fit
✔ Colors = Faster decision-making
✔ Progress bars = Clearer deadlines
✔ Drag-and-drop XML edits = Easy customization

Now go make your Kanban board work harder for you! 🚀