Jira is where many organisations manage their delivery work, but planning across portfolios, programs and multiple teams often needs a broader view than a single Jira board can provide.
Kendis adds that planning layer without replacing Jira or creating a second copy of the work.
You can use Kendis Kanban to create different views for different planning conversations, from Portfolio and ART-level flow to Product Management, PI preparation and team delivery. The same Jira issues stay connected throughout.
With Kendis, you can:
show Jira issues as live Kanban cards,
organise the same work into planning and delivery stages,
map columns to Jira fields so moving a card can update Jira,
use different Board and Matrix views without changing the underlying data,
bring work in through Jira filters or JQL,
and connect separate planning flows with Kanban Routes.
The result is a more flexible way to plan and coordinate across levels while Jira continues to hold the underlying delivery data.
1. Create the planning view you need
Open a collection and select Kanban, then choose Create board.
When creating the board, define four things:
Board name
Hierarchy level, such as Epic, Feature or Story
Scope
Starting layout
Choose the hierarchy level carefully. Once the board is created, that level is fixed because the board's columns, mappings and handoffs are built around it.
Start from a template
Kendis includes ready-made templates for common portfolio, SAFe, product management and team-delivery use cases.
Examples include:
SAFe Portfolio Kanban
ART / Program Kanban
PI pre-planning and refinement
Continuous delivery pipeline
Now / Next / Later roadmap
Product discovery and validation
Defect triage and escalation
Sprint preparation
Connected flow templates designed for Kanban Routes
You can use a template as-is or customise the columns before saving.
2. Bring the right Jira work into view
Use Add Item to bring work onto a board in several ways.
From Backlog
Choose existing items from the collection backlog at the same hierarchy level as the board.
Add item
Create a new item directly from Kendis.
For a Jira-backed collection, the corresponding Jira issue is created as well, and the Jira key appears once Jira responds.
Add existing
Search for an existing Jira issue and add it to the board.
Jira filter or JQL
Subscribe the board to a Jira filter or JQL query.
This is useful when the board should represent a defined slice of work, for example:
a product area,
a release,
selected issue types,
a business unit,
or another planning scope.
Items added directly to a board remain there until they are explicitly removed, even if they later fall outside the original scope.
3. Shape the board around your process
Each column represents a stage in your process.
You can configure:
columns,
sub-columns,
WIP limits,
column metrics,
colours,
sorting,
card layout,
grouping,
and field mapping.
Sub-columns
Use sub-columns when one stage needs more detail.
For example:
In Progress
Development
In Review
Each sub-column can have its own mapping, card count and metric.
WIP limits
Set a WIP limit to show when too much work is sitting in one stage.
When the limit is exceeded, the column header highlights the issue.
Column metrics
A column can show:
card count,
the sum of a numeric field,
or the average of a numeric field.
For example, you can show the total story points currently sitting in a stage.
4. Connect Kanban columns to Jira fields
Field mapping is what connects the visual board to Jira.
A mapped column represents one or more Jira field values.
When a Jira issue matches those values, Kendis can place it in the corresponding column. When a user moves a card into that column, Kendis writes the mapped value back to Jira.
Supported Jira mapping in the current product guide includes:
Status
Select fields
Cascading select fields
Priority
Version
Text fields
Number fields
Team
Fix Versions
Multi-select fields
Labels
Kendis fields can also be used alongside Jira fields, including PI boards and fiscal time periods.
Example: map Jira Status
Suppose the board contains:
Funnel
Ready
In Progress
Done
Map the Jira status In Progress to the Kendis In Progress column.
When a user moves a card into that column, Kendis transitions the Jira issue in the background.
Example: map Jira Team
A column can be mapped to a Jira Team value.
Team values come from Jira teams registered in Kendis. Moving a card into the mapped column updates the Jira team.
Example: Fix Versions, Labels and multi-select fields
Columns can also represent exact combinations of values.
When a card moves into the mapped column, Kendis applies those mapped Jira values.
5. Move work in Kendis and update Jira
A card move can be more than a visual change. When the destination column is mapped, Kendis can update the underlying Jira issue as part of the move.
You do in Kendis | What happens |
Move to a status-mapped column | Kendis moves the card and transitions the Jira issue |
Move to an assignee-mapped column | The Jira assignee is updated |
Move to a Team-mapped column | The Jira Team is updated |
Move to a Fix Versions, Labels or multi-select column | Jira is updated with the mapped values |
Move into a Parent group | Kendis re-parents the card and updates the configured Jira hierarchy relationship |
Move into a PI-mapped column | The item is added to that PI in Kendis |
The card moves on the Kendis board immediately while the Jira update continues in the background.
If the destination value cannot be applied to the issue, Kendis refuses the move and shows the reason.
6. Change Jira hierarchy visually
When a board is grouped by Parent, moving a card into another parent group can update the Jira hierarchy relationship.
Kendis uses the hierarchy link configured for that level, such as:
Epic Link,
Parent,
or a configured issue link.
The previous relationship is removed and the new one is created.
This makes hierarchy changes part of the visual planning workflow instead of a separate Jira administration task.
7. Update multiple Jira issues at once
Turn on Select mode to work with several cards in one action.
Available bulk actions include:
Move to
Assign
Set status
Set parent
Set field
Remove from board
Kendis processes each card independently.
If 18 out of 20 cards can accept the requested update, those 18 are processed while the two failures are identified with their reasons.
The Activity panel records the bulk operation as one readable entry.
8. View the same Jira work from different angles
The same Jira work can be viewed in different ways depending on the planning conversation.
Board layout
The Board layout uses the columns you configured.
You can optionally add Group by bands using fields such as:
Status
Assignee
Parent
Batches
Milestones
PI boards
Jira project
Jira issue type
supported custom fields
Matrix layout
The Matrix layout gives you two dimensions at the same time.
For example:
Columns: Parent
Swimlanes: Assignee
This makes it easy to see who is working on which parent item, and how the work is spread across people.
Views are remembered per board and carried in the page URL, so a shared link opens the same view, subject to the user's permissions.
9. Find and focus on the work that matters
Kendis gives you three ways to narrow or locate work:
Search filters the board to matching cards.
Find jumps directly to one card and highlights it without hiding the rest.
Filters apply more advanced conditions.
Saved filters are stored per board, so each board can maintain the planning views that are useful for its audience.
10. Choose what Jira information appears on cards
Open Board settings → Card layout.
Choose which Kendis and Jira fields appear on the card and arrange them into rows.
For example, a Feature card might show:
Jira key
Summary
Status
Team
Assignee
Story points
Fix Version
PI
Parent
A live preview shows the result while you configure the layout.
11. Connect planning flows with Kanban Routes
Kanban Routes connect separate Kendis boards so the same Jira issue can continue through different planning flows without being copied.
A handoff defines a simple rule:
When work reaches this column, place the same item on that board in that column.
For example:
Product Management · Approved → Product Owner · Ready for refinement → Architecture · Intake
The Jira issue remains the same item throughout the route.
What happens during a handoff
When a handoff fires, Kendis can:
add the card to the destination board,
place it in the destination column,
position it at the top of the receiving column,
notify users viewing the destination board,
and continue through another configured handoff.
A handoff can also fire when a Jira field change causes the card to arrive in a mapped source column.
Important route rule for Jira
Both sides of a handoff must use the same ALM account.
A route cannot connect work across unrelated Jira or Azure DevOps accounts.
12. Keep boards current as Jira changes
Kendis Kanban boards update automatically.
Users can see:
card moves,
Jira-synced changes,
newly created items,
route arrivals,
and board configuration changes.
Live updates carry references to changed cards, and Kendis reloads the card content using each user's own permissions.
13. Configure the board in one place
Board settings are organised into five areas.
Details
Configure:
board name,
description,
accent colour,
funnel title,
and scope.
Columns and field mapping
Configure:
columns,
sub-columns,
WIP limits,
metrics,
and Jira field mapping.
Grouping and sorting
Set the default grouping and choose which fields are available for sorting.
Card layout
Choose which Jira and Kendis fields appear on cards.
Handoffs
Review incoming and outgoing Kanban Route connections.
14. Example: prepare a PI with Jira and Kendis
Imagine a Release Train using Jira.
The Release Train Engineer creates a Feature-level board from the ART / Program Kanban template.
They then:
map Jira statuses to the relevant planning columns,
add a WIP limit to Implementing,
show story points as a column metric,
add columns for the current and next PI,
use Matrix view with Status and Team during PI preparation,
bulk-move deferred Features after a scope review,
connect accepted Features to a downstream board with Kanban Routes.
The Release Train can plan visually in Kendis while Jira continues to hold the underlying delivery data.
Quick reference
I want to... | Do this |
Create a Jira Kanban board | Collection → Kanban → Create board |
Start from a template | Create board → Template |
Add existing Jira issues | Add Item → Add existing |
Use a Jira filter or JQL | Add Item → Jira filter / JQL |
Map a Jira status | Board settings → Columns and field mapping |
Update Jira Team by moving a card | Map Team values to columns |
Show Jira fields on cards | Board settings → Card layout |
Re-parent work | Group by Parent and move the card |
Update many issues | Select mode → choose an action |
Connect boards | Kanban Route Designer |
Review route connections | Board settings → Handoffs |
Frequently asked questions
Does Kendis copy my Jira issues?
No. Kendis works with the same underlying items. Jira remains the system of record.
Does moving a card update Jira?
When the destination column is mapped to a supported Jira field, Kendis writes the mapped value back to Jira.
Can I use JQL to populate a board?
Yes. A board can subscribe to a Jira filter or JQL query.
Can I update Jira hierarchy from the board?
Yes. When grouping by Parent, moving a card between parent groups can update the configured Jira hierarchy relationship.
Can one Jira issue appear in more than one PI?
Yes. PI boards are the special case where one card can belong to multiple PI-mapped columns.
Can I connect Jira-backed boards across collections?
Yes, provided the route requirements are met, including the same ALM account on both sides of the handoff.