Project Column Settings

Project Column: Board Infrastructure & Workflow Logic

Project Columns are the administrative structural units that define the workflow stages—or "swimlanes"—of a project board, such as "To Do," "Testing," or "Done". They function as the fundamental containers for tasks (missions), using unique internal identifiers and color-coded labels to organize data across the project board, Gantt charts, and dashboard widgets. By defining these columns in the settings, you establish the mandatory selection options for adding or moving missions, ensuring that every task is accurately tracked through its specific lifecycle within the system.

How to Access Project Column Settings

To reach the Project Column settings and manage your board's workflow stages, follow these three steps:

Step 1: Open User Settings

Click Profile: Select your user profile name (e.g., "Alpha Dude") in the top right corner of the dashboard.
Select Settings: Click the Settings gear icon in the dropdown menu to open the system configuration page.

Step 2: Navigate to Project Customization

Biz1 Settings: Once in the settings area, click on the Biz1 Settings tab.
Expand Menu: Click the Customize Customers And Projects dropdown to reveal the project-related tools.

Step 3: Launch Project Column Modal

Select Project Column: Click on the - Project column link within the list.
Manage Columns: This opens the Project Column (1/2) modal where you can view, add, or edit your board's swimlanes and workflow stages.

Project Column: Manage & Organize Board Stages

Once you have opened the Project column (1/2) modal, you can manage the "swimlanes" of your project board using several key administrative actions.

1. Core Action Controls

Add (+ Icon): Click the Plus button at the top right to open the "Project column" form. You must provide an English name, Hebrew label, a unique internal Column name (e.g., to_do), and a specific color.
Edit (Pencil Icon): Modify existing stages. If you change a column name during an edit, the system can automatically update all missions (tasks) currently in that column to the new name.
Delete (Trash Icon): Permanently removes custom columns. Note that default system columns (like "Done" or "Queries") may only show the edit option and cannot be deleted.

2. Drag-and-Drop Reordering

The order of your columns in the table directly dictates how they appear as swimlanes on the Project Board and in the Gantt chart.

Custom Sequence: You can reorder columns to match your team’s specific workflow (e.g., moving "Testing" before "Done").
Position Persistence: The system stores this sequence in project_column_order, ensuring the board layout remains consistent for all users.

3. Data Impact

Board Layout: Changes appear immediately as column headers on your main project board.
Selection Menus: Your defined columns populate the "Stage" dropdowns when users add, edit, or move missions between categories.

Project Column: Board Layout & Data Display

Project Columns act as the structural "swimlanes" for your project management board, defining the different workflow stages tasks move through. Here is how and where this data is displayed across the platform:

1. The Project Board (Kanban View)

The columns configured in settings appear directly as the headers on the project detail page.

Swimlanes: Missions (tasks) are categorized under these specific headers (e.g., "TO DO," "DONE," "QUERIES") based on their assigned project_column value.
Visual Legend: A color-coded list of all active columns appears in the top right of the project view, providing a quick reference for the workflow stages.

2. Mission Management (Add/Edit)

When interacting with individual tasks, the column data dictates user choices:

Dropdown Selection: When adding or editing a mission, the system provides a dropdown menu of these defined columns, allowing users to select the task's current stage.
Movement Logic: Moving a task between columns on the board updates the missions.project_column field in the database automatically.

3. Advanced Views & Reporting

Gantt Chart: Columns can be used to filter or group tasks in the Gantt view. Specific "Gantt-only" columns can also be created to track milestones that don't need to appear on the main Kanban board.
Dashboard Widgets: Summary widgets use these column names to generate reports, such as "Tasks per Stage" counts.
Project Timeline: The main project list view often shows a colored timeline bar representing the progress across these defined stages.