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Add Swimlanes

Swimlanes group portfolio items on the Portfolio Kanban Board by attributes such as type, priority, strategic theme, or source. These horizontal bands make patterns and relationships more visible across portfolio items.

Who uses swimlanes: Project Admins configure swimlane groupings based on the organization's need to visualize work distribution. Portfolio managers and executives use swimlanes during reviews to focus on specific strategic themes or priorities.

Permission requirement: Adding and configuring swimlanes requires Project Admin permissions. All users see the same swimlane configuration.

What Are Swimlanes​

Swimlanes are horizontal groupings on the Portfolio Kanban Board that organize portfolio items by a selected attribute. Instead of viewing all portfolio items in a single list within each status column, swimlanes create distinct rows based on attribute values (for example, separate rows for High, Medium, and Low priority items).

Swimlane Capabilities​

Swimlanes provide the following benefits:

  • Visualize distribution: Shows how portfolio items are distributed across different types, priorities, or themes
  • Focus reviews: Enables quick focus on specific subsets of work during planning or review meetings
  • Identify imbalances: Spot when too much work is concentrated in one area
  • Prioritize effectively: Make priority-based flow decisions more visible
  • Track strategic themes: Monitor progress toward specific strategic objectives

Add Swimlanes​

Configure swimlanes by selecting the attribute you want to use for grouping portfolio items.

Steps to Add Swimlanes​

  1. Click the hamburger icon Hamburger icon > Portfolio > Portfolio Kanban.
  2. Click the wrench icon to open the action menu.
  3. Click Customize.
  4. The Customize Portfolio Kanban window opens.
  5. Click the Board Options tab.
  6. Open the Group by drop-down list.
  7. Select the attribute by which you want to display (group) portfolio items on the Portfolio Kanban.
  8. For attributes with multiple sub-attributes (such as High, Medium, Low for Priority), you can click Reverse Sort to change the order of the portfolio item sub-attributes.
  9. Click Save.

The Portfolio Kanban displays again with portfolio items in your newly defined groupings.

Available Grouping Options​

Group portfolio items by these attributes:

Strategic Context:

  • Strategic Theme
  • Type (Epic, Feature, Theme)
  • Investment Category

Prioritization:

  • Priority (High, Medium, Low)
  • Risk
  • Value

Ownership and Assignment:

  • Parent Portfolio Item
  • Target Team
  • Planning Level

Work Source:

  • Source (where the work originated)

Release Planning:

  • Release (based on the epic's Planned Release attribute)

Choose Effective Swimlane Attributes​

Select swimlane groupings based on your review and decision making needs:

For strategic alignment reviews: Group by Strategic Theme or Investment Category to track progress toward business objectives.

For capacity planning: Group by Target Team or Planning Level to visualize team workload distribution.

For prioritization discussions: Group by Priority, Risk, or Value to focus on high-impact work.

For scaled environments: Group by Parent Portfolio Item or Planning Level to understand hierarchical relationships.

For release planning: Group by Release to see how epics are distributed across releases. Grouping uses the epic's Planned Release attribute.

Best Practices​

Match grouping to meeting purpose: Change swimlane grouping based on the focus of your review meeting (strategic themes for leadership reviews, priority for planning sessions).

Use reverse sort strategically: For priority-based groupings, place high-priority items at the top for immediate visibility.

Combine with WIP limits: Apply WIP limits per swimlane to control flow within each grouping.

Avoid too many lanes: Limit swimlane attributes to those with 2-5 values to maintain board readability.

Review empty swimlanes: If certain swimlanes consistently remain empty, consider whether that attribute is useful for grouping or if priorities need adjustment.

Troubleshooting​

Why don't I see the option to add swimlanes?​

Adding and configuring swimlanes requires Project Admin permissions. If you don't see the wrench icon or Customize option on the Portfolio Kanban Board, contact your Project Admin or Site Admin to request the necessary permissions. Once configured, all users see the same swimlane grouping.

Why do some portfolio items not appear in any swimlane?​

Portfolio items with no value for the selected grouping attribute don't appear in a swimlane. For example, if you group by Priority and some portfolio items have no priority assigned, those items may not display. Ensure all portfolio items have values for the attribute you're using for swimlanes, or select a different grouping attribute that all items populate.

When you group by Release, epics with no Planned Release value are still visible. They appear under a group labeled Release: (None).

Can I use multiple swimlane attributes simultaneously?​

No, the Portfolio Kanban Board supports only one swimlane grouping attribute at a time. To view multiple groupings, create separate PlanningRooms with boards configured for different attributes, or switch the grouping attribute between meetings based on the focus of each session (strategic themes for leadership reviews, teams for capacity planning).

How do I remove swimlanes from the Portfolio Kanban board?​

To remove swimlanes, open the Customize menu, navigate to the Board Options tab, open the Group by dropdown, and select "None" or the default grouping option. Click Save. The board returns to a single-list view within each status column without horizontal swimlane divisions.