The Kanban Board — Your Command Center
The Kanban board is where all your active sourcing requests live. Each card represents a unique product combination (dimension-species-grade) moving through your procurement pipeline. Cards advance automatically as you take action and as suppliers respond.Understanding the Workflow Columns
TO SOURCE (Ready for RFQ)
- New sourcing requests awaiting supplier outreach
- Primary Action: Send AI-generated RFQs to suppliers
- Card Information: Product specifications, target pricing ($/MBF), total quantity in packs, market sentiment
QUOTING (Awaiting Quotes)
- RFQs sent, waiting for supplier responses
- Primary Action: Review incoming quotes, send counter-offers
- Card Analytics: Time since RFQ sent, supplier response rates, lowest quote received
NEGOTIATING (Active Negotiations)
- Back-and-forth negotiations in progress with suppliers
- Primary Action: Continue negotiations, finalize terms
- Card Analytics: Negotiation history, latest offer pricing, days in negotiation
FULFILLED (Completed Orders)
- Purchase orders created and processed
- View Only: Final pricing, delivery details, PO number
- Analytics: Average fulfilled price in $/MBF across all POs for this sourcing request
View Modes: Compact, Standard, Detailed
Use the view mode toggle (top-right of the board) to control how much information each card displays:Compact
Maximum cards on screen. Product name, status badge, quote count, and target price only. Best for large pipelines.
Standard (Default)
Balanced density. Includes sentiment badge, sparkline, lowest quote, and response time.
Detailed
Full context. Adds supplier performance badge, Team Insights benchmark inline, and expanded quote details.
Card Information At a Glance
Product Identification
Product Name: “Douglas Fir 2x8 No.2&Btr” (using industry abbreviations)Hover Details: Full product description, grade definition, and volume in MBF on hover
Pricing Information
Target Price: Your desired price in $/MBF (thousand board feet)Current Quotes: Lowest quote received so far (if any), also in $/MBF
Quantity Details
Total Quantity: Total packs needed across all lengthsMBF Volume: Automatic conversion from packs to MBF shown on hover
Intelligence Widgets
Sentiment Badge: Species-level AI market assessment (Bullish / Neutral / Bearish)Price Sparkline: Mini chart showing price trend for this SKU over time
Market Sentiment Badges
Every card shows an AI-powered market sentiment badge for its species:- 🟢 Bullish: Supply tightening or demand rising — consider moving quickly before prices increase
- ⚪ Neutral: No strong signal in either direction
- 🔴 Bearish: Buyer-favorable conditions — you may have pricing leverage or conditions may improve
Filter Bar
The Filter Bar (below the board header) narrows your view across all columns simultaneously:- Species: Show only SPF, SYP, Douglas Fir, or any other species
- Grade: Narrow to specific grade classifications (Stud, Construction, Select Structural, etc.)
- Dimension: Focus on 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, or other dimensions
Single Card Operations
TO SOURCE Card Actions
Get Quotes
Opens the multi-step RFQ flow: select suppliers, review AI-generated email drafts for each, confirm and send
QUOTING Card Actions
Review Quotes
Compare received quotes side-by-side with $/MBF normalization, pricing analytics, and Team Insights benchmarks
Create Purchase Order
Generate a PO from an approved quote — opens the individual PO creation workflow with human validation
NEGOTIATING Card Actions
Continue Negotiation
Send follow-up counter-offers — the AI reads the complete thread to maintain context and continuity
Accept & Create PO
When terms are finalized, navigate to the individual quote review page to create the purchase order with full validation
Bulk Selection & Operations
Activating Bulk Mode
Click Bulk Select (or press B)
Find the Bulk Select button in the top-right corner, or press
B on your keyboardContext-Aware Bulk Actions
TO SOURCE Selection — Bulk RFQs
TO SOURCE Selection — Bulk RFQs
Send Bulk RFQs: Generate AI-drafted RFQs for multiple products simultaneously
- Communications are grouped by supplier (one email per supplier, covering all relevant products)
- Each product’s individual specifications are maintained as line items
- All drafts are shown for review before sending
- Deduplication prevents double-sending if you click twice
QUOTING Selection — Bulk Counter-Offers
QUOTING Selection — Bulk Counter-Offers
Send Counter Offers: Initiate negotiations with suppliers who have submitted quotes
- Only cards that have received actual quotes with pricing are eligible
- Each counter-offer draft references that specific supplier’s email thread
- Target price and custom instructions can be set per batch before drafting
- Review all drafts before sending
NEGOTIATING Selection — Continue Negotiations
NEGOTIATING Selection — Continue Negotiations
Continue Negotiations: Follow-up communications for cards in active negotiation
- Preserves individual negotiation context per supplier (no cross-contamination)
- Maintains professional email thread continuity
- Individual review is required before accepting final terms
Email Thread Intelligence: Bulk operations automatically group communications by supplier email thread. Each supplier receives an independent, properly threaded email — bulk sends never break conversation continuity or reveal competitive information.
Advanced Card Analytics
Expandable Quote Details
Click the chevron on any card to reveal:Quote Performance
- Number of quotes received
- Lowest vs. highest quote received ($/MBF)
- Average response time across suppliers
- Price variance vs. your target
Team Insights Benchmark
- Your team’s historical median price for this SKU
- In-flight (open quote) median
- Grade comparison filter
- Supplier contribution breakdown
Timeline Tracking
- Days since RFQ sent
- Last supplier communication timestamp
- Number of negotiation rounds
- Deal velocity metrics
Supplier Performance
- Response rate badge per quote
- Speed indicator vs. your supplier average
- Pricing position badge (competitive / above / below market)
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
B | Toggle bulk select mode |
Escape | Exit bulk select mode |
Enter | Open card details / quote review |
Space | Select / deselect card in bulk mode |
Optimistic UI: Instant Feedback
LumberFlow uses optimistic UI updates throughout the Kanban board:- When you send an RFQ, the card moves from TO SOURCE → QUOTING immediately, before the server confirms
- When you cancel a request, the card disappears from the board immediately
- If the server operation fails (network error, etc.), the card rolls back with an error notification — your pipeline stays accurate
Pipeline View: Kanban vs. Timeline
Use the View Switcher to toggle between Kanban and Timeline:Kanban View (Default)
Status-based columns. Best for managing what needs action right now.
Timeline View
Gantt-style timeline across all sourcing requests. Best for planning procurement timing and spotting stalled requests.
Mobile Responsiveness
The Kanban board is fully responsive:- Desktop: Full card details, all view modes, expanded analytics
- Tablet: Condensed view with essential information and touch-friendly card interactions
- Mobile: Card stack view with swipe navigation
Learn about RFQ automation
See the full AI-powered RFQ workflow that drives your Kanban board.