How to Use the Lead Board in CrmLeaf
All editions. Core feature - no add-on required.
Availability: All editions. Core feature - no add-on required.
Overview
The lead board is the Kanban view of a pipeline. Each column is a pipeline stage and each card is a deal, so you can see the whole pipeline in one screen and move work forward by dragging a deal from one stage to the next. The board also shows a total per stage, which makes it the fastest way to answer how much value is sitting at each step of the sales process.
How It Works
The board renders the visible stages of the selected pipeline as columns, loads deal cards into each column, and updates the deal's stage when you drop a card into a different column.
Select pipeline → Review stage columns → Drag a deal forward → Open the deal to work it → Read stage totals
- Dragging a deal between columns changes its pipeline stage, and the move is recorded on the deal's activity timeline.
- Columns can be reordered and individually collapsed, so you can focus on the stages you are working this week.
- Cards load lazily as you scroll a column, so a long stage does not have to load in full before the board is usable.
- Each stage shows its own total, giving live value statistics per column.
- The board only shows the deals your permission scope allows, filtered to the organisation you are working in.
Who Can Use This Feature?
User
- View the pipeline as stage columns.
- Drag a deal to a different stage.
- Reorder and collapse columns for your own view.
- Open a deal from its card to add notes, files, follow-ups and tasks.
Access depends on the modules and role assigned by your Administrator.
Prerequisites
- Access to the CRM module with a Deal permission scope other than
none. - At least one pipeline with its stages configured and visible.
- At least one deal, otherwise the board shows empty columns.
For Users
Step 1: Open the board
Open the Kanban lead board for your pipeline. If your account uses several pipelines, select the pipeline you want to work before reading the totals, because each pipeline has its own stages.
Step 2: Read the board before you touch it
Check the total on each stage column. A large total in an early stage with few recent moves usually means qualification is behind, not that the pipeline is healthy.
Step 3: Move a deal to its correct stage
Drag the deal card into the destination column. Move a deal only when the exit criterion for its current stage has genuinely been met, because stage position drives your forecast and the per-stage totals everyone else reads.
Step 4: Tidy your own view
Reorder columns and collapse the stages you are not working on. These adjustments are for your view of the board and do not change the pipeline configuration for other users.
Step 5: Work the deal from its card
Open a deal from the board to add a note, attach a file, set the next follow-up date or create a task. Returning to the board afterwards shows the deal in its updated position.
Step 6: Scroll long columns fully
In a stage with many deals, scroll to load the remaining cards before concluding that a deal is missing. Cards are loaded in batches as you scroll.
Expected Result
The board shows one column per visible pipeline stage with its own total. Dragging a deal to a new column updates the deal's stage immediately and records the move on the deal's activity timeline.
Why This Matters for Service Organisations
In a service business the pipeline review and the resourcing conversation are the same conversation. Work that is about to close has to be staffed by named people who are currently busy on other engagements, so a delivery lead needs to see what is close to signature as a shape, not as a list of rows. The board gives that shape in one screen.
How It Supports Professional Services
- Stage columns with their own totals show where engagement value is concentrated, so a partner can see at a glance whether the next quarter depends on two large pursuits or twenty small ones.
- Collapsing early qualification columns leaves only late-stage pursuits on screen, which is how most firms run a short weekly commitment review.
- Every stage move is written to the deal's activity timeline, so the record of when an engagement became probable survives the meeting it was discussed in.
- Board totals reflect only the deals a person is permitted to see, so a consultant reads their own pursuit list while a practice head reads the practice.
- Many service organisations read the board alongside the Resource Utilization views before committing a start date, since the board itself carries no capacity data.
Typical Service Workflow
Lead → Deal → Client → Project → Delivery → Billing
The board is a working view of the Deal step. Dragging a card changes the deal's stage immediately; deciding that a closing deal can be resourced, and then setting up the Client and the delivery project, remains an organisational practice.
Other Product-Type Use Cases
The same board serves a manufacturer watching quotation stages or a solar business tracking site enquiries from first contact to approved survey — any process where value sits at identifiable steps.
Related PSA Capabilities
- How to Configure Pipelines and Stages — defines the columns the board shows.
- How to Use Resource Utilization Views — the availability and capacity lenses firms consult before promising a start date.
- How to Manage Follow-Ups and Reminders — keeps a stalled column from being discovered too late.
- How to Use Lead and Deal Reports — the reporting view behind the board totals.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- The columns you see are the visible stages of the selected pipeline. A stage hidden by an Administrator does not appear as a destination.
- Because CrmLeaf has no fixed won or lost status, the closing columns on your board are the closed stages your Administrator configured.
- Column reordering and collapsing are personal view preferences. Changing the actual stage order is an Administrator task in the pipeline configuration.
- Board totals reflect only the deals you are permitted to see, so a manager and a representative can legitimately read different totals.
Common Scenarios
Example: the Monday pipeline review. A sales manager opens the board, collapses the early qualification columns, and reviews only the late-stage columns and their totals to decide which deals need help to close this month.
Example: a stalled stage. A representative notices one column holding a high total. Opening the cards shows several deals with no next follow-up date. They set follow-up dates so the deals surface on the CRM dashboard instead of sitting unattended.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| The board has no columns. | The selected pipeline has no visible stages. | Ask an Administrator to add stages or toggle stage visibility on. |
| A deal you expect is not on the board. | It belongs to another pipeline, another organisation, or is outside your permission scope. It may also be further down an unscrolled column. | Confirm the pipeline and organisation, scroll the column fully, then check your permission scope with your Administrator. |
| You cannot drag a deal. | Your Deal permission scope does not allow you to edit that record. | Ask the Administrator to widen the scope, or ask the deal owner to move it. |
| Stage totals look wrong. | Deals with no value entered, or deals outside your visibility, are not contributing. | Complete the deal value on each deal and confirm your permission scope with your Administrator. |
| A stage cannot be selected as a destination. | The stage's visibility is toggled off. | Ask an Administrator to make the stage visible. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does moving a card notify anyone?
Notification behaviour for stage moves is not documented. The move is recorded on the deal's activity timeline.
Can I change the stage without using the board?
Yes. A deal's stage can also be changed from the deal itself, which is useful when you are already working the record.
Do my collapsed columns affect my colleagues?
No. Collapsing and reordering columns affects only your own view.
Why do I see fewer deals than my manager?
Deal visibility is ownership-scoped. A representative with owned sees their own deals; a manager with all sees every deal.
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