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Feature Request: RW Update Kanban Board on Task Completion

Type: Feature Request (FR)
Submitted: 2026-01-22
Submitted By: User
Priority: HIGH
Severity: N/A
Status: IMPLEMENTED ✅ (E5:S01:T36)

Summary​

Release Workflow (RW) Step 7 (Auto-update Kanban Docs) currently updates Story and Epic documents but does NOT update the main Kanban board (kboard.md) when tasks are completed. This causes the Kanban board to fall out of sync with task completion status, requiring manual updates or separate UKW runs.

Description​

What is the Feature?​

Enhance RW Step 7 to automatically update the main Kanban board (kboard.md) when tasks are completed, ensuring the board reflects current task/story/epic completion status immediately after each release.

What Should Happen vs. What Currently Happens?​

Expected Behavior:

  • When RW completes a task release (e.g., E4:S16:T05), RW Step 7 should:
    • Update Story document ✅ (currently implemented)
    • Update Epic document ✅ (currently implemented)
    • Update Kanban board ❌ (NOT implemented)
      • Update epic/story status in board sections
      • Update "Last updated" date and version
      • Update task completion markers in epic/story listings
      • Update MoSCOW sections if task affects priority (optional, can defer to UKW)

Current Behavior:

  • RW Step 7 updates Story and Epic documents only
  • The update_kanban_docs.py script resolves the Kanban board path but does not update it
  • Kanban board remains out of sync until UKW is run manually
  • Task completion status not reflected on board immediately after release

When Does It Occur?​

This feature is needed:

  • Every time RW executes - Kanban board should always reflect current task completion status
  • When a task is completed (task status update in board)
  • When a story is completed (story status update in board)
  • When an epic is completed (epic status update in board)

Who is Affected?​

Primary Affected:

  • Developers/agents using RW
  • Project managers viewing Kanban board
  • Framework maintainers

Secondary Affected:

  • Framework users (workflow reliability)
  • Documentation consumers (accurate Kanban status)
  • CI/CD systems (workflow validation)

Use Cases​

  1. Task Completion Release:

    • Developer completes a task (e.g., E4:S16:T05)
    • RW executes and updates:
      • Story document: Task marked complete ✅
      • Epic document: Story status updated ✅
      • Kanban board: Task completion reflected, story/epic status updated ❌ (missing)

  2. Story Completion Release:

    • Developer completes all tasks in a story
    • RW detects story completion and updates:
      • Story document: Status set to COMPLETE ✅
      • Epic document: Story marked complete ✅
      • Kanban board: Story status updated, epic status updated if all stories complete ❌ (missing)

  3. Epic Completion Release:

    • Developer completes all stories in an epic
    • RW detects epic completion and updates:
      • Epic document: Status set to COMPLETE ✅
      • Kanban board: Epic status updated ❌ (missing)

Requirements​

Functional Requirements​

  • FR-040:R01 - RW Step 7 must update Kanban board when task is completed
  • FR-040:R02 - Update epic/story status in Kanban board sections
  • FR-040:R03 - Update "Last updated" date and version in Kanban board metadata
  • FR-040:R04 - Update task completion markers in epic/story listings on board
  • FR-040:R05 - Detect story completion and update story status on board
  • FR-040:R06 - Detect epic completion and update epic status on board
  • FR-040:R07 - Validate that Kanban board updates were successful
  • FR-040:R08 - Block workflow if Kanban board update fails (optional, can be non-blocking)

Non-Functional Requirements​

  • FR-040:NF01 - Reliability: Board updates should be deterministic for known patterns
  • FR-040:NF02 - Performance: Board updates should complete in < 2 seconds
  • FR-040:NF03 - Compatibility: Works with existing Kanban board structure
  • FR-040:NF04 - Maintainability: Framework-agnostic implementation

Scope Analysis​

Problem Domain: Release Workflow, Kanban Documentation, Workflow Automation
Affected Areas:

  • Backend/API (workflow execution)
  • Frontend/UI
  • Database/Schema
  • Documentation (Kanban board, RW docs)
  • Testing (validation, error handling)
  • Other: Workflow framework

Estimated Complexity:

  • Simple (1-3 days)
  • Medium (1 week) - Requires parsing board structure, updating sections, validation
  • Complex (2+ weeks)
  • Very Complex (1+ month)

Acceptance Criteria​

  • AC1: RW Step 7 updates Kanban board when task is completed
  • AC2: Epic/story status updated in board sections
  • AC3: "Last updated" date and version updated in board metadata
  • AC4: Task completion markers updated in epic/story listings
  • AC5: Story completion detected and status updated on board
  • AC6: Epic completion detected and status updated on board
  • AC7: Validation confirms board updates were successful
  • AC8: Works reliably across all projects using the framework
  • AC9: Performance acceptable (< 2 seconds for typical projects)

Dependencies​

Blocks:

  • Accurate Kanban board status synchronization
  • Reduced need for manual UKW runs after RW

Blocked By:

  • None

Related Work:

  • FR-015: Harden Kanban Docs Update in Release Workflow (partially implemented - board updates missing)
  • E2:S08: Harden Release Workflow Reliability (FR-015 implementation)
  • RW Step 7: Auto-update Kanban Docs (current implementation)
  • UKW: Update Kanban Workflow (comprehensive board updates)

Rationale​

Why This Matters:

  • Kanban board is the primary visual representation of project status
  • Out-of-sync board creates confusion and reduces trust
  • Manual updates are error-prone and frequently forgotten
  • Automated updates ensure consistency and reliability
  • Reduces need for separate UKW runs after every RW

Why This Should Be Implemented:

  • Current implementation is incomplete (Story/Epic docs updated, but board is not)
  • Framework users expect automatic board updates
  • Completes the FR-015 requirement (FR-015:R06)
  • Improves overall workflow reliability and user experience

Implementation Notes​

Key Considerations:

  1. Board Structure: Must parse and update Kanban board sections correctly
  2. Status Detection: Must detect task/story/epic completion accurately
  3. Update Scope: Should update status, version markers, completion markers
  4. MoSCOW Updates: Can defer MoSCOW section updates to UKW (optional)
  5. Validation: Must validate board updates were successful

Implementation Approach:

  • Extend update_kanban_docs.py script to update Kanban board
  • Add board parsing and update functions
  • Integrate with existing RW Step 7 execution
  • Add validation for board updates
  • Update RW Step 7 documentation

References​

  • FR-015: FR-015-harden-kanban-docs-update-in-release-workflow.md
  • Release Workflow Reference: packages/frameworks/workflow mgt/KB/Documentation/Developer_Docs/vwmp/release-workflow-reference.md
  • RW Step 7 Script: packages/frameworks/workflow mgt/scripts/update_kanban_docs.py
  • Kanban Board: docs/project-management/kanban/kboard.md
  • E2:S08: docs/project-management/kanban/epics/Epic-2/Story-008-harden-release-workflow-reliability.md

Template Usage​

This FR follows the Kanban Framework FR template.
This feature request is part of the Kanban Framework. See packages/frameworks/kanban/ for complete framework documentation.