> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.nextedy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Assignment Modes

> **Assignment modes** control how Nextedy PLANNINGBOARD groups work items into swimlanes.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/none-17b4493f/zUlmOSLBIQ0HyaAX/planningboard/diagrams/reference/assignment-modes/index/diagram-1.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=zUlmOSLBIQ0HyaAX&q=85&s=8850ffdfdac85915c5007e82a898788c" alt="Work items flow into the swimlane assignment mode, which groups them by one of eight modes (Assignee, Parent Item, Enumeration, Project, SAFe Team, SAFe Train Team, SAFe Programs, or No Swimlanes), then renders swimlanes as rows with capacity bars and work item cards" width="640" height="500" data-path="planningboard/diagrams/reference/assignment-modes/index/diagram-1.svg" />
</Frame>

<Tip title="Swimlane assignment type">
  The term **swimlane assignment type** refers to the mode setting that determines which attribute maps a work item to a swimlane row. It is configured via the `assignmentMode` widget parameter on the [Swimlanes (Rows) Parameters](/planningboard/reference/widget-parameters/swimlanes-parameters) page.
</Tip>

## Standard Modes

**[Assignee Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/assignee-mode)** — Each swimlane represents a user (assignee). Work items are grouped by the person they are assigned to. Supports capacity tracking per person.

**[Parent Item Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/parent-mode)** — Each swimlane represents a parent work item. Child work items are grouped under their parent, enabling a feature- or epic-level board view.

**[Enumeration Field Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/enum-mode)** — Each swimlane represents a value of a configurable enumeration field on the work item. Suitable for grouping by team, component, priority class, or any other enum-typed custom field.

**[Project Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/project-mode)** — Each swimlane represents a Polarion project. Work items are grouped by the project they belong to, useful for multi-project boards.

**[No Swimlanes Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/no-swimlanes-mode)** — All work items appear in a single flat board with no row grouping. Use when swimlane separation is not needed.

## SAFe Modes

These modes are specific to Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) configurations. They require the SAFe structure (Agile Teams, Release Trains, Programs) to be present in Polarion.

**[SAFe Team Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/safe-team-mode)** — Each swimlane represents a SAFe Agile Team. Work items are grouped by their assigned Agile Team.

**[SAFe Train Team Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/safe-train-team-mode)** — Each swimlane represents a SAFe Release Train team combination. Groups work items at the Agile Release Train level.

**[SAFe Programs Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/safe-programs-mode)** — Each swimlane represents a SAFe Program (ART). Groups work items by their Program-level assignment.

## Choosing a Mode

| Goal                                               | Recommended Mode                                                                       |
| -------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Track per-person capacity and workload             | [Assignee Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/assignee-mode)               |
| Organize board by feature or epic                  | [Parent Item Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/parent-mode)              |
| Group by team, component, or custom attribute      | [Enumeration Field Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/enum-mode)          |
| Consolidate work across multiple Polarion projects | [Project Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/project-mode)                 |
| Simple flat board without row grouping             | [No Swimlanes Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/no-swimlanes-mode)       |
| SAFe Agile Team-level planning                     | [SAFe Team Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/safe-team-mode)             |
| SAFe Release Train planning                        | [SAFe Train Team Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/safe-train-team-mode) |
| SAFe Program Increment planning                    | [SAFe Programs Mode](/planningboard/reference/assignment-modes/safe-programs-mode)     |

<Accordion title="Sources">
  **KB Articles**

  * Swimlane Assignment Types
  * Filter user swimlanes by Plan range
  * What is 'Normalization'

  **Support Tickets**

  * [#5879](https://support.nextedy.com/helpdesk/tickets/5879)
  * [#6777](https://support.nextedy.com/helpdesk/tickets/6777)

  **Source Code**

  * `PlanningBoardWidgetRenderer.java`
  * `PlanningBoardDataService.java`
  * `PlansMode.java`
  * `AssignmentMode.java`
  * `PlanningBoardWidgetDependenciesProcessor.java`
</Accordion>