Scrumban

Traditional Scrum planning risks creating a bloated backlog, exceeding what's truly needed. This wastes time and resources. The proposed solution can focus on a "pull system" where work is selected as capacity becomes available, instead of pre-planning a large batch of work.

Key ideas:

• Reduce backlog size: Limit backlog size based on average completion rate.
• Event-driven planning: Trigger planning based on reaching a reorder point in the backlog (like refilling inventory).
• Pull system: Select work from a small "ready queue" when capacity opens up.

Benefits:

• Less wasteful planning overhead.
• More responsive to changing priorities.
• Potentially shorter lead times.

Evolution: This approach gradually removes Scrum elements (like timeboxed planning) as the pull system matures.

End state: Ideally, the backlog becomes minimal (as small as 1) and work is prioritized on demand. This is like a "features-on-demand" system.

Ever feel stuck between the structured sprints of Scrum and the free-flowing work of Kanban? Scrumban offers a sweet spot! It merges the best of both worlds, providing a framework for Agile project management that's both adaptable and predictable.

Scrum is a framework for Agile project management. Kanban is a lean method for managing work. Scrumban can be useful for teams that are already familiar with Scrum but want to improve their workflow. It can also be helpful for teams that are new to Agile and want a more gradual approach.

It’s designed to provide the structure and predictable routines of Scrum along with the flexibility and continuous workflow of Kanban. Scrumban borrows the predictable routines of Scrum, like sprints and retrospectives, for a stable foundation. At the same time, it incorporates Kanban's visual workflow and work-in-progress limitations to make teams more adaptable.

Here’s a brief overview:

• Scrum Elements: Scrumban retains Scrum’s roles, events, and artifacts, including sprints, standups, and retrospectives.
• Kanban Elements: It incorporates Kanban’s visual workflow management and Work In Progress (WIP) limits to improve process efficiency.
• Flexibility: Scrumban allows teams to plan on an as-needed basis rather than following a strict schedule, making it ideal for projects with changing priorities.
• Continuous Improvement: The methodology encourages regular reflection and adaptation, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Scrumban is becoming popular because it offers a balanced approach that can be tailored to a team’s specific needs, providing the structure to manage work effectively while remaining responsive to change.

When to use Scrumban:

Scrumban is particularly useful when you need more flexibility than Scrum provides but more structure than Kanban offers. It’s ideal for projects with evolving requirements or where the scope may change frequently.

Advantages over Kanban and Scrum:

• Scrum, borrows the concept of sprints, allowing for time-boxed periods of focused work.
• Kanban adopts visual workflow management and work-in-progress limits, which help in managing ongoing tasks and minimizing bottlenecks.
• It provides a more flexible, ‘just-in-time’ way of working compared to Scrum.
• It offers more structure than Kanban, which can benefit teams needing a bit more guidance.
• Scrumban can lead to a shorter lead time, continuous improvement, and minimized waste.

A Scrumban board is a visual project management tool that combines elements from both Scrum and Kanban boards. It typically includes:

• Product Backlog: A list of all the work or features that need to be done.
• Sprint Backlog: The subset of items selected for the current sprint, often with a focus on priority and deliverability.
• Workflow Stages: Columns that represent different stages of the workflow, such as “Not Started”, “In Progress”, “Reviewing”, and “Done”.
• WIP Limits: Limits on the number of tasks in certain columns to prevent overloading team members and to identify bottlenecks.

The Scrumban board helps teams visualize their work, manage flow, and improve efficiency by combining the structure of Scrum sprints with the continuous improvement and flow of Kanban

Who should use Scrumban?

• Teams who find traditional Scrum too rigid and want more flexibility.
• Teams who value continuous work progress over fixed-length sprints.
• Teams transitioning between Scrum and Kanban.

Scrumban offers a balance between structure and flexibility, making it a valuable tool for managing projects in a dynamic environment.

Why it is getting popular:

Scrumban is gaining popularity because it allows teams to tackle complex, ongoing projects with a flexible method due to its hybrid approach. It gives teams a wide range of Agile tools to manage their work more effectively.

Suitable projects for Scrumban:

• Projects with continuous flow and no definitive deadline.
• Long-term projects with ambiguous goals.
• Software development projects with evolving requirements or where scope creep is a concern.

Scrumban can be a powerful approach for teams looking to improve their agility and efficiency in project management. It’s a method that supports continuous improvement and adapts well to the changing needs of complex projects.

References:

https://www.agilealliance.org/scrumban/

https://youtu.be/kiI3IweyAeQ?si=snyLrOKTZFLHdS9y

I hope you discover it to be valuable.

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Disclaimer: This post is written by the author in his capacity and doesn’t reflect the views of any other organization and/or person.

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