Why Scrumban Might Be the Perfect Fit: My Take on the Hybrid Framework

As I approach the 10-year anniversary of publishing my first post, "Measuring QA Team Effectiveness," I'm reflecting on what an impactful journey it's been. That article received a wonderful response, sparking many meaningful conversations on the challenges and importance of measuring team success. I hadn’t planned on posting more after that; however, I’ve continued writing guides and insights for my QA colleagues, sharing advice and support throughout our ever-evolving QA journey.

Recently, several friends and former colleagues reached out, asking for my thoughts on a popular framework: Scrumban. Their interest inspired me to sit down and share my perspective on this “new kid in town.” So today, I’m excited to post again and offer my take on Scrumban—hoping it brings as much insight and value to you as my first post did.

Contents

1. Introduction to Scrumban
2. What is Scrumban?
3. Comparison with Scrum and Kanban
4. When to Use or Avoid Scrumban
5. Features, Pros, and Cons of Scrumban, Scrum, and Kanban
6. Examples and Scenarios

1. Introduction to Scrumban

Scrumban combines the structure of Scrum with the flexibility of Kanban to create a hybrid approach suited for teams needing both predictability and adaptability. By incorporating elements of both methodologies, Scrumban is especially useful for teams transitioning from Scrum to Kanban, maintaining daily structure while providing greater flexibility in work item management.

2. What is Scrumban?

In essence, Scrumban leverages Scrum’s sprint planning and prioritization and Kanban’s visualization and flow, allowing for continuous work with minimal disruptions. Teams can use Scrumban to maintain a steady flow while ensuring structured review points, optimizing task management without being bound to strict sprint timelines.

3. Comparison with Scrum and Kanban

4. When to Use or Avoid Scrumban

• Projects with evolving requirements: Scrumban is excellent when project requirements shift frequently, as it allows for continuous adjustment.
• Teams transitioning from Scrum to Kanban: For teams moving away from a rigid Scrum structure but not ready to fully adopt Kanban.
• Maintenance and support teams: Scrumban works well in environments needing regular, unplanned tasks to be addressed alongside planned work.

When Not to Use Scrumban

• Highly regulated projects: Projects that require strict deadlines and a clear timeline may benefit more from traditional Scrum for fixed structure and predictability.
• Large teams: Scrumban is generally most effective for small to medium-sized teams; large teams may experience challenges with task management.

5. Features, Pros, and Cons of Scrumban, Scrum, and Kanban

6. Examples and Scenarios

Example 1: Customer Support Team (Best fit: Kanban or Scrumban)

A customer support team deals with daily, ongoing tickets and troubleshooting issues that don’t align with fixed sprints. Scrumban allows the team to maintain a flexible backlog, manage priority tasks, and implement some daily rituals from Scrum for team alignment.

Example 2: Product Development Team (Best fit: Scrum or Scrumban)

A product development team with a defined release schedule may start with Scrum to organize tasks into sprints and later transition to Scrumban as product priorities become more fluid, balancing planned features with emerging work items.

Example 3: Small Project with Evolving Requirements (Best fit: Scrumban)

In cases where a small team works on projects with frequently shifting requirements and deliverables, Scrumban can be highly effective. For instance, a team building a custom internal application for a department may start with a structured backlog and pivot to new feature requests, enabling flexible task handling.

Summary

Scrumban serves as an effective bridge between structured and unstructured project management methodologies, ideal for teams needing adaptability with the familiarity of Scrum’s time-tested practices. Whether used for support projects, transitioning teams, or projects with dynamic requirements, Scrumban provides the best of both worlds.