The result is an approach similar enough to both to easily understand and adopt \u2014 but different enough to set itself apart from other Agile frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like the perfect cookie, Scrumban is, in the words of its ideator, Corey Ladas, \u201ccrunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that we\u2019ve got you hungry for more, let\u2019s go through our Scrumban guide to learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s begin!<\/p>\n\n\n Most people define the Scrumban framework as a combination of Scrum and Kanban. However, it might be more accurate to say that Scrumban is a lot like Kanban \u2014 but with a bit more structure and predictability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to The Scrumban [R]Evolution: Getting the Most Out of Agile, Scrum, and Lean Kanban<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>the focus of Scrumban is the application of Kanban systems in a Scrum context. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Scrumban project management, the inherent capabilities of Scrum are improved and amplified. Layering the Kanban method alongside Scrum, though, brings some new capabilities and perspectives into the spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The result is a simple-to-use, flexible, and efficient Agile framework that can be easily implemented at any organizational level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, it\u2019s important to understand the main characteristics of both Scrum and Kanban first to fully grasp Scrumban.<\/p>\n\n\n Scrumban is a bit of a balancing act that aims to reconcile 2 opposing natures \u2013 Scrum\u2019s rigid structure and Kanban\u2019s flowy flexibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding Scrumban entails learning more about these 2 frameworks, so here, we will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scrum is the most popular lightweight framework for implementing Agile values and principles<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The framework revolves around 4 different elements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Scrum Guide<\/a>, each of these elements has a specific purpose and plays a valuable role in project realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An expert we reached out to, Erin Joanna Thames<\/a>, an efficiency and start-up consultant and the PMP-certified founder of A Climate of Change LLC, gave us an on-point description of Scrum and what it entails:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThink of Scrum as the highly-specialized rule follower. Scrum has a pretty rigid set of instructions, roles, and prescribes how to plan, act, review, and so on. Every person on a Scrum team knows their role, what is expected of them, and most importantly, they understand the process of Scrum and the cyclical approach of the project methodology.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Each Sprint typically includes the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scrum doesn\u2019t inherently require a visual aid, but the Scrum Team can use a Scrum Board<\/a> to better organize their work. The simplest type consists of only 3 columns (To do, In progress, and Done), but the team can add as many columns (or rather, categories) as necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Scrum is a popular framework, many project management tools even offer a Scrum Board template<\/a> you can customize to your liking.<\/p>\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re interested in delving deeper into the Scrum processes and terminology, you\u2019ll find this guide on Scrum project management helpful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kanban is another method for implementing Agile principles, with a bit of Lean project management<\/a> thrown into the mix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Agile Practice Guide<\/em><\/a> <\/em>states that Kanban is the \u201coriginal start-where-you-are method\u201d<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This essentially means it is rather easy to incorporate since it doesn\u2019t require a particular setup or changing an organization\u2019s existing processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The core properties of Kanban are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Erin Joanna Thames, Kanban seems like a solid choice for Agile project management novices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKanban […] has more relaxed rules, no specific roles, and you can kind of work in a continuous flow instead of the Sprints required in Scrum. It’s great for beginners who are just starting to grasp Agile project management and how to move tasks throughout a process.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Kanban is famous for its visual aspect \u2014 the Kanban board. These boards can be physical or digital and usually consist of the following elements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to a Scrum board, the most basic Kanban board includes 3 columns:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The guide below offers a detailed overview of Kanban for those looking to expand their knowledge and understanding of this popular project management approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Scrumban: Essays on Kanban Systems for Lean Software Development<\/em><\/a>, Corey Ladas mentions how a large part of the Scrum community has overcommitted to a \u201cnarrow, prescriptive, and rigid\u201d <\/em>process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is something that Jeff Sutherland, one of the creators of Scrum, would also call \u201cType A Scrum<\/em>\u201d, as mentioned in his paper on the future of Scrum<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To break away from Scrum\u2019s restrictive nature, Ladas suggests it\u2019s possible to \u201cincrementally enhance Scrum with more and more pull-like features until all that remains of the original process is vestigial scaffolding.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to a paper on the integration of Scrumban in software engineering<\/a>, Scrumban combines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally speaking, some of the Scrum elements<\/strong> Scrumban may include are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Kanban principles and ideas<\/strong> we can use in Scrumban include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his book What is Scrumban?<\/em><\/a>, Andrew Stellman highlights that there isn\u2019t a precise guide to Scrumban or a certified authority that prescribes which elements give a framework the Scrumban name. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, since there\u2019s no Scrumban manifesto of sorts, there may be some variations across teams trying to combine Scrum and Kanban. Each team may come up with their own blend that works for their needs and projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Erin Joanna Thames also believes the key to combining PM methodologies lies in the project team itself: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cScrumban, as a hybrid methodology, in theory can combine Scrum and Kanban in a number of different ways. The key in combining methodologies is to ensure that the team still has an agreed upon understanding about which aspects of Scrum and Kanban are being deployed and what <\/em>KPIs<\/em><\/a> are being tracked.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Scrumban may be a nice blend of Scrum and Kanban, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s just a copy of some of their best features. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Arguably the main difference between Scrum and Scrumban is that the former relies heavily on Sprints \u2014 while the latter may or may not use them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned in an empirical study on the formation of Scrumban<\/a> based on Scrum and Kanban practices, Scrumban teams can decide for themselves which practices to adopt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In general, Scrumban teams can do Sprints if they want. However, most of the time, they stick to short (often 2-week-long) iterations. Tasks in Scrumban can be long-running and span several iterations too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More relaxed iterations are also Erin Joanna Thames\u2019s favorite aspect of Scrumban:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think a lot of people believe that Scrumban is just Scrum with a lot of the rules and structure removed, and that is simply not true. What I like most about the hybrid approach provided through Scrumban is that I can still use some cycle iterations, but they don’t have to be as strict, and there is not as much of a negative cascading effect if deadlines are missed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Scrumban usually nixes story points too, which help Scrum teams decide what they\u2019ll work on in an upcoming Sprint. Instead, Scrumban teams decide what tasks to do next based on priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for Kanban, one of the major ways it differs from Scrumban is the project board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A Kanban board often has just 3 columns (To do, In progress, and Done). Because Scrumban also includes some Scrum features, such as the Definition of Ready, a Scrumban board is usually more extensive. The board can consist of various other columns that break down the project workflow further. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a detailed comparison chart of these 3 methods to help you learn more about their similarities and differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
![\"Scrumban](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Scrumban-project-management-cover.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhat is the Scrumban methodology?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Visual](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Visual-representation-of-Scrumban-combining-the-aspects-of-Scrum-and-Kanban.png\")
Scrum vs Kanban vs Scrumban<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How does Scrum work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Erin](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Erin-Joanna-Thames.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/The-Scrum-process.png\")
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![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Example-of-a-Scrum-board-in-Plaky-1.png\")
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How does Kanban work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Kanban](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/kanban-process-min.png\")
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![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Example-of-a-Kanban-board-in-Plaky-1.png\")
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How does Scrumban combine Scrum and Kanban? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Which elements can you include in Scrumban?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nHow does Scrumban differ from Scrum and Kanban? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nScrum vs Kanban vs Scrumban comparison <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Illustration\"](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/plaky\/banners\/default@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Visual](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/visual-representation-of-WIP-limits.png\")
![\"Visual](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/visual-representation-of-the-order-point.png\")