Scrumban

Practitioner ’s Guide
By: Eugene Lai

www.cprime.com | [email protected] | 877.800.5221 | © Cprime Inc. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

05 Scrum vs. Kanban vs. Scrumban

08 Selection Technique

09 Deployment Strategy

11 Anti-Patterns
 INTRODUCTION

As of 2021, there are over 50 known software development framework

systems and models in the world.

Introduced in the late-1990s, Scrum has become the most popular Agile method,
currently utilized by millions of practitioners around the world. With its combination
of simplicity and flexibility, Scrum has been accredited with many high-profile
successes over the past 20 years. Given its evolution over this period of time, Scrum
has become a staple for many of the most prominent and successful organizations
in the world such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google. For practitioners who have
mastered Scrum, there remains a plethora of possibilities to enhance the application
of Scrum principles and practices in pursuit of pushing the boundaries of value,
efficiency and quality.

Another key development framework that has been compared to Scrum and often
integrated closely with Scrum teams is the Kanban approach. Initially founded
by Taiichi Ohno as part of the Toyota Production System, Kanban has also risen
significant in the world of Agile development over the past two decades.
 INTRODUCTION CONT’D

By emphasizing key principles such as visualizing the world, optimizing workflow, and
limiting work-in-process, Kanban is an effective and complimentary augmentation to
Scrum for many teams who seek to further accelerate their capabilities. Many Agile
development teams that have achieved meaningful successes with Scrum principles
and techniques have realized that they can adopt key elements of Kanban with minor
customizations to improve their existing workflow.

This paper is intended to provide a brief overview of the Scrumban approach, which
amalgamates the power of both Scrum and Kanban in an effort to highlight key
benefits and techniques that will empower an experienced Scrum team to elevate
their performance. In addition, this paper will explore various usage scenarios,
customization approaches and anti-patterns that practitioners will often encounter
within a Scrumban implementation.

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 PART 1: SCRUM VS. KANBAN VS. SCRUMBAN
Scrum Overview
Initially conceived in the late 1990s, the Scrum framework has become the
most popular and most widely adopted Agile method over the past 20 years.
Published in 2001, the Scrum Guide framework quickly permeated many
software development organizations due to its elegant simplicity and the
subsequent freedom it provided for teams to define specific practices and
behaviors within their given business context. The sheer number of books,
training courses and certification programs that have entered the market in
recent years demonstrate success of this framework across the globe.

Scrum offers basic constructs that allow teams to institute repeatable yet
adaptable approaches to building complex products and services. Most
Scrum teams use the four basic fundamental practices (known as “events”):
Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review and Sprint. Working in short and
defined cycles known as “Sprints”, Scrum teams design, build, test and deliver
working products iteratively and incrementally.

SCRUM SCRUMBAN KANBAN

Kanban Overview
Unlike Scrum, the term “Kanban” is often misunderstood, due to its dual
meaning. Introduced by Toyota Motors in the 1950s within the context of
lean manufacturing, Kanban can be implemented as a process optimization
method as well as a “signboard”, which is a literal translation of the Japanese
term “Kan-ban”. Most organizations view Kanban as the physical board which
teams can use to manage and track work. However, the power of Kanban
resides in the ability for teams to optimize their flow of value through
foundational principles such as:
1. Visualize workflow
2. Limit Work-in-Process (WIP)
3. Manage the flow (pull)
4. Make policies explicit
5. Implement feedback loops
5 6. Improve collaboratively, evolve experimentally
 Scrumban Overview

Scrumban is a unique method due to its absence of a single authoritative

definition. While both Scrum and Kanban have been defined, publicized,
studied and deployed by many organizations over the span of decades,
Scrumban is not a formal model, which provides an opportunity for further
exploration and discovery. Based on its name, one would assume that
Scrumban is a combination of elements extracted from the Scrum framework
and the Kanban method. While this is accurate, it is important to evaluate how
Scrumban may be applied as part of a larger strategy within Agile organizations.

While some organizations will view the lack of a formal definition to

Scrumban as an impediment to effective deployment, many Agile teams
take advantage of this concept to empirically experiment with this hybrid
approach in pursuit of improved performance. Assuming an Agile team has
developed a culture of continuous improvement, this team could further
accelerate its growth in meaningful ways through inspection and adaptation.

Figure 1

SCRUM PRINCIPLES SHARED VALUES KANBAN PRINCIPLES

Courage Cadence Visualization

Focus Synchronization Limit WIP

Commitment Transparency Explicit Policies

Respect Focus Feedback

Inspection Frequent Delivery Collective

of Value Improvement
Adaptation

As described in Figure 1, Scrum and Kanban

Openness
share core foundational concepts and
principles, many of which may be adopted
within the Scrumban approach.
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 Table 1: Scrum vs. Kanban vs. Scrumban

SCRUM KANBAN SCRUMBAN

Team Size 3 to 9 No specific rule 3 to 9

Product Owner, No specific rule No specific rule;

Team Roles Scrum Master, customizable
Developers

Cross-functional No specific rule No specific rule;

Team Configuration
customizable

Sprints no longer No iterations; Iterations or

Iterations than 1 month continuous flow continuous flow

Daily Meeting Daily Scrum Optional Optional

Sprint Planning Replenish backlog No specific rule;

Planning Approach when needed customizable

Inspection Sprint Review No specific rule; No specific rule;

customizable customizable
Approach (Product)

Inspection Sprint No specific rule; No specific rule;

Retrospective customizable customizable
Approach (Process)

Prioritization Once per Sprint No specific rule; No specific rule;

customizable customizable
Method
Implemented at the Customizable; may Customizable; may
Sprint level (within be implemented at be implemented at
WIP Limit Sprint Backlog) workflow, team, or workflow, team, or
individual level individual level

Work Item Work items Not required; No specific rule;

Sizing/ estimated may be similar or customizable
difference size
Estimation
None “Ready for Work” Customizable
Additional
Workflow States
(Board Columns)

As described in Table 1, there are a large number of similarities and

differences between these three approaches that should be considered when
attempting to select the optimal method for a specific business domain. In
Part 2 of this guide, specific deployment strategies for Scrumban will be
explored in more detail, which may serve as a reference for organizations to
7 design a sustainable Agile transformation strategy.
 PART 2: SELECTION TECHNIQUES
Understanding when to apply each of these three methods is often one of
the biggest challenges that organizations encounter. While there are many
factors that must be considered, there are some general characteristics that
can help decide which approach is optimal for any given situation. Figure 2
below describes some of the key project and organizational attributes that
may help organizations determine the best approach for a given scenario. It is
important to note that unique project scenarios may require experimentation
in order to determine the most suitable method.

Figure 2

SCRUM KANBAN SCRUMBAN

Must Volume and/or timing Team is

accommodate new work items is exerienced with
key milestones difficult to predict Scrum or Kanban

Requirements are Requirements Team desires to

relatively stable change frequently transition from
Scrum to Kanban

Priorities do Urgent requests Team desires to

not change often arrive with transition from
unexpectedly minimal warning Kanban to Scrum

Team desires Work item Team understands

more structure priorities shift core values of
and rigor frequently Scrum and Kanban

Team has skilled Frequent deliveries Unplanned work

Scrum Master and to customer takes priority over
Product Owner is important planned work

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 PART 3: SCRUMBAN DEPLOYMENT STRATEGY
Within the overall Agile deployment strategy, Scrumban is a powerful tool that
is often forgotten or ignored due to its relative lack of maturity and formality.
In Part 3 of this guide, several usage scenarios will be explored to describe
potential applications of Scrumban for teams and organizations that may
have different business objectives.

Organizations that deploy Agile methods for the first time have many factors
to consider. Some organizations that have already made investments in
similar process transformations may benefit from examining the following
factors as well in order to re-energize their continuous improvement mindset, or
to further leverage the Agile model across different parts of the organization.

1. Project Scope – Which project to apply “Agile”

2. Duration – How much time to experiment with a new method
3. Methodology/Framework – Which approach to deploy
4. Resource Scope – How many people to engage within the initiative

Scenario 1: Scrum to Scrumban to Kanban

SCRUM SCRUMBAN KANBAN

The first usage scenario for Scrumban is as a transitional state for a team
that been successful with the Scrum framework. Many organizations that
have cultivated effective Scrum teams may wish to explore a transition to
Kanban for more frequent deliveries or a more flexible, optimized workflow
that accommodates unexpected shifts in work item priorities.

In this case, implementing Scrumban as an intermediary step towards a

continuous, timebox-less method may offer an effective change management
strategy. It is worth noting that some teams and organizations may leverage
Scrumban as an experiment to explore the benefits of limiting work-in-
process, and might find that Scrumban offers a harmonious balance of
predictable cadence as well as optimized value flow, therefore deciding to
forego the transition to Kanban.

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 Teams have a variety of options with respect to transitioning from Scrum
to Scrumban. Some of these possible practices are described below. While
modifications to the Scrum framework is possible, it is also highly advisable
that this be done with caution, per the Scrum Guide. Since the four key events
of Scrum were intended to work together as a cohesive framework, excessive
or unfocused tailoring of Scrum can often lead to the degradation of overall
team effectiveness and performance.

1. Apply WIP limits to one (or more) workflow state.

2. Introduce “Definition of Ready” to complement “Definition of Done”.
3. Modify Scrum-specific events to reduce level of rigor.

Scenario 2: Kanban to Scrumban to Scrum

KANBAN SCRUMBAN SCRUM

Another popular strategy for deploying Scrumban is the reverse of the first
scenario. Some organizations may choose to deploy Kanban in lieu of Scrum
due to its simplicity of ease of implementation. However, as organizations
and teams evolve over time, there may be a need to apply a more rigorous,
more structured approach that provides more predictable product (or
service) deliveries. In this case, Scrumban may be applied as the transitional
step to introduce Scrum practices and concepts to a team that may not have
knowledge of Scrum events and terminology.

In this situation, Scrumban may be used to define specific Scrum team

roles such as the Scrum Master and the Product Owner, both of which can
require significant adjustment for teams that have not been exposed to the
Scrum framework.

With regards to augmentation of Kanban to deploy a Scrumban approach,

teams may consider the following options:

1. Apply more rigorous, cadence-based practices

(e.g. as Sprint Planning).
2. Introduce Scrum roles and responsibilities
(e.g. Product Owner and/or Scrum Master).
3. Apply coordinated estimation process to assess size of work items
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 PART 4: SCRUMBAN ANTI-PATTERNS
While Scrumban has many of the benefits of both Scrum and Kanban, there
are also potential pitfalls that teams should avoid in order to gain as much
value as possible from this strategy. Part 4 of this guide provides examples of
risks and possible issues that teams should be aware of when attempting to
apply Scrumban.

Table 2: Anti-Patterns and Mitigation Approaches

ANTI-PATTERN BEHAVIOR IMPACT ROOT CAUSE MITIGATION

STRATEGY

Uninformed Customizing the Ineffective Lack of Consult experts

method without team experience and/ and/or hire
Customization
understanding collaboration, or knowledge experienced
the impact. inconsistent of Scrum/ team members
delivery of Kanban values, to support the
value. principles and implementation.
practices.

Team Change Eagerness to Establish and

Unfocused,
continuously fatigue, low ex-periment prioritize end-
Perpetual
implements morale, with different state vision
Customization changes in the poor customer configurations and desired
method without satisfaction. overshadows outcomes.
clear objectives. the desired
outcome.

Team is unable Change Absence of Apply value

Not Inspecting
to determine the fatigue, key metrics stream mapping;
Impact of
benefit of the unclear return for measuring establish metrics
Change change that on investment. quantifiable to monitor trends
was deployed. change in team over time.
performance.

Because Scrumban is not formally defined in published literature, it provides

significant freedom to teams that wish to explore new ways of working in
order to discover what works best in their specific situation. However, with
this freedom also comes significant risks of negative outcomes that may be
characterized as anti-patterns—unproductive and suboptimal behaviors that
can lead to disastrous outcomes. Table 2 describes some of the common
11 errors that teams may encounter while attempting to implement Scrumban.
 Uninformed Customization: Teams that have not yet accrued sufficient,
direct experience with Scrum and/or Kanban may often fall into the
trap of over-customizing both methods. This can lead to ineffective and
unpredictable delivery of value to the customers. Consulting experienced
team members or experts prior to architecting a Scrumban approach will
increase the chances of success.

Unfocused, Perpetual Customization: Teams that experiment

excessively can often experience change fatigue due to lack of focus on
the desired end-state, which can lead to low morale and poor customer
sentiment. Defining what “good” looks like will reduce the likelihood of this
scenario becoming reality.

Not Inspecting the Impact of Change: Although iterating to attain an

optimal Scrumban approach is generally an effective strategy, some teams
fail to measure the impact of each incremental change, which can lead to
the second aforementioned anti-pattern (unfocused customization). By
implementing a measurement approach, such as building a process that
monitors key metrics like Lead Time or Cycle Time, the team will be able to
objectively evaluate the effects of a change and determine whether it was a
positive change.

CONCLUSION
Scrum and Kanban have risen to the top in terms of popularity due to their
simplicity and proven effectiveness. The hybrid approach, Scrumban, evolved
from the success of these approaches and provides a unique opportunity for
organizations to deploy a method that is better suited for their given context
and objectives. As with all frameworks and methods, when applied with the
appropriate mindset, Scrumban can serve as another powerful tool within
the toolbox of teams that aspire to fulfill their highest potential. If effectively
paired with empiricism, most organizations can leverage this tool to gain or
sustain a competitive edge.

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mr. Eugene Lai is a seasoned innovator in technology
and process engineering with over 25 years of
experience delivering high-impact solutions within
PMOs and Agile teams. In previous roles as Lead
Software Engineer, Chief Scrum Master, Principal
Program Manager, Technical Consultant and Agile
Coach, Mr. Lai orchestrated several SDLC and Agile
Engineering initiatives by applying a variety of
methodologies and frameworks such as Disciplined Agile, Large Scale Scrum, Scrum
at Scale, Scaled Agile Framework, Scrum and Kanban. Furthermore, by leveraging
diverse industry experience, Mr. Lai has delivered dozens of training workshops which
empowered teams to successfully deploy high-value business solutions.

As a prolific contributor to the project management and Agile community, Mr. Lai has
published over 200 whitepapers and blog articles. In addition, Mr. Lai architected
the Agile Mergers & Acquisitions Framework and co-authored the book “Agile M&A:
Proven Techniques to Close Deals Faster and Maximize Value”. Mr. Lai currently
holds several professional certifications including Certified Enterprise Agile Coach,
Certified Kanban Coach, Certified Scrum Master, SAFe Program Consultant (SPC), Agile
Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Project Management Professional (PMP) and Program
Management Professional (PgMP).

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 KANBAN WORKSHOP INDIVIDUAL
$1295.00
2 Day Session | 14 PDUs | Custom Onsite

COURSE OVERVIEW YOU WILL LEARN:

The Kanban training Workshop provides guidance • Kanban origins, evolution, and benefits
on Kanban implementation and bootstrapping a
• Kanban concepts, principles, and terminology
Kanban system in your own organization. You will
learn how Kanban is a cultural change initiative and • Visualization of Work
what that shift means, how Kanban can be applied
• Limiting Work-In-Process
to your software development workflow, and how it
differs from other development methods. • Analyzing the Flow of Work

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WORKSHOP (CSM) $795.00

2 Day Session | 16 PDUs | Custom Onsite

COURSE OVERVIEW YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO:

This two–day Certified ScrumMaster training • Embrace the role of conflict resolution
course is suitable for those practicing or looking to in Scrum
practice the art of the ScrumMaster but is highly
• Work on real-world Scrum projects
valuable for anyone involved in Scrum. Scrum is the
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• Know when software is “done” under Scrum
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