Are you feeling like your Scrum process is missing something? Maybe you’ve got all the ceremonies and roles in place, but your team still struggles to get work moving efficiently. You’re not alone. It’s a common frustration when the work keeps piling up but never seems to reach “Done.” I’ve been there myself, coaching teams who swore by Scrum but kept finding themselves with bottlenecks that held them back.
In the fast-paced world of product development, even well-functioning Scrum teams can hit roadblocks. Whether it’s bottlenecks, dependencies, or simply trying to visualize where work is stuck, sometimes the framework alone isn’t enough.
Enter Scrumban — the hybrid approach that keeps all the great things about Scrum but adds Kanban’s superpower: managing flow.
What is Scrumban?
Scrumban is an evolution of Scrum that integrates Kanban principles. Think of it as Scrum with a dash of flow-based management. You still have your Sprints, Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Scrum events. But your Sprint Backlog is transformed into a visual flow of work, broken down into phases.
Here’s what a typical Scrumban board looks like:
- Not Started
- Analysis (Breaking down work items, refining requirements)
- Design (Creating specifications, UI/UX design, architecture planning)
- Build (Coding, implementing solutions)
- Test (Validating functionality, integration testing)
- Ready for PO (Waiting for Product Owner review)
- Done (Completed and accepted items)
This structure gives you a clear view of where work is piling up, where it’s flowing smoothly, and where it’s getting stuck.
Why Use Scrumban?
The beauty of Scrumban is that it addresses some of the most common pain points that Scrum teams face:
- Visualizing Flow: You can actually see where work is getting clogged and take action before it derails the Sprint.
- Managing Bottlenecks: With Work-In-Progress (WIP) limits, your team can focus on getting work items completed instead of just started.
- Improving Collaboration: It encourages swarming and better coordination when dependencies arise.
Setting Up Your Scrumban Board
Start with your existing Scrum board and enhance it by breaking the “In Progress” column into phases like Analysis, Design, Build, Test, Ready for PO, and Done. Then, assign WIP limits to each phase. Here’s a simple example:
- Analysis: 2 items max
- Design: 2 items max
- Build: 3 items max
- Test: 2 items max
- Ready for PO: 1 item max
Adjust these limits based on your team’s capacity and skill distribution. And remember, these limits are not set in stone. Adjust them based on Retrospective feedback and workflow observations.
Making Scrumban Work: Metrics to Track
To make the most of Scrumban, you’ll want to monitor:
- Cumulative Flow Diagrams (CFD): Visualize the progress of work items through different stages.
- Lead Time: The total time from when a PBI is first identified until it’s completed.
- Cycle Time: How long an item spends in each phase of the process.
- Throughput: The number of items completed per Sprint.
- WIP Aging: Tracking how long items remain in each phase.
Real-Life Example: Testing Bottlenecks
I once worked with a team building a new mobile app. They were consistently falling short of their Sprint Goals. When they implemented a Scrumban board, they quickly noticed a pattern: items were piling up in the Test phase.
By analyzing their CFD, they discovered that testers were overwhelmed, while developers were free to pick up new items. The team decided to swarm on testing, rebalancing their WIP limits, and even cross-training developers to assist with test automation.
The result? Faster flow, higher quality, and a much happier team.
Implementing Scrumban with Your Team
Want to get started? Here’s a step-by-step approach:
- Explain the Concept: Walk your team through the Scrumban board structure.
- Set Initial WIP Limits: Establish sensible limits based on your team’s capacity.
- Visualize Your Workflow: Create a board on Miro, Jira, or your preferred tool.
- Track Metrics: Start with CFD, Lead Time, and Cycle Time.
- Review & Improve: Use Sprint Retrospectives to refine your process.
Ready to Take Your Scrum Process to the Next Level?
I’ve seen Scrumban transform teams from stuck to soaring. And the best part? You don’t have to throw out your existing Scrum process to make it work. You’re simply enhancing it.
Would you like me to help you build your own Scrumban board and take your team’s productivity to the next level? Schedule some time with me to learn how I can help.