Scrumban

## What is Scrumban? Scrumban seamlessly combines the principles of Scrum and Kanban. For example, Scrum makes heavy use of sprints, standups, and retrospectives. Kanban methods include task boards, cards, and limiting the time period of work in progress. All of the above Scrum and Kanban principles are applied together to form the Scrumban methodology. As a result, Scrumban provides flexible, continuous, and most importantly, productive project work. The objectives of using Scrumban can be easily outlined as follows: - simplifying task management; - optimizing time-consuming work; - increasing transparency and predictability of some work processes; - accelerating the release of the product on the market. Let's highlight the main components of the Scrumban methodology: - Backlog: this is the name of the list of tasks arranged in a certain sequence and necessary for the project fulfillment; - Sprint: a clearly defined period of time during which tasks from the Backlog are performed; - Kanban board: a visual representation of the assigned tasks, indicating their status of completion; - WIP (Work In Progress) limit: the principle of limiting the number of tasks that can be in progress at the same time; - Continuous Improvement: continuous improvement of processes. Let's look at the individual methodologies that together created the methodology of interest. ### Scrum's role in Scrumban [Scrum]() is an agile methodology that involves teamwork among project participants on short-term goals. These goals are defined at the beginning of each sprint. A Scrum team consists of the following personas: - Scrum master; - product owner; - a list of developers, who together are responsible for achieving the project goals and working on its realization. Let's look at the main components of Scrum 1. [Product backlog](): a list of tasks and requirements that need to be accomplished to achieve the goal. 2. Sprint: a clearly defined time frame, 1-4 weeks, during which the team accomplishes the tasks in the product backlog. 3. Sprint planning: a meeting of team members to set new tasks for the next sprint. 4. Daily standup: a brief daily meeting. 5. Sprint Retrospective: a meeting after the sprint is over, a kind of work on mistakes. The main difference between Scrum and Kanban is task and work management. In a Scrum backlog, tasks are prescribed for the entire development period based on planning. In contrast, in Kanban, tasks are added as needed or new ones arise. ### How Kanban contributes to the Scrumban methodology It's worth talking about the role of [Kanban](). Kanban contributes to the Scrumban methodology by providing quick visualization of current tasks, constant control of the workflow. Kanban methodology implies the use of cards or other elements to designate tasks that go through certain phases of the workflow. Let's consider the list of components of Kanban methodology: 1. Task board: needed to visually present the status of each current task - in progress/completed/stopped. 2. Workflow limitation: setting the maximum number of tasks to be executed simultaneously to avoid overloading. 3. Task pool: list of currently unaccepted tasks. 4. Dividing tasks into stages for better control and management of the process. If Scrum provides a set of tools for planning and project management, Kanban helps to visualize processes, thus increasing the degree of transparency of work. In summary, we can conclude that Scrumban is a methodology that combines the principles of Scrum + Kanban. It combines the best elements of well-known methodologies: - Scrum structure; - a certain duration of sprints; - Kanban elements - board and cards. Scrumban also provides flexibility, rapid adaptability to changes in the project. It allows teams to: - manage projects effectively; - respond to changes in a timely manner; - improve processes continuously. The goal of Scrumban agile is to improve the project management process, increase team efficiency, and improve product quality. ## Benefits of the Scrumban methodology Scrumban is actively used today, due to which we can emphasize the advantages of the methodology. 1. Flexibility: allows formed working teams to adapt processes to each specific project. 2. Optimization of work processes: continuous improvement has a positive impact on the quality of the final product. 3. Transparency: thanks to the visualization of tasks on the Kanban board, each member of the project team can see at what stage of implementation the project is at. 4. Control of work in progress: WIP limit helps to avoid overload of tasks and focus on what is really important. 5. Quick reaction to changes: allows specialists to react quickly to changes in the project. 6. Increased productivity: optimizing workflows helps increase overall team productivity. 7. Improved oversight of deadlines: thanks to Scrum approach to planning, the team can manage project timelines more intelligently. There is also an increase in the motivation of the participants - transparent control over the work process contributes to its growth. ## Who can benefit from hybrid methodology? Working on hybrid Scrumban methodology is suitable for different project teams: those who have previously worked on Scrum/Kanban. In general, it is a good option for those who want to combine the flexibility of Scrum and the transparency of Kanban. Scrumban is the choice of managers of long-term projects with variable structure and requirements. ## Step-by-step guide: how to implement Scrumban Is the Scrumban project management methodology difficult to implement? Consider a step-by-step guide to follow before starting project activities. 1. Train team members on the basics of Scrum and Kanban. 2. Perform gradual implementation of Scrumban in practice: create a Kanban board and define WIP limit. 3. Develop the first Backlog and schedule a kickoff Sprint. 4. Hold a standup meeting to discuss progress as well as challenges encountered. 5. Continuously analyze and improve team processes. 6. Use retrospectives after each sprint. This will help discuss problems productively to find better solutions. Challenges and peculiarities of implementing the methodology periodically include: - resistance to change by team members; - the need for ongoing training and support for employees; - problems integrating Scrumban with existing processes and tools. Scrumban agile is a fairly effective methodology. To date, it has been successfully applied in various areas of project activities. Scrumban implementation requires careful analysis, understanding of the basic principles, and a consistent approach. ## Conclusion To summarize: Scrumban is an excellent choice for teams that want to combine the advantages of well-known and actively used Scrum and Kanban. The innovative hybrid methodology helps to improve workflow in the direction of productivity growth, as well as more confidently control the execution of ongoing projects.