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The Scrum Framework has become a go-to approach for agile teams worldwide, offering a structured yet flexible way to develop complex products incrementally. When paired with Kanban, Scrum becomes even more versatile, adding visual management and flow-based practices that enhance team productivity. In this post, we’ll cover the key components of Scrum, how Kanban complements it, and the pillars that support an empirical approach to continuous improvement.
Scrum Framework Overview
Scrum organizes work into distinct cycles, known as Sprints, that provide structure and clarity. Each Sprint typically lasts two to four weeks, allowing teams to deliver increments of a product in manageable, iterative steps. In Scrum, roles are clearly defined—each team includes a Scrum Master (SM), a Product Owner (PO), and Developers. Each role contributes to the Sprint’s success through collaboration and accountability.
Let’s dive into the essential elements that make up the Scrum framework, and then we’ll explore how Kanban enhances this setup.
1. Key Components of Scrum
Work Hierarchy
Scrum organizes work at different levels of granularity:
Requirements – High-level goals or themes.
User Stories – Detailed descriptions from a user’s perspective.
Tasks – Specific, actionable steps to achieve User Stories.
This hierarchy helps teams break down complex requirements into manageable pieces that can be incrementally delivered and evaluated.
Scrum Artifacts
Scrum uses artifacts to keep the team and stakeholders aligned and ensure transparency:
Product Goal (Product Backlog) – The overall vision and roadmap.
Sprint Goal (Sprint Backlog) – The objective for the current sprint.
Definition of Done (DoD) – A shared understanding of when a task is complete, ensuring quality and consistency.
Artifacts serve as a reference point for the team, helping them stay focused on delivering value and maintaining quality standards.
Scrum Values
Scrum emphasizes the following five values, which foster a productive and respectful team environment:
Commitment
Courage
Focus
Openness
Respect
These values enable the team to stay motivated, collaborate effectively, and tackle challenges together.
2. Incorporating Kanban with Scrum
Adding Kanban practices to Scrum introduces visualization and flow optimization, which help the team manage work-in-progress (WIP) and improve their efficiency. With Kanban Cadence, the team has structured meetings to keep work flowing smoothly:
Strategy Review
Operations Review
Risk Review
Service Delivery Review
Daily Standup
Replenishment Meeting
Delivery Planning
These sessions provide regular touchpoints for assessing progress, identifying risks, and ensuring the team is aligned. The Kanban Board serves as a real-time visualization of tasks, showing each item’s status (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done) and enabling the team to identify and resolve bottlenecks.
3. Scrum Events and Timeframes
In Scrum, time management is crucial to maintain a regular delivery pace and ensure continuous improvement. Here’s an overview of key events:
Sprint Planning – Sets the Sprint Goal and defines the tasks to be completed (up to 8 hours).
Daily Scrum (Standup) – A 15-minute daily check-in to align progress and address blockers.
Sprint Review – A 4-hour meeting to demonstrate the Sprint’s work to stakeholders and gather feedback.
Retrospective – A 3-hour session for the team to reflect on the Sprint and discuss improvements.
Each event reinforces the Scrum principles and allows the team to adapt based on real-time insights
4. Basic Metrics to Track
Scrum with Kanban introduces metrics to help teams measure progress and make informed adjustments. Key metrics include:
Throughput – Number of items completed in a period.
Cycle Time – Time taken to complete a task.
Work in Progress (WIP) – Tasks actively being worked on.
Work Item Age (WIA) – Age of each task in progress.
These metrics provide actionable insights, helping the team understand and optimize their workflow for continuous delivery.
5. The Three Pillars of Scrum: Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation
Scrum’s core is based on empiricism—a methodology where knowledge is derived from experience and data. The three pillars of Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation support this empirical approach by providing a framework for continuous learning and improvement.
Transparency
Transparency is essential in Scrum to ensure everyone has a shared understanding of the work and goals. This is achieved through:
Visible Kanban Boards – Making each task’s status accessible to the team.
Definition of Done – Clear criteria for when a task is complete, ensuring consistency.
Daily Standups – Quick meetings to update on progress, maintaining visibility.
Example: Suppose the team is working on a secure payment feature. The Kanban board displays tasks like design, development, testing, and integration, showing stakeholders the progress in real-time.
Inspection
Inspection allows the team to check progress regularly and identify any deviations from the plan. Key inspection events include:
Daily Standup – The team reviews daily progress and addresses blockers.
Sprint Review – Stakeholders inspect the Sprint’s output and provide feedback.
Retrospective – The team reflects on the Sprint to find areas for improvement.
Example: If testing is taking longer than expected, the team may inspect this delay in the retrospective, decide to streamline testing, and introduce automation.
Adaptation
Adaptation is the process of making adjustments based on inspection findings. Scrum’s adaptability ensures teams can respond to feedback and changes in real time.
Updating Kanban Board – Adjusting tasks or reassigning resources when issues arise.
Revisiting Sprint Goals – Adapting the Sprint’s focus based on real-time needs.
Implementing Retrospective Actions – Continuously refining processes based on team insights.
Example: During the Sprint Review, feedback reveals that the payment interface needs improvements. The team adapts by prioritizing UI changes in the next sprint, ensuring the product evolves to meet user needs.
6. Bringing It All Together: The Empirical Cycle in Scrum with Kanban
Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation form a continuous cycle that supports the empirical approach:
Transparency provides a clear view of work and goals, making the entire process visible to everyone involved.
Inspection allows the team to assess progress, identify issues, and evaluate alignment with the Sprint Goal.
Adaptation ensures the team can respond to change and make improvements based on inspection results.
This empirical cycle keeps the team aligned, responsive, and continuously improving. By focusing on incremental progress, real-time feedback, and iterative development, Scrum with Kanban becomes a powerful approach to agile project management.
Summary
Scrum with Kanban combines the structured, goal-oriented nature of Scrum with Kanban’s visual and flow-focused practices. By maintaining transparency, conducting regular inspections, and adapting based on real-world insights, teams can navigate complex projects with agility and precision. The pillars of Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation, grounded in empiricism, empower the team to deliver high-quality increments while continuously evolving their approach to meet changing needs.
By understanding and applying these principles, Scrum teams can achieve a high level of productivity, quality, and flexibility, ultimately leading to a product that satisfies stakeholders and end-users alike. Scrum with Kanban is more than a framework—it’s a mindset that drives continuous improvement and responsiveness in a fast-paced development environment.
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