Scrumban for Product Managers

9 min readJul 19, 2024

Scrumban is a hybrid project management framework that combines elements of Scrum and Kanban. Designed to offer the best of both worlds, Scrumban helps teams to manage their workflow in a flexible yet structured way. It is particularly beneficial for teams that require a balance between predictability and adaptability in their project management approach.

How Does Scrumban Combine Scrum and Kanban?

Scrumban leverages the strengths of Scrum and Kanban, creating a versatile and dynamic framework that can adapt to various project needs and team dynamics. By understanding the core principles and practices of both methodologies, teams can implement Scrumban effectively.

Scrum

Scrum is an Agile framework focused on delivering value through iterative progress. It involves fixed-length iterations called sprints, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives. Scrum emphasizes roles such as the Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team, each with specific responsibilities to ensure smooth project delivery.

Kanban

Kanban is a visual workflow management method that emphasizes continuous delivery without overburdening the team. It uses a Kanban board to visualize work, limit work-in-progress (WIP), and maximize efficiency. Kanban is more flexible than Scrum, allowing teams to adapt quickly to changing priorities.

Scrumban

Scrumban merges the structured approach of Scrum with the flexibility of Kanban. It incorporates the sprint planning and review process from Scrum while utilizing the visual management and continuous delivery principles of Kanban. This combination helps teams manage their workload more effectively while remaining adaptable to changes.

The Basics of Scrum

Scrum is structured around roles, events, and artifacts:

Roles

Scrum Master: Facilitates the Scrum process, ensures adherence to Scrum practices, and removes obstacles. The Scrum Master acts as a coach and mentor, guiding the team through the principles of Agile and Scrum.
Product Owner: Defines the product backlog, sets priorities, and ensures the team delivers value. The Product Owner represents the stakeholders and customers, making critical decisions about what features and tasks the team should focus on.
Development Team: Executes the work and delivers increments of the product. The Development Team is self-organizing and cross-functional, meaning they have all the skills necessary to deliver the product increment.

Events

Sprint: A time-boxed period (usually 2–4 weeks) where a potentially shippable product increment is created. Sprints provide a regular, consistent cadence for the team to work within, allowing for predictable delivery and regular feedback loops.
Sprint Planning: Defines the work to be performed during the sprint. During Sprint Planning, the team collaborates to understand the work needed to achieve the sprint goal and selects the items from the product backlog that will be worked on.
Daily Scrum: A short daily meeting to synchronize activities and plan for the next 24 hours. Also known as the daily stand-up, this meeting helps the team stay aligned and identify any impediments that need to be addressed.
Sprint Review: Reviews the product increment and gathers feedback. The Sprint Review is an opportunity for the team to showcase their work to stakeholders and receive valuable feedback that can guide future development.
Sprint Retrospective: Reflects on the past sprint and identifies improvements. The Retrospective is a dedicated time for the team to discuss what went well, what didn’t, and how they can improve their processes and collaboration.

Artifacts

Product Backlog: An ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product. The Product Backlog is dynamic, constantly evolving as new requirements emerge and priorities change.
Sprint Backlog: A list of tasks to be completed during the sprint. The Sprint Backlog is a subset of the Product Backlog, selected during Sprint Planning, and provides a clear focus for the team during the sprint.
Increment: The sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and all previous Sprints. The Increment must be in a usable state regardless of whether the Product Owner decides to release it.

The Basics of Kanban

Kanban focuses on visualizing work, limiting work-in-progress, and enhancing flow:

Kanban Board: A visual tool that shows the workflow. It is typically divided into columns that represent different stages of the work process. The board helps the team see the status of work items at a glance and identify any bottlenecks.
Cards: Represent tasks or work items that move across the board from start to finish. Each card contains information about the task, such as its description, assignee, and due date.
Work-In-Progress (WIP) Limits: Set limits on the number of tasks in progress at each stage to ensure a smooth flow of work. WIP limits help prevent the team from taking on too much work at once, which can lead to inefficiencies and delays.
Continuous Delivery: Unlike Scrum, which uses fixed sprints, Kanban promotes a continuous flow of delivery. Work items are pulled into the workflow as soon as there is capacity, enabling more responsive and adaptive processes.

The Basics of Scrumban

Scrumban takes the structured sprint cycles of Scrum and integrates the visual workflow and flexibility of Kanban. Here are the key elements:

Board: A hybrid board that incorporates features of both Scrum and Kanban. The board includes columns for different stages of work, such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Review,” and “Done,” as well as any additional columns that reflect the team’s specific workflow.
WIP Limits: Implemented to manage the flow of work and prevent bottlenecks. By setting WIP limits, the team ensures that they are not overloaded and can maintain a steady, manageable pace of work.
Daily Meetings: Like Scrum’s daily stand-ups, but more flexible in terms of format and timing. These meetings provide an opportunity for the team to discuss progress, identify obstacles, and plan the day’s work.
Backlog Prioritization: Continuous prioritization like in Kanban, allowing for more dynamic adjustments. The Product Owner or team leader can reorder the backlog based on changing priorities and new information, ensuring that the most important tasks are always addressed first.

How Does Scrumban Work? (A Step-by-Step Guide with an Example)

Step 1: Develop a Scrumban Board

Start by setting up a visual board that includes columns for different stages of your workflow. For example, you might have columns like “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Review,” and “Done.” This board serves as the central tool for managing and visualizing work.

Step 2: Set Your Work-in-Progress Limits

Determine the maximum number of tasks that can be in each column at any given time. This helps to prevent overloading the team and ensures a steady flow of work. For example, you might set a limit of three tasks in the “In Progress” column to avoid multitasking and ensure focus.

Step 3: Order the Team’s Priorities on the Board

Prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency. This helps the team focus on the most critical tasks first. The Product Owner or team leader should regularly review and update the priorities to reflect the latest information and needs.

Step 4: Throw Out Your Planning-Poker Cards

Instead of using complex estimation techniques like planning poker, use simpler methods for estimating tasks. This saves time and focuses more on actual work. For example, you might use a t-shirt sizing approach (small, medium, large) or simply categorize tasks as high, medium, or low effort.

Step 5: Set Your Daily Meetings

Hold regular daily meetings to discuss progress, identify obstacles, and plan the day’s work. These meetings should be short and focused. The goal is to keep the team aligned and address any issues that might hinder progress.

Example

Imagine a software development team working on a new feature for their application. They set up a Scrumban board with columns for “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Review,” and “Done.” They set WIP limits of three tasks for “In Progress” and two for “Review.”

The Product Owner prioritizes the tasks in the “To Do” column based on customer feedback and business goals. The team uses a simple estimation method to categorize tasks by effort. Each day, they hold a brief meeting to discuss progress, address any blockers, and plan the day’s work.

As tasks move through the workflow, the team can see at a glance where any bottlenecks are occurring and adjust their approach accordingly. This flexible yet structured method allows them to deliver value continuously while remaining adaptable to changes.

When Should a Team Use Scrumban?

Scrumban is ideal for teams that:

Need more flexibility than Scrum offers. If your team finds the fixed sprint cycles of Scrum too restrictive, Scrumban allows for a more fluid approach to managing work.
Want to improve their workflow management. By visualizing work and limiting WIP, Scrumban helps teams identify and address inefficiencies in their processes.
Require continuous delivery rather than fixed sprints. If your project demands frequent updates and quick responses to change, Scrumban supports continuous delivery and rapid iteration.
Are transitioning from Scrum to Kanban or vice versa. Scrumban can serve as a stepping stone for teams moving from one methodology to another, providing a balance of structure and flexibility.

What Are the Cons of Scrumban?

Lack of Structure: Teams used to the rigid structure of Scrum may find Scrumban too flexible. Without the regular cadence of sprints, it can be challenging to maintain discipline and ensure consistent progress.
Overlapping Roles: Combining Scrum and Kanban can sometimes lead to confusion over roles and responsibilities. It is essential to clearly define roles and ensure everyone understands their responsibilities within the hybrid framework.
Learning Curve: Teams may require time to adapt to the new framework and tools. Implementing Scrumban effectively requires a deep understanding of both Scrum and Kanban principles, which can take time to develop.

Any Alternative to Scrumban?

Scrum: For teams needing a structured approach with fixed sprints. Scrum provides a clear framework for iterative development and regular feedback, making it ideal for projects with well-defined requirements and timelines.
Kanban: For teams focusing on continuous delivery and flexibility. Kanban’s emphasis on visualizing work and limiting WIP makes it suitable for environments where priorities frequently change, and tasks need to be completed quickly.
Lean: For teams looking to minimize waste and maximize value delivery. Lean principles focus on delivering value to the customer while eliminating waste, making it a good fit for teams seeking to optimize their processes and improve efficiency.
Agile Hybrid Models: Combining elements from various Agile methodologies to suit specific team needs. Teams can create their own hybrid approach, blending practices from Scrum, Kanban, Lean, and other Agile frameworks to create a customized process that meets their unique requirements.

Final thoughts!

By understanding and implementing Scrumban, product managers can achieve a balanced workflow that leverages the strengths of both Scrum and Kanban, leading to more efficient and adaptable project management. Scrumban offers the flexibility to adapt to changing priorities while maintaining a structured approach to ensure consistent delivery of value.

For teams looking to improve their workflow management, enhance collaboration, and deliver continuous value, Scrumban provides a versatile and effective framework. By following the step-by-step guide and understanding the key principles, product managers can successfully implement Scrumban and drive their projects to success.

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