If you ever got a chance to be a part of the project management team, you must have encountered methodologies like Scrum and Kanban. Scrum is a part of the agile umbrella, and Kanban is from the Lean philosophy.
These are some of the most popular and used approaches in project management. However, there is another innovative methodology that is a combination of Scrum and Kanban, i.e., Srcumban. It is a hybrid methodology that offers the goodness of two in one.
Experts call it a great fit for continuous and fast-paced projects that suffer due to the limitations of Scrum and Kanban. The best part is that it is a flexible methodology that can be used in long-term and short-term projects. So, let us today understand the nuances of this innovative methodology and see how it can help enterprises scale up their operations.
Scrum and Kanban
Before we start with the why what, and how of Scrumban, let us first understand what Scrum and Kanban methodologies are. So, Scrum is an iterative and simple Agile methodology that breaks down a complex project into manageable and smaller tasks. It offers the concept of sprints. They are pre-defined periods where teams solely focus on the task at hand. It also allows teams to choose sprints for 1 to 4 weeks.
In a nutshell, Scrum works on the concept of perception and observation. Over 70% of enterprises use Scrum to streamline their project management systems. On the other hand, Kanban operates on workflow continuity and visualization. It is also known for its compatibility and simplicity. Scrum believes in revamping the existing systems. But Kanban focuses on boosting its efficiency.
Moreover, a Kanban setup comes with an advanced Kanban board. It has at least three basic columns “Ready to Start,” “Under Review,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.” All these columns display the progress of the project. This multi-functional board makes it easy for the team members to update and view the tasks quickly.
What is Scrumban?
Scrumban combines the predictability and structures of both methodologies – Scrum and Kanban to ensure a continuous workflow. It can help project management teams benefit from Scrum’s dynamic nature and enjoy the flexibility of Kanban.
So, the crux is that Scrumban is an innovative project management framework. It amalgamates the best features of the top two agile methodologies. It aims to make the project management teams more efficient, agile, and productive. This approach can help enterprises focus on the right strategic tasks and improve their processes significantly.
Why should Enterprises use Scrumban?
- Enjoy the Best – This advanced methodology allows you to enjoy the best features of the Scrum method by eradicating its shortcomings. It helps the teams analyze data and develop the most feasible strategies. However, engineers should also be aware of the top 7 types of data security technology to protect customer and enterprise data to make the most of it.
- Don’t Limit WIP – The best part about using the Scrumban methodology is that it doesn’t limit the work in progress for each stage. Moreover, it seamlessly resolves team management issues and makes teeming natural. It is a process of coming together and completing a task efficiently and quickly.
- Maintains a continuous workflow – Companies prefer to go for Scrumban as it facilitates maintaining a constant workflow. In other words, once a project is pushed into the process, the rest of the work will be completed with the help of a pull approach. Lastly, do you know that applied observability is the new enterprise IT monitoring trend? You can use it to maintain the health of your data systems. It will directly benefit the project management teams in various ways.
- The clarity in Work – Another advantage of using Scrumban is that it displays the complete list of sub-tasks teams need to undertake. The stories pass through various planned stages. Moreover, they also have clarity about which team is working on which project.
- Creative Approach – Project management professionals appreciate Scrumban as it eradicates monotonous retrospectives. It allows the members to voice their concerns and discuss impediments.
- Continuous Improvement – Another benefit of going for Scrumban is its focus on constant improvement. Companies that incorporate Scrumban saw a 41% increase in their productivity. It allows the teams to brainstorm the issues and resolve them as soon as possible.
- Enables Visualization – Scrumban allows the teams to visualize all the steps in your workflow. This process helps eliminate unnecessary steps and identify areas for improvement.
- Optimal Utilization of Resources – In Scrumban, there are different build-ups for iterations, production issues, and product releases. It ensures that the project teams remain focused and productive by utilizing all the available resources.
- Utilizes the Pull System – Scrumban uses the pull system to correct uploaded projects’ technical errors. It strengthens and accelerates the team-building process.
- Allows Retrospective Meetings – Scrumban enables the project teams to set up review meetings as and when needed. The result is process improvements, the development of cross-functional teams, and a reduction in ideal time.
How does Scrumban Work?
Are you planning to develop a Scrumban framework for your project team? If yes, here is a step-by-step guide for your reference.
- Develop a Scrumban Board – It will act as your central workflow tool. However, avoid adding too many columns in it to avoid confusion later on.
- Determine your WIP Limits – The second step needs you to set your limits. Ensure you keep an attainable limit to prevent your teams from becoming frustrated and overwhelmed.
- Set Team’s Priorities on Scrumban Board – Scrumban allows you to establish the priority order of all the projects listed on the board. The project teams will decide who will handle which tasks.
- Prioritize Projects – With Scrumban, work is continuous and has no time constraints. Teams can prioritize the most urgent projects and complete them as per available resources and deadlines.
- Set Daily Meetings – Scrumban allows teams to conduct short stand-up meetings to strategize their next moves and combat present challenges.
Bottomline
So, this is all about Scrumban methodology. It has originated to identify the best solutions to boost output and reduce waste. It portrays projects in a new way, making them more attainable and approachable.