Scrumban Guide for Aspiring Agile Project Managers
I think hybrid project management is one of the most revolutionary concepts popularized in the 21st century. Scrumban is one of them. It’s like they took two great concepts and combined them to achieve perfection.
Scrumban is the Tesla of project management methodologies. There’s a couple of reasons for that: Firstly, it is the next big thing. And secondly, it an extremely intelligent product.
It was developed by Corey Ladas to make the best use of both Scrum and Kanban to achieve better results.
Let’s dive into the write-up and get to know what is Scrumban methodology .
Bringing the Best of Both Worlds Through Scrumban!
Precisely, that is what Scrumban is – the best of both worlds!
Let’s look at it mathematically:
Scrum + Kanban = SCRUMBAN
Seems pretty straightforward, right? Well, if you know about Scrum and Kanban then yes, it is really simple.
But if you don’t, it’s still easy to understand because we are going to tell you what Scrum and Kanban really are:
It’s a popular Agile framework used to improve production. Scrum uses sprints (iterations) to complete the work in a better, more efficient way.
In other words, it divides a project into smaller parts (sprints). The benefit of this breakdown is that you can focus on individual tasks better.
You can also get feedback on a completed sprint or review it yourself before moving on with the project. This decreases the tendency of mistakes and improves project quality.
The process is repeated until you reach near-perfection in delivering a project or a product.
However, it has its limitations. Listed below are the major issues with Scrum:
Looking for scrum tools? Check it out:
The Best Scrum Tools of 2022 for Agile Project Management
The ‘ban’ part of Scrumban is another popular methodology used to manage projects. Like Scrum, Kanban is also based on Agile .
The Agile methodology has given birth to several methodologies. Lean, extreme programming, Scrum, Kanban, etc. the list goes on.
The primary difference between Kanban and Scrum is that the former is more visual.
In fact, many describe Kanban as a visual-first project management methodology used widely in the business world.
Kanban uses boards or cards to show the entire workflow of the project right in front of every team member to view and/or edit.
It usually has three columns:
Every stakeholder can view the progress of the project. Kanban method is a great help to project managers in monitoring and controlling the project activities .
Yet, Kanban comes up short in some areas.
Scrum + Kanban = SCRUMBAN
Now you can finally understand what is Scrumban methodology.
In a nutshell, Scrumban is a project management framework/methodology that works on combines the structure of Scrum with the visualization and flexibility of Kanban to provide amazing results.
Here’s how Scrumban takes the good parts of both Scrum and Kanban and turn them into something fantastic:
Scrumban takes the most vital element of Scrum i.e. breaking down the project into smaller cycles.
In Scrumban the word sprints are replaced by iterations .
Plus, it includes a planning meeting to list down possible items that have to be worked upon as the project progresses. You keep tackling these items till there’s none left.
Similarly, Scrumban adopts the best part of Kanban – the visualization.
The workflow approach used by Kanban helps Scrumban to keep up with each task’s progress.
However, in Scrumban, the boards are called Scrumban boards instead of Kanban boards. But the boards function almost the same way.
Moreover, Scrumban also limits the work you have in a task. This doesn’t push the team to do too much at once.
The use of diagrams, charts, and statistical figures to measure project progress is highly advantageous for Scrumban.
Lastly, just as in Kanban, the users of Scrumban can view the progress of tasks in real-time.
The resulting framework is nothing short of awesome.
The Hybrid approach lets you improve the work process consistently and get improved results every time.
Scrumban focuses on simplification, standardization, and specialization. To unleash its full potential, a company needs to hire professionals who specialize in their field and will complete tasks in a better way.
Next, Scrumban will simplify the workflow processes and help the firm to standardize its infrastructure.
Best Tips for Scrumban Beginners
It is about time to give you what you really came here for; a comprehensive guide on Scrumban.
We have rounded up some tips for you to make your Scrumban experience better:
The Benefits of Using Scrumban
Scrumban Methodology was created for the sole purpose of harnessing the power of both Scrum and Kanban. It would be unfair not to mention its benefits here:
There might be a few challenges too:
Implement Scrumban the Right Way
Lastly, we won’t just leave you hanging.
There’s no shadow of a doubt that Scrumban is much easier than Scrum, Kanban, or any other Agile method. Yet, you need to do it the right way to utilize it properly.
Here are a few pointers for you:
Additionally, Scrumban works best when:
What Else Do You Need to Know about Scrumban?
Scrumban is the future. And you know what happens to firms that do not adopt the latest tech. Take Nokia for example – A market leader once, it’s a rare thing for someone to own a Nokia phone nowadays.
Don’t waste time looking for the best PM methodologies. Equip yourself and your company with this methodology to manage projects in the best possible way.
