What is Scrumban?

Scrumban is a hybrid approach to project and product management, combining the structure of scrum with the visualization of kanban. For teams looking to refine their workflow and improve the way they manage and visualize work, scrumban offers a middle ground that blends the best of both worlds.

How did scrumban emerge?

Agile teams are always looking for ways to improve how they work. As they experiment with different frameworks, they sometimes borrow successful elements from other methodologies, creating hybrid approaches. One such evolution is scrumban—a combination of scrum and kanban.

This approach combines scrum, which is a framework, and kanban, which focuses on continuous flow. It doesn't have a strict rulebook. Instead, teams use scrumban to tailor processes that work best for them, blending the predictability of scrum with the adaptability of kanban.

Scrumban defined

The term "scrumban" was first coined in 2008 by Cory Ladas as a transitional method for teams moving from scrum to kanban. Over time, however, many teams found that this hybrid approach was effective in its own right, leading to the rise of scrumban as a distinct methodology.

Why the shift? Some teams felt constrained by scrum's structured accountabilities and events, while others found kanban's continuous workflow lacked strategic planning touchpoints. Scrumban emerged as a flexible alternative that allows teams to blend scrum's iterative approach with kanban's visual and flow-based techniques.

Key features of scrumban

Because scrumban is not a rigid framework, different teams implement it in different ways. However, there are a few common elements that many teams adopt:

Workboard and WIP limits

One of the most recognizable features of scrumban is the use of a workboard—often adapted from kanban—to visualize tasks. This board tracks work in progress (WIP) and establishes WIP limits, preventing team members from being overloaded and ensuring a steady workflow.

Teams may enforce WIP limits in various ways:

• Setting a maximum number of tasks in each workflow stage.
• Assigning limits based on team size.
• Using visual indicators like column sizes or story points to limit work volume.

Fixed-length sprints (or not!)

Unlike kanban, which follows a continuous flow model, scrumban usually incorporates the fixed-length sprints from scrum. These sprints—typically two to four weeks long—help teams focus on delivering value incrementally. Some scrumban teams also adopt scrum events such as sprint planning, daily scrums, sprint reviews, and retrospectives to enhance transparency and continuous improvement.

However, not every scrumban team sticks to rigid sprint cycles. Some prefer a more fluid approach, pulling work as needed while still leveraging periodic planning and review sessions.

Team roles and accountabilities

Scrum defines clear accountabilities—scrum master, product owner, and developers. Scrumban, however, often eliminates or relaxes these distinctions. Some teams continue to use these roles, while others distribute responsibilities more evenly across the team.

The benefits of scrumban

Scrumban is appealing because it offers a balance between structure and adaptability. Here's why many teams find it effective:

Flexibility

With scrumban, teams can visualize their work, adjust priorities mid-sprint, and incorporate feedback seamlessly. This agility is particularly useful in fast-changing environments where business needs evolve rapidly.

Transparency

Transparency is one of the three foundational pillars of scrum (along with inspection and adaptation), and a workboard strengthens it further. By making tasks and bottlenecks visible, teams can proactively address issues and collaborate more effectively.

Built-in opportunities for improvement

Both scrum and kanban emphasize continuous improvement. However, in kanban, it can be challenging to establish structured moments for reflection. By integrating retrospectives from scrum, scrumban ensures that teams regularly pause to evaluate and enhance their workflow.

Reduced bottlenecks

By capping WIP and making all tasks visible, scrumban helps teams avoid workflow congestion. Limiting multitasking also improves efficiency, ensuring that work moves steadily toward completion.

A note about these scrumban benefits. By its very nature, the scrum framework enables:

• Flexibility to pivot as conditions change
• Transparency into the value being delivered
• Multiple ways to improve team collaboration
• Team self-organization and planning to support focus on the work of the sprint goal

If your team has been struggling with scrum, check out Scrum Essentials or the Certified ScrumMaster course. These programs offer an approachable entry point to the framework, giving you the tools to improve your team's scrum implementation.

How to transition to scrumban

From scrum to scrumban

If you're currently using scrum and want to experiment with scrumban, start by introducing a kanban board and implementing WIP limits. This alone can provide valuable insights into your workflow and highlight areas for improvement.

You may also find that scrum accountabilities become less necessary over time in scrumban. Some teams eventually shift to a more flexible role structure, while others maintain traditional accountabilities.

For teams looking for even greater flexibility, consider adopting a "pull system" rather than pushing work into sprints. This allows team members to pull high-priority tasks as they become available, rather than selecting a backlog at the beginning of each sprint.

From kanban to scrumban

If you're currently using kanban and want to incorporate scrum elements, start by implementing sprints and other scrum events. Planning sessions can help structure work into meaningful increments, making it easier to track progress and adapt to changing priorities.

Scrum's emphasis on collaboration and iteration can also enhance a kanban team's ability to reflect and improve. Regular retrospectives provide dedicated time to assess processes and optimize the team's workflow.

Choose what works for your team

Ultimately, scrumban is not about following a strict set of rules—it's about finding the right balance for your team. Whether you lean more towards scrum or kanban, the key is to implement practices that enhance collaboration, transparency, and efficiency.

If a particular scrumban feature isn't serving your team, feel free to adjust or discard it. Agile is all about adaptability, and the best framework is the one that helps your team deliver value while working in a sustainable and enjoyable way.

By blending structure with flexibility, scrumban provides a practical approach for teams that want to optimize their workflow without being confined to a single framework. If you're curious about how scrumban could work for your team, start small, experiment, and evolve your approach based on what delivers the best results.

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