Let Me Tell You a Secret: Scrumban Doesn't Exist!
Yet, it doesn't mean that you can't use Scrum with Kanban - check how!
Let Me Tell You a Secret: Scrumban Doesn't Exist!
It doesn't mean that you can't use Scrum with Kanban. Yet each time you do it, it will always be different. When you say "I'm doing Scrumban," it means you simply mix the two in a way that best works for a given team. Which means one Scrumban is never equal to another.
In 2008, Corey Ladas published a book titled "Scrumban: Essays on Kanban Systems for Lean Software Development." The era of Scrumban began. Ladas was working to create a transition method for teams moving from Scrum to Kanban, blending elements of both approaches. His work popularized the concept of Scrumban as a hybrid approach that combines the structure and iterative nature of Scrum with the flow-based, visual process management of Kanban.
Yet, it was in 2008—much has changed since. We have new iterations of Scrum and also new Kanban guides have emerged. So, what do we do now?
Today, learn how to:
Move beyond the false dichotomy of "Scrum vs. Kanban"
Apply Kanban visualization and WIP limits to improve your Scrum
Maintain valuable Scrum events while enhancing flow efficiency
Create a custom approach that works for your specific team needs
Combining Scrum with Kanban: Finding the Right Balance
I remember when I first encountered Kanban while working as a Scrum Master. Like many, I initially viewed it as a competing framework—a choice between one or the other. "Should we do Scrum or Kanban?" was the question teams often asked. But years of experience have taught me that this is the wrong question entirely.
Beyond the False Dichotomy
Kanban isn't the opposite of Scrum; it's a complementary approach that focuses on different aspects of workflow management. I once thought that adopting Kanban meant abandoning Scrum events and roles. I got asked a lot - what's the role of Scrum Master in Kanban?
But I've found that the most effective teams often blend elements from both, creating a system that leverages the strengths of each approach.
Think about it like cooking: Scrum is your recipe with defined ingredients and steps, while Kanban is your kitchen management system. You can follow a recipe (Scrum) while also organizing your kitchen flow (Kanban) to improve efficiency. They solve different problems.
Understanding Professional Kanban
The 2021 Kanban Guide from Scrum.org represents a mature understanding of how Kanban principles apply to knowledge work. It outlines these core elements:
Definition of Kanban: A strategy for optimizing the flow of value through the system
The Theory: Based on empiricism and lean and systems thinking
The Practices: defining and visualizing a workflow; actively managing items in a workflow, improving a workflow
What struck me immediately was how closely aligned these principles are with Scrum's empirical approach. Both frameworks value transparency, inspection, and adaptation—they just approach these values from different angles.
Where Scrum and Kanban Meet
When I coach teams transitioning between frameworks, I often point to these natural integration points:
Visualization: The Scrum board is already a visual management tool. Enhancing it with Kanban-style workflow states provides greater transparency into the actual work process.
WIP Limits: I once worked with a Scrum team that consistently failed to complete Sprint commitments. When we applied WIP limits to their development columns, something interesting happened—their throughput increased, and quality improved. The team was no longer context-switching between too many stories.
Flow Metrics: While velocity measures output in Scrum, flow metrics like cycle time and throughput measure the system's efficiency, efficacy and predictability. I've seen teams maintain Sprint cadences while also tracking how quickly items move through their system.
When Does This Combination Work Best?
In my opinion, this mixed approach works best. Full Stop. Scrum creates a cadence and clear opportunities for a feedback loop (Scrum events), and Kanban makes your policies visible and it helps get your flow optimized. So, thanks to Scrum, you create a habit and delivery rhythm, and Kanban enables you to get more efficient, remove waste, and install some good practices for enhanced predictability.
Practical Steps to Combine Scrum with Kanban
If you're considering this approach, here are some practical first steps (find a step-by step guide here):
Start with visualization: Enhance your Scrum board to show the actual workflow states and any policies you have
Introduce WIP limits to prevent bottlenecks
Actively manage work in progress: this one was the biggest breakthrough for me - make sure you manage the work and not people and ensure what gets started, gets finished, aka "stop starting, start finishing." - read my Walk the Board post for a reference
Maintain core Scrum events while incorporating Kanban-style service level expectations. Many teams struggle when they switch from Scrum to Kanban as they suddenly lose all the meetings and work seems unorganized.
Measure both velocity and flow metrics to gain a complete picture and get metrics to decide if both are needed.
Make your team's working agreements explicit as policies on your board - do it collaboratively and invite the whole team to decide on the first steps to implement Kanban.
For a step-by-step guide of how to implement Scrum with Kanban: https://mariachec.substack.com/p/scrum-with-kanban-step-by-step-guide
Beyond Scrumban
I've noticed that discussions about combining Scrum and Kanban often get labeled as "Scrumban," but in my experience, this term can be limiting. What we're really talking about is applying Scrum's empirical process control within a Kanban system.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, it's not about which is better. It's about which combination of practices helps your team deliver value more effectively. I've moved beyond seeing these as competing approaches and instead view them as complementary tools in the Agile toolkit.
Remember that Agile is about adapting to your context. Don't get caught up in methodological purity—focus on what works for your team, in your situation, with your constraints.
Have you tried combining elements of Scrum and Kanban? What worked for you, and what challenges did you face? The journey of improvement is ongoing, and I'm still learning new ways to help teams optimize their workflows every day.