Moving from Scrum to Kanban is a natural evolution for teams seeking flexibility and continuous delivery. It’s much like bowling: Scrum is akin to playing with the guard rails up. The structure of time-boxed sprints ensures that work stays on track, providing a safety net for teams still mastering the principles of agile. Kanban, however, is like bowling with the guard rails removed. It offers freedom to focus on continuous flow and efficiency, but it also demands greater discipline and self-management from the team.
5 things to consider for a smooth transition from Scrum to Kanban:
1. Understand the Key Differences
Fixed Iterations vs. Continuous Flow: Scrum operates in time-boxed sprints, while Kanban allows work to flow continuously.
Roles: Kanban doesn’t require predefined roles like Scrum Master or Product Owner but focuses on team collaboration.
Metrics: Swap sprint velocity for Kanban-specific metrics like lead time, cycle time, and work-in-progress (WIP) limits.
2. Transition Gradually
Visualize All Workflows: Use a Kanban board to map current workflows, ensuring that all work is visible to all team members.
Set WIP Limits: Use WIP limits to help your team focus on fewer tasks at a time, preventing bottlenecks and maintaining focus.
Shift the focus of Stand-ups: Replace sprint-specific updates with flow-based discussions, focusing on blockers and priorities.
3. Focus on Flow Efficiency
Use tools like cumulative flow diagrams to monitor progress and identify bottlenecks.
Regularly review cycle time to ensure work moves smoothly.
4. Preserve some of your Scrum Ceremonies
Retain planning sessions if they add value to your team.
Use a backlog to prioritize and organize incoming tasks.
5. Embrace Continuous Improvement
Kanban thrives on Kaizen (continuous improvement). Regularly analyze your process and adjust as needed to optimize flow. Retain your existing retrospectives to help drive these conversations.
Remember: Scrum and Kanban are just frameworks — maintaining an agile mindset remains key to success. Prioritize people and interactions over processes, even as workflows evolve. And always focus on your customers and the flow of work.
"Scrum focuses on being agile which may (and should) lead to improving. Kanban focuses on improving, which may lead to being agile."
Henrik Kniberg
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