The foundation of Scrumban

While Scrum is often more understood as an external process that is imposed upon workers, and Kanban is completely free and dependent on the elements people use in a Kanban system, Scrumban is a combination of the two.

Scrumban emphasizes System Thinking

We all want to improve our ways of working by maximizing value, minimizing costs, and improving processes, as well as ensuring the satisfaction of customers and employees. The best way to achieve this is to avoid focusing on only one specific component of the whole element.
Frameworks like Scrum are focused on system thinking, but they often do not give an answer for overcoming the problems within the components of the system. Scrumban enables capabilities to help here.

In agile environments we often face multiple complex systems.

• System:
An organized entity made up of interrelated and interdependent parts.

• Boundaries
Barriers that define a system and distinguish it from other systems in the environment.

• Homeostasis
The tendency of a system to be resilient toward external factors and to maintain its key characteristics.

• Adaptation
The tendency of a self-adapting system to make the internal changes needed to protect itself and keep fulfilling its purpose.

• Reciprocal Transactions
Circular interactions that systems engage in, such that they influence one another.

• Feedback Loop
The process by which systems self-correct based on reactions from other systems in the environment.

• Throughput
Rate of energy transfer between the system and its environment during the time that it functions.

• Microsystem
The system closest to the client.

• Mesosystem
Relationships among the systems in an environment.

• Exosystem
A relationship between two systems that have an indirect effect on a third system.

• Macrosystem
A larger system that influences clients, such as policies, administration of entitlement programs, and culture.

• Chronosystem
A system composed of significant life events that can affect adaptation.
Scrumban can help simple systems as well as multiple complex systems within its framework, in which it creates structure.

The trust in Scrum that works so well for different setups while “blindly” following the rules of Scrum and the independent and free WIP limiting pull system often brings a good mixture for a team, which wants to have both.

Thus, Scrumban is:
• A Toolkit for paying attention to your project
• The Permission to pay attention
• A framework to enhance Capabilities

Scrumban has a prescriptive way of working inherited from Scrum (for those areas / require-ments which need a stricter way of working) and the freer way of developing a process by the elements and people working within a process.
The rules of Scrum are often used for the more stable areas and requirements. The rules for Kanban are mainly used for more flexible environments. Thus, the Pillars of Scrumban are the Pillars of Scrum and Kanban all based on the foundation of Human Touch.

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