Kanban for Scrum Teams Flashcards
List the Kanban Practices
VLAI
- Visualization of the workflow
- Limiting WIP
- Active management of work items
- Inspect + adapt the definition of workflow
What is Little’s Laws?
Avg cycle time = Avg WIP / Avg Throughput
Define throughput
Work items finished per period of time
Define cycle time
The elapsed time between item start/finish within a specific workflow. *Each state of a workflow is also a wokflow.
What are the basic metrics of flow?
WCAT
- WIP
- Cycle time
- Work item age
- Throughput
Define work-in-progress (WIP)
Work items started but not finished
Define work item age
Time from start to present of items in progress
Explaine Littles Law
The more things you work on at the same time, the longer it’s going to take to finish any one of them.
Visualization of workflow must include what?
- Defined start + finish points 2. Definition of work items (units of value) 3. Defined workflow states 4. Pull policies 5. WIP Limits
What are the effects of limiting WIP?
PF-OF-CC
- Creates a pull system
- Improves flow
- Improves self-_organization_
- Improves focus
- Improves commitment
- Improves collaboration
List 3 forms of active management of work items
- Ensure work items enter and exit the workflow at the same rate 2. Ensure work items aren’t left to age 3. Responding quickly to blocked items and items at risk of exceeding the SLE
How is the SLE used?
- To find active flow issues 2. To inspect & adapt in the cases of falling below
What are the two elemts of an SLE?
- A period of elapsed days 2. A probability associated with that period
What things might be adjusted as a result of inspected and adapting the teams definition of workflow?
- Visualization policies 2. WIP limits 3. SLE’s 4. Batch size
List the flow based events
- The Sprint 2. Sprint Planning 3. Daily Scrum 4. Sprint Review 5. Sprint Retro
List the flow relevance of the sprint
- It is the heartbeat for inspection and adaptation of both product and process 2. Kanban practices can help teams improve sprint flow 3. The sprint establishes priority in reference to unplanned work
Define batchsize
The amount of work done before releasing or integrating
What flow metric is most relevant to sprint planning?
Throughput
A flow-based daily scrum focuses on what?
- Blocked items 2. Work item age & SLE threats 3. Factors not visible on the board 4. Factors that could impact priority 5. Broken WIP limits & meeting the sprint goal
What two flow metrics should be covered in the sprint review?
- Throughput 2. Cycle time
True or false Changes to a teams definition of workflow can happen at any time.
True
What flow factors should be covered in a teams retrospective?
- WIP Limits 2. Cycle time 3. SLEs 4. CFD 5. Scatterplot diagrams
List two facts about the product increment in Kanban for scrum
- Scrum requires at least one per sprint 2. Multiple increments are encouraged
What is Scrum?
A framework within which other techniques and methods can be practiced
WIP limit inspection belongs in which scrum events?
- Daily scrum 2. Retro
Throughput inspection belongs in which scrum events?
- Sprint planning 2. Sprint review 3. Retro
Work item age inspection belongs in which scrum event?
Daily scrum
Cycle time inspection belongs in which scrum events?
- Sprint review 2. Retro
List everything that should be inspected in retro:
- WIP limits 2. Cycle time 3. Throughput 4. SLEs 5. CFD 6. Scatterplot
What are leading indicators?
- WIP 2. Work item age
What are lagging indicators?
- Cycle time 2. Throughput 3. Velocity (not a flow metric)
List the 5 scrum values
CCFOR
- Courage
- Commitment
- Focus
- Openness
- Respect
What are the two rules for changing the sprint backlog:
- Changes must be compatable with the sprint goal 2. You must be able to deliver an increment at the end of the sprint
Name two policies that are already a part of scrum proper?
- Sprints as a WIP limit 2. Definition of done as a pull policy
List the 4 affects of limiting WIP:
- Shorter feedback cycles 2. Faster value generation 3. A more predictable process 4. A more sustainable pace
What 3 metrics does a CFD show?
- Aprox average cycle time for a date 2. Exact WIP for a date 3. Average throughput for a date range
Define Kanban
A strategy for oprimizing the flow of stakeholder value through a process that uses a visual, WIP limited, pull system.
What is defined as “The number of work items ‘finished’ per unit of time. (measurement of the exact count of work items)”
Throughput
What scrum event is a way of limiting work in progress and controlling how much work a Dev Team is going to attempt during a specified period?
The Sprint
What is the Kanban Guide’s definition of “Workflow” or “Flow”?
A shared understanding within the SCRUM Team of how work is defined (work items), the start state of the process, the active states for the work items and the finished state of the work items.
What is the Kanban Guide in relation to the SCRUM Guide?
It is not meant to replace or discount any part of the SCRUM Guide.
What kinds of changes to the policies can have a material impact on how the SCRUM Team performs overall?
Small Changes
Where would the SCRUM Team using Kanban also inspect and adapt the definition of “Workflow” to optimize the flow in the next Sprint.
The Sprint Retrospective
What is “Flow” related to Kanban?
It is the movement of customer value throughout the product development system.
The SCRUM Framework combined with Kanbans hyperfocus on 3 items helps to deliver optimal customer value - name the 3 items.
TVF
- Transparency
- Visualization
- Flow
Who controls the what limits are and how it will apply?
The SCRUM Team
True or False - Each Kanban team must define its own “Flow”?
True
How does Kanban optimize “Flow”?
By improving the overall efficiency, effectiveness, and predictability of a process.
What forecasts how long a work item should take a given item to flow from start to finish within your workflow?
A Service Level Expectation (SLE)
What are the three foundations that uphold SCRUM Theory and Kanban Theory?
* Transparency * Inspection * Adaptation
Must the work items correspond to the Product Backlog items or other parts of the Sprint Backlog or SCRUM?
No
What are the two parts of the Service Level Expectation (SLE)?
* A time estimate * A probability estimate Example - (85% chance this item will finish in 8 days)
What is the most central concept to Kanban?
The “Workflow”
What is the Service Level Expectation (SLE) based upon?
The SCRUM Team’s historical cycle time, and once calculated should be posted to the Kanban board.
Does a work item have to complete each step in the “Workflow”?
No
Whose responsibility to ensure the continuous proactive, active, and reactive management of work items in progress?
The SCRUM Team
What major practice does the Kanban Guide remove as part of the SCRUM Guide?
None - the SCRUM Guide applies in its entirety.
What is the difference between a “Pull” system and a “Push” system?
Pull systems trigger when the SCRUM Team starts work on an item (i.e. pulls) and only when there is a clear signal that it is time to do so. A “Push” system demands that work be started on an item whenever requested.
When the SCRUM Guide uses “Explicit” what exactly does it mean?
That the policies are written down or visualized somehow and that the whole SCRUM Team understands them.
Cycle time is a lagging indicator? (True or False)
True
A Service Level Expectation (SLE) target reflects the Scrum Team’s aspirations toward a reliable cycle time. (True or False)
True
When using Scrum with Kanban you can release multiple times during the Sprint? (True or False)
True
What are some of the impacts of reducing batch sizes?
- Improving efficiency due to faster feedback loops. 2. Higher motivation due to seeing work getting done and delivering value earlier. 3. Lower efficiency due to overhead / transaction costs in case the batch size is too small. 4. Highlight a need to work to improve processes / infrastructure to reduce the pain frequent costly overhead.
The purpose of a Scrum Team’s SLE is to allow teams to give each PBI a commitment to a due date as part of Sprint Planning. (True or False)
False
Workflow can be thought of as the “Team’s policy” for how to get work to “Done”. (True or False)
True
In a flow-based system, the number of tasks is not necessarily limited, rather then amount of value-generating work items is limited. (True or False)
True
Work Item Age is a leading indicator for the length of the Scrum Team’s feedback loop for that (in progress) item. (True or False)
True
The WIP Limit can only be changed during the Sprint Retrospective. (True or False)
False
True or false: When using Kanban with Scrum, the Development Team can start working on ANY new work item that wasn’t initially selected in the Sprint Planning meeting.
False
What is correct about Sprint Goals when Kanban is used with Scrum?
The Sprint Goal becomes more important because the team needs it to decide about unplanned work.
True or false: Limiting WIP creates a pull system.
True
True or False: Scrum has a WIP Limit by default, even without Kanban.
True
Who’s responsible for setting WIP Limits?
It depends on the scope and boundaries of the subject.
True or false: Scrum elements (roles, events, and artifacts) do not change at all when used with Kanban.
False
Why might the Scrum Team change their WIP Limit?
Because they want to increase focus and collaboration
True or false: Reducing batch size always increases efficiency.
False
What types of information are visible on a Cycle Time scatterplot?
- Cycle time outliers 2. Cycle time trends
True or false: When using professional Kanban with Scrum, you’re not allowed to exceed WIP Limits.
False
Which two of the following are necessary on a Kanban board?
- WIP limits 2. Workflow visualization
True or false: Little’s Law can be used to forecast some flow metrics based on historical data of the other metrics.
False
When Scrum is used with Kanban, some of the Sprint capacity should be reserved for unplanned work.
False
When are we allowed to make changes to the definition of Workflow?
At any time
What does an 85% 7-day SLE mean?
We expect about 85% of work items to be finished in 7 days or less.
What two things are likely to happen when WIP is limited?
- Shorter feedback loop 2. More sustainable pace
Who is allowed to increase the Sprint WIP Limits in response to emerging urgent work?
No one
Which two of the following should exist in every SLE?
- A range of durations 2. A probability
WIP
Approximate average cycle time
Average throughput
Arrival time
More work entering than leaving
Age: 5
Stage: In progress
These zones are based on the SLE and represent the chance of meeting the SLE
To help the team focus on the work items that are at most risk of missing the SLE
4
50%
True or False: If a Scrum Development Team uses tasks, then their WIP limits should primarily apply to tasks in the Sprint Backlog.
False: Limiting tasks in progress can be useful but doesn’t replace limiting WIP at the PBI level. We care about flow of value/learning. This is the flow of PBIs.
True or False: The purpose of a Scrum Team’s Service Level Expectation (SLE) is to allow teams to give each PBI a commitment to a due date as part of Sprint Planning.
False. SLE CAN be used in Sprint Planning to provide PO and stakeholders with an idea towards the service level that can be expected from the team. That doesn’t include providing a specific date for each PBI in the SBL. The SLE enables the Development Team to forecast a finished date at a certain confidence level once the item has been started.
What does the Work Item Aging chart show?
For each item on the Kanban board how long ago has it been pulled into WIP.
True or False: Workflow can be thought of as the “Team’s policy” for how to get work to “Done”.
True. This is similar to how the definition of Done can be considered the team’s policies for what “Done” looks like.
True or False: Scrum Events, Roles, Artifacts, and Rules are changed when using Scrum with Kanban. For example, the Scrum Team might choose to no longer conduct a Sprint Retrospective when using Kanban with Scrum.
False. Adding Kanban to Scrum provides a technique to help the Scrum Team focus on driving a continuous flow of activity, but does not negate value provided by the Scrum Events, Artifacts, Roles, or Rules.
Which of these might be true when reducing batch sizes:
- Improving efficiency due to faster feedback loops.
- Higher motivation due to seeing your work get done and deliver value earlier.
- Lower efficiency due to overhead / transaction costs in case the batch size is too small.
- Highlight a need to work to improve processes/infrastructure to reduce the pain of frequent costly overhead.
All of them
True or False: A Service Level Expectation (SLE) target reflects the Scrum Team’s aspirations toward a reliable cycle time.
True. Regardless of whether it is based on historical data or not, a Service Level Expectation (SLE) indeed is an expectation the team sets to themselves. It should be aspirational yet realistic and reliable. Aspiring and then missing most of the time is not what an SLE is about.
True or False: In a flow-based system, the number of tasks is not necessarily limited, rather the amount of value-generating work items is limited.
True. Even though multiple tasks are completed, none of them has created something of value for the customer. Only when a Product Backlog item is complete is the value it created and the feedback loop closed. Our goal when improving flow is to tighten the feedback/value loop - so we apply flow improvement techniques such as Limiting WIP to the valuable items - the the Product Backlog Items.
True or False: The main role of WIP Aging is to help identify flow bottlenecks; where work may be impeded or constrained.
False. While in some cases observing old age across multiple items in a certain area of the workflow can help identify bottlenecks, the main role of the Work Item Age metric is to identify specific items that are struggling and require attention. Bottlenecks/systemic constraints are typically identified by looking at the queues on the board as well as charts like the Cumulative Flow Diagram.
Who owns the Kanban board in the Sprint Backlog?
As the Development Team owns the sprint backlog, visualizing the workflow within the sprint is also owned by the Development Team.
True or False: Optimizing WIP limits will result in decreased productivity.
False. WIP limits help create focus by reducing multitasking which can in fact increase productivity. A lower WIP limit which increases focus can result in higher productivity.
Which metric is most valuable for Sprint Planning?
When planning a sprint our main interest is to figure out how many backlog items to pull into the Sprint. Throughput of previous Sprints is the most useful in figuring this out. An advanced technique would be to use Monte Carlo simulation using this throughput data in order to figure out confidence-levels for various amounts of items in the Sprint Backlog.
True or False: Cycle time is a lagging indicator.
True. You can only measure cycle time by looking at historical data. It is an indicator and point of reference but should be used carefully when predicting the future.
True or False: When it comes to using Kanban for the Sprint Backlog, the Development Team owns the way they work, their definition of “Done”, as well as their definition of “their Workflow”.
True. The accountabilities/responsibilities defined by the Scrum Guide still apply when adding the Kanban practices.
True or False: When using Scrum with Kanban you can release multiple times during the Sprint.
Even with pure Scrum you can release as often as you want during the Sprint. Bringing Kanban into the picture doesn’t change this. Kanban actually helps bring to light the potential and value of reducing batch sizes e.g. for releasing and driving Scrum teams to consider releasing more often during the Sprint.
