Professional Scrum With Kanban

Increase predictability & efficiency in your product delivery

Professional Scrum with Kanban (PSK) is a 2-day course that introduces people to good Kanban practices in the context of a professional scrum team. Students should leave with a better understanding of what good Kanban looks like and a reinforced understanding of the importance of the Scrum framework’s rules. Students will be equipped with practical knowledge to implement Kanban with their Scrum Teams.  They will be able to leverage Kanban to increase the predictability and efficiency of product delivery and do so so that they don’t lose the benefits of Scrum.

In general, scrum practitioners face 2 major challenges with Kanban:

• The misinterpretation that the Kanban is different and at odds with Scrum. 
• The misinterpretation that Kanban is only a delivery method for interrupt-driven work such as maintenance or support.

Common myths debunked during class:

• Kanban is a task board.
• Work in process limits are immutable.
• Kanban is a process change mechanism.
• Scrum teams only benefit from Kanban within a sprint.

Through experiences, you’ll learn the positive impact of introducing flow to Scrum’s Events (including inside and outside of Sprints) and the value of adding Kanban from the perspective of Scrum’s Roles. By the end of this course, you will how Kanban can be useful in solving core flow issues and evolving towards a continuous flow of delivery while continuing to benefit from the Scrum Framework.

Why Scrum.org?

All Scrum.org courses have a certain consistency from session to session, trainer to trainer. The consistency is around the learning objectives, some of the key objectives, and much of the insights.  The scrum guide and Ken Schwaber point the direction for our courses, and the learning objectives are our road map. 

While curated by course stewards, Scrum.org courses are evolved through the input of several hundred Professional Scrum Trainers – experts in the field from across the globe.  This means that our courses are the culmination of many minds and diverse views, ensuring that the content is at the cutting edge.

While Scrum.org classes are the same class from instructor to instructor, the differentiator is presentation style and background. Trainers are free to add stories based on their experiences.  While you will be pleased with any Professional Scrum Trainer, make sure to research the instructor’s background and see if they have the right background for your needs.

Learning Objectives

• Define how flow operates within the context of Scrum.
• Understand that Scrum is a framework that requires additional practices.
• Experience how Scrum can be improved with a better focus on flow.
• Analyze Kanban and flow metrics to improve predictability.
• Understand the key components of pure Kanban.
• Know that Kanban does not change the Scrum framework.
• Apply flow metrics to each of the Scrum events.
• Identify where Scrum roles can participate in and leverage Kanban flow.

Certification

After completing a Professional Scrum with Kanban course, you’ll receive credentials to take the Professional Scrum with Kanban (PSK I) assessment and earn the industry-recognized PSK I Certification.   The assessment is taken outside of class at the student’s convenience. 

The PSK course is a mix of lecture, case studies, and interactive exercises as you collaborate with other students.

• Scrum framework primer
  • Common misunderstandings in Scrum.
  • How Kanban can address Scrum misunderstandings.
• Kanban theory, principles, and practices 
  • Kanban flow exercises.
  • Characteristics of a true Kanban board.
  • Limiting and managing flow.
• Kanban in practice 
  • A hands-on Kanban Simulation.
  • Reading cycle time scatter plots.
  • Understanding a cumulative flow diagram.
• Scrum with Kanban 
  • How to introduce Kanban into a Scrum process.
  • Identifying workflows and what to visualize in your Scrum process.
  • Improving predictability and reducing waste through flow metrics.
• Introducing flow to Scrum’s events 
  • Using throughput metrics.
  • How a work item aging chart can identify what to work on next.
  • Managing flow and work in process in the daily scrums.
  • Monte Carlo simulations and predictability.
  • Picking the right WIP limit.
  • Using flow metrics in the Scrum events.
• Kanban’s impact on Scrum roles and artifacts
  • What changes and what doesn’t when implementing Kanban.
  • Solving flow issues.
  • Evolving towards continuous delivery.

No prerequisites, but students must have a basic understanding of Scrum. This course is suitable for both novice and experienced professionals who need to manage and implement a project.  It is recommended that participants have a basic understanding of project management and business processes and business analysis.

The PSK course is for all Scrum Practitioners who have a basic understanding of the Scrum Framework. It’s particularly beneficial for Product Owners, Scrum Masters, and Scrum Teams looking to improve their workflow and take Scrum to the next level of efficiency.  This course is for non-IT professionals as well.