Scrum and Kanban Fundamentals: A Practical Introduction Training Course

Grasping Agile: The Shift in Mindset

• The Agile Manifesto: exploring its four values and twelve principles.
• Transitioning from rigid, plan-driven processes to value-driven ways of working.
• The relevance of Agile for teams beyond the software development sector.
• Exercise: Connecting current work challenges to core agile principles.

Scrum Overview: The Broad Perspective

• A comprehensive view of the Scrum framework, including roles, events, and artifacts.
• The three pillars of Scrum: transparency, inspection, and adaptation.
• How an empirical approach helps mitigate risk and eliminate waste.
• Activity: Spotting opportunities to increase transparency in your current work.

Scrum Roles: Defining Responsibilities

• Product Owner: responsible for the product vision and prioritizing value.
• Scrum Master: dedicated to facilitating the process and resolving impediments.
• Developers: self-organizing to deliver completed increments.
• Exercise: Role-playing scenarios to clarify accountability boundaries.

The Sprint Cycle: Scrum Events in Practice

• The Sprint as the container that holds all other events.
• Sprint Planning: establishing goals and selecting work items.
• Daily Scrum: reviewing progress toward the Sprint Goal.
• Sprint Review: examining the increment with key stakeholders.
• Sprint Retrospective: planning enhancements for the upcoming Sprint.

Scrum Artifacts: Enhancing Work Transparency

• Product Backlog: the primary source for upcoming work.
• Sprint Backlog: the execution plan for the current Sprint.
• Increment: a milestone toward the overall Product Goal.
• Workshop: Constructing a sample Product Backlog based on a real-world scenario.

Kanban Basics: Visualizing Your Work

• The origins of Kanban and its flow-centric mindset.
• Designing a Kanban board: setting up columns, cards, and workflow stages.
• Making hidden work visible to the entire team.
• Hands-on: Mapping your actual workflow onto a Kanban board.

WIP Limits and Flow: Prioritize Completion over Initiation

• Understanding WIP and the importance of limiting it.
• Comparing pull systems with push systems.
• Recognizing and addressing workflow bottlenecks.
• Exercise: Implementing and testing WIP limits on a team board.

Kanban Metrics: Focusing on Key Indicators

• Explaining cycle time, throughput, and work item age.
• Interpreting a Cumulative Flow Diagram.
• Using metrics to facilitate constructive dialogue rather than individual performance judgment.
• Activity: Reviewing sample flow data and suggesting improvements.

Feedback Loops and Ongoing Improvement

• Kanban cadences: replenishment, delivery planning, and service reviews.
• Making policies explicit and evolving them over time.
• The evolutionary change approach: starting from your current state.
• Practice: Defining clear policies for a sample workflow.

Combining Scrum and Kanban: The Scrumban Method

• How the two frameworks complement and strengthen each other.
• Utilizing a Kanban board to visualize the Sprint Backlog.
• Implementing WIP limits within Sprints for smoother delivery.
• Discussion: Selecting the most appropriate practices for your specific context.

Practical Simulation: Executing a Sprint with a Kanban Board

• Multi-round simulation: planning a Sprint, constructing a board, and setting WIP limits.
• Processing work items through the board while monitoring flow metrics.
• Running a Sprint Review and Retrospective using actual data.
• Debrief: Insights gained from the simulation regarding real-world teamwork.

Applying Agile to Your Daily Routine

• Identifying low-risk entry points in your own work environment.
• Practical techniques that can be implemented starting next week.
• Avoiding common pitfalls when introducing agile practices.
• Action Planning: Committing to one specific change to try after the course.