Assignment 2 – Continuous Improvement in Kanban Environment and Scrumban Practices

You support the “MarkSphere” team as a Kanban Coach through their Kanban Journey as
needed. It has been 4 months since your last check-in with them. The “MarkSphere” team
reached out to you with concerns that they lack predictability, capacity planning does not
work well, and there is a growing desire for inspections and adaptations.

Results from the internal interviews:

Product Owner Feedback:

 Concerns about unpredictable delivery timelines.
 Desire for more visibility into work progress.

Team Members Feedback:

 Frustration with unclear capacity planning.
 Desire for more collaborative planning sessions.

The “MarkSphere” team failed to monitor metrics they can provide you. They have
incomplete data. But they mentioned that:
 WIP limit for “In Progress” items is regularly breached, resulting in increased cycle
time by 20% average.
 Customer Satisfaction Rate in the previous quarter was 6/10.
 Approximately 40% of the team works remotely, utilizing collaborative tools for
communication and task tracking.
 The team relies on platforms like Slack for real-time communication, Jira for project
management, and Zoom for virtual meetings and ceremonies.
 Remote work introduces challenges related to synchronous collaboration, with
occasional delays in responses and potential miscommunication due to the reliance
on digital channels.

Questions:

You think that incorporating Scrumban Practices can help this team. You are going to meet
with them and provide:
 A roadmap for continuous improvement and specific practices they can use

Roadmap for Continuous Improvement:

1. Define Clear Objectives:

 Establish clear objectives for the team, such as improving reliability, increasing
capacity planning, and intensify visibility into work progress.

2. Assess Current State:

 Conduct an assessment of the team's current processes, recognizing pain points and
areas for improvement based on response and data.
3. Prioritize Improvement Areas:

 Categorize improvement areas based on their impression on the team's challenges

and objectives, focusing on those that can be inscribed effectively through Scrumban
practices.

4. Implement Iterative Changes:

 Introduce gradational changes to the team's workflow, starting with the most
condemnatory areas recognized for improvement.
 Control the influence of these changes and recapitulate based on response and
results.

5. Foster Continuous Learning:

 Encourage a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the team,

providing opportunities for training, experimentation, and sharing of best practices.

 A step-by-step plan for introducing Scrumban practices to the team

Step-by-Step Plan for Introducing Scrumban Practices:

1. Education and Alignment:

 Coach the team on the principles and interests of Scrumban, stressing its possibilities
to highlight their current challenges.
 Guarantee continuity among team members and stakeholders regarding the
objectives and beliefs of engulfing Scrumban practices.

2. Identify Initial Practices:

 Recognizing specific Scrumban practices that line up with the team's goals and
challenges, such as daily stand-ups, backlog refinement, and iterative planning.

3. Introduce Daily Stand-ups:

 Establish daily stand-up meetings to upgrade communication and participation

within the team.
 Cheer up each team member to share their breakthrough, hurdles, and plans for the
day, encouraging unambiguity and answerability.

4. Implement Backlog Refinement:

 Organize consistent backlog refinement sessions to categorize work items and ensure
alignment with stakeholder projections.
  Include both the Product Owner and team members in these sessions to encourage
participative planning and decision-making.

5. Establish Iterative Planning Cycles:

 Transformation towards a more constant planning attitude, breaking down work into
smaller, manageable tasks and planning them in short cycles.
 Motivate the team to review and modify their plans regularly based on changing
preferences and response.

6. Encourage Continuous Improvement:

 Combine retrospectives into the team's workflow to reflect on their occurrence with
Scrumban practices and recognize possibilities for improvement.
 Entitle team members to propose and execute changes to increase their processes
invariability, encouraging a culture of continuous improvement.

 Address any challenges or resistance that might arise during the transition.

Addressing Challenges and Resistance:

1. Communication and Transparency:

 Highlight the significance of open communication and unambiguity throughout the

transition to Scrumban practices.
 Inscribe any concerns or defiance by actively listening to team members' response
and labeling their questions and unpredictabilities.

2. Training and Support:

 Provide training and favour to help team members understand and ajust to the new
operations introduced.
 Offer instruction and support as needed to ensure a even transition and effective
execution of Scrumban practices.

3. Celebrating Successes:

 Commemorate successes and landmark achieved during the change, acknowledging

and rewarding the efforts of the team.
 Use positive augmentation to boost the benefits of Scrumban practices and motivate
continued acquiring and improvement.

By following this roadmap and step-by-step plan, the "MarkSphere" team can effectively
introduce Scrumban practices to address their challenges, drive continuous improvement,
and enhance their overall performance and effectiveness.