Sprint and Kanban Basics: Everything You Need to Know
Two powerful approaches for managing work: time-boxed sprints and continuous flow Kanban. This guide breaks down both methodologies, when to use each, and how to implement them successfully.
What is a Sprint?
A Sprint is a time-boxed iteration in Scrum where teams commit to completing a specific set of work. It's a fixed period—typically 1 to 4 weeks—during which the team works to turn product backlog items into a "Done" increment of value.
The Sprint Cycle
Every sprint follows the same predictable rhythm:
- Sprint Planning: Team commits to work for the sprint
- Daily Standups: Daily sync to stay aligned
- Development Work: Team builds the increment
- Sprint Review: Demo what was built to stakeholders
- Sprint Retrospective: Reflect and improve
Key Sprint Characteristics
- 🎯 Fixed duration: Sprints have consistent, unchanging length
- 🎯 Protected scope: Once started, no changes to sprint goals
- 🎯 Shippable increment: Each sprint produces potentially releasable work
- 🎯 Team commitment: Team forecasts what they can complete
- 🎯 Regular cadence: Sprints run back-to-back with no gaps
Sprint Planning in Detail
Sprint Planning is where the team decides what work will be accomplished and how it will be done. This ceremony is the foundation of a successful sprint.
Part 1: What
Goal: Define the sprint goal and select backlog items
- • Product Owner presents top priority items
- • Team discusses and asks questions
- • Team forecasts what they can complete
- • Team crafts a sprint goal
Part 2: How
Goal: Create a plan for delivering the increment
- • Break down items into tasks
- • Estimate effort for tasks
- • Identify dependencies and risks
- • Create the sprint backlog
Sprint Goal
The sprint goal is a short, clear objective that provides purpose and direction. It should be meaningful and allow for some flexibility in execution.
Example: "Enable users to export their data in CSV format" rather than "Complete tickets 123, 124, 125"
Sprint Best Practices
✅ Keep sprint length consistent
Don't vary sprint duration. Consistency creates rhythm and predictability.
✅ Don't overcommit
It's better to under-promise and over-deliver. Use historical velocity as a guide.
✅ Protect the sprint
Once planning is done, resist adding new work. Changes should wait for the next sprint.
✅ Focus on the sprint goal
When in doubt, prioritize work that moves you closer to the sprint goal.
✅ Celebrate sprint completions
Acknowledge achievements and learnings at the end of each sprint.
What is Kanban?
Kanban is a visual workflow management method that emphasizes continuous delivery without the overhead of prescribed iterations. Unlike sprints, work flows continuously through the system.
Kanban Origins
Kanban was developed by Toyota in the 1940s for manufacturing. The word means "visual signal" or "card" in Japanese. David Anderson adapted it for software development in the early 2000s.
Core Kanban Principles
- Visualize the workflow: Make work visible on a board
- Limit work in progress (WIP): Constrain how much work is active at once
- Manage flow: Optimize the movement of work through the system
- Make policies explicit: Clearly define your process rules
- Implement feedback loops: Regular reviews and adjustments
- Improve collaboratively: Use data and experiments to evolve
The Kanban Board
The heart of Kanban is the visual board. At its simplest, a Kanban board has three columns: To Do, In Progress, and Done. But most teams evolve to match their actual workflow.
Example Kanban Board Structure
Backlog
All future work
Selected
Ready to start
WIP: 3
In Progress
Being worked on
WIP: 5
Review
Being reviewed
WIP: 2
Done
Completed
No limit
Work In Progress (WIP) Limits
WIP limits are the maximum number of items allowed in each column. This is Kanban's most powerful constraint.
Why WIP limits matter: They prevent multitasking, expose bottlenecks, improve flow, and encourage team collaboration to complete work before starting new items.
Kanban Metrics
Kanban teams use specific metrics to understand and improve their flow:
Lead Time
The total time from when work is requested until it's delivered to the customer.
Example: 14 days from idea to production
Cycle Time
The time from when work starts until it's completed.
Example: 5 days from "In Progress" to "Done"
Throughput
The number of work items completed in a given time period.
Example: 23 items completed this week
Cumulative Flow Diagram
A chart showing the distribution of work across different stages over time.
Helps identify bottlenecks and flow problems
Sprint vs. Kanban: Key Differences
| Aspect | Sprint (Scrum) | Kanban |
|---|---|---|
| Cadence | Fixed iterations (1-4 weeks) | Continuous flow |
| Commitment | Team commits to sprint scope | Commitment per work item |
| Roles | Prescribed (PO, SM, Dev Team) | No required roles |
| Changes | Protected during sprint | Can change priorities anytime |
| Planning | Sprint planning ceremony | On-demand |
| Estimation | Required (story points/hours) | Optional |
| Metrics | Velocity, burndown charts | Lead time, cycle time, throughput |
| Best For | Predictable work, feature development | Unpredictable work, maintenance, support |
When to Use Sprints vs. Kanban
Choose Sprints When:
- ✅ Building new features or products
- ✅ Work is relatively predictable
- ✅ Team benefits from regular planning rhythm
- ✅ Stakeholders want regular demos
- ✅ Team is new to Agile
- ✅ You want structured retrospectives
- ✅ Clear deadlines or release dates exist
Choose Kanban When:
- ✅ Work arrives unpredictably (support, bugs)
- ✅ Priorities change frequently
- ✅ Continuous delivery is the goal
- ✅ Work items vary significantly in size
- ✅ Team is mature and self-organizing
- ✅ You want to minimize overhead
- ✅ Focus is on flow optimization
The Hybrid Approach: Scrumban
Many teams combine elements of both: using sprints for planning cycles but Kanban boards with WIP limits for day-to-day work management.
This gives you the predictability of sprints with the flexibility of Kanban—the best of both worlds for many teams.
Implementing Kanban: Step by Step
Step 1: Map Your Workflow
Document the actual steps work goes through from start to finish. Don't idealize—map what really happens. Include review, testing, and approval stages.
Step 2: Create Your Board
Build columns for each workflow stage. Start simple—you can always add complexity later. Use a physical board for co-located teams or digital tools for distributed teams.
Step 3: Set WIP Limits
Start conservatively—roughly 1.5x the number of team members for "In Progress" work. Adjust based on reality. The goal is to expose bottlenecks, not create gridlock.
Step 4: Define Policies
Make your process explicit: What does "Done" mean? When can work move between columns? Who can pull work? Write these rules down and post them.
Step 5: Track Metrics
Measure cycle time and lead time from day one. These data points will guide your improvement efforts. Look for patterns and outliers.
Step 6: Hold Regular Reviews
Even without sprints, schedule regular retrospectives (weekly or bi-weekly). Review metrics, discuss blockers, and experiment with improvements.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Ignoring WIP limits (Kanban)
WIP limits are not suggestions—they're the core of Kanban. If you consistently exceed them, you're not doing Kanban.
❌ Changing sprint scope mid-sprint (Sprints)
Protect the sprint. Constant changes destroy predictability and team morale. True emergencies can cancel a sprint, but this should be rare.
❌ Making the board too complex (Kanban)
Start simple. Too many columns and swim lanes create confusion. Add complexity only when needed.
❌ Skipping retrospectives (Both)
Continuous improvement is critical. Without regular reflection, you'll repeat the same mistakes indefinitely.
❌ Not tracking metrics (Kanban)
Kanban relies on data-driven improvement. Without measuring cycle time and throughput, you're flying blind.
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- ✅ Real-time cycle time and lead time tracking
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Whether you're running 2-week sprints or managing continuous delivery, Scrumrobo adapts to your workflow.
Key Takeaways
- 🎯 Sprints provide structure and rhythm; Kanban provides flow and flexibility
- 🎯 Sprints work best for feature development; Kanban excels at support and maintenance
- 🎯 WIP limits are Kanban's most powerful tool for improving flow
- 🎯 Sprint goals provide direction beyond just completing tickets
- 🎯 Both approaches require regular retrospectives for continuous improvement
- 🎯 Scrumban combines the best of both worlds for many teams
- 🎯 Choose the approach that fits your work type, not what's trendy
- 🎯 Start simple and evolve based on what works for your team
Your Next Steps
Understanding sprints and Kanban is just the beginning. The real learning happens when you put these concepts into practice:
- 1. Assess your work type: Is it predictable feature work or varied support requests?
- 2. Pick an approach: Start with sprints if you're new, Kanban if work is unpredictable
- 3. Set up your board: Keep it simple initially—3 to 5 columns maximum
- 4. Define your metrics: Track velocity (sprints) or cycle time (Kanban) from day one
- 5. Run a pilot: Try it for 4-6 weeks before committing fully
- 6. Reflect and adapt: Use retrospectives to refine your approach
- 7. Scale what works: Once you find your rhythm, expand to other teams