How Kanban Complements Scrum Instead of Replacing It
- Prateek Nigam
- Sep 4
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 29
For years, there has been a debate in the Agile community – “Scrum vs Kanban – which one should we choose?” Many organisations across the world believe they must pick one and abandon the other. But here’s the truth: Scrum and Kanban are not rivals. Kanban does not replace Scrum – it complements it beautifully.
At Agility Wave, where I coach teams and leaders on Kanban and Scrum, I have seen this first-hand. When teams stop comparing the two and start combining them, the real benefits of Agile show up in both delivery and culture.
Scrum – A Strong Foundation, but Incomplete by Design
Scrum is a lightweight framework. It provides structure through sprints, accountabilities, and events. Teams plan, deliver, and reflect in fixed timeboxes. This rhythm is powerful for focus and discipline when working in a complex environment where requirements and solutions are variable in nature and required frequent inspection and adaptation.
But Scrum is deliberately incomplete. It does not prescribe how to handle flow of work inside a sprint, or how to deal with unpredictability that emerges between planning and delivery.
This is where Kanban fits in.
Kanban – Flow, Predictability, and Balance
Kanban brings in visualisation, flow metrics, and Work in Progress (WIP) limits. It helps teams:
See exactly where work is stuck
Manage bottlenecks before they hurt delivery
Achieve a smoother and more predictable flow
Kanban does not ask teams to change their framework. It overlays on top of Scrum and makes the invisible visible.
How Kanban Complements Scrum in Practice
WIP Limits inside Sprint Backlog – Teams avoid overloading themselves by finishing work in progress before starting new items.
Explicit Policies – Instead of vague agreements, teams write down clear rules like Definition of Done, code review policies, or deployment rules.
Flow Metrics – Lead time, throughput, cumulative flow diagram, control chart etc. provide real data beyond just “velocity”. Teams learn how fast they really deliver value.
Better Sprint Reviews & Retrospectives – With Kanban data, Scrum events become richer. Teams discuss evidence, not just feelings.
Common Myths – Busted
Myth: “If we use Kanban, we are no longer doing Scrum.”
✔️ Wrong. Scrum stays intact, Kanban just adds flow management.
Myth: “Kanban is only a board.”
✔️ No. The board is just one element. Kanban is a method for evolutionary change.
Myth: “Kanban is only for support teams.”
✔️ False. Product teams, start-ups, enterprises – all can benefit from Kanban practices.
Why Should Organisations Care?
Many IT and product companies are scaling fast, but also struggling with delays, unpredictability, and overburdened teams. Scrum helps with discipline, but without Kanban’s flow practices, teams often:
Overcommit during sprint planning
Carry forward half-done work
Get stuck in dependencies and bottlenecks
By complementing Scrum with Kanban, organisations can achieve:
Faster time to market
Improved customer satisfaction
Happier, less stressed teams
Final Thoughts
Scrum and Kanban are like cricket and coaching – the framework gives you the rules of the game, but flow management teaches you how to actually play better, ball by ball.
If you are already using Scrum and feel stuck with unpredictability, missed sprint goals, or overburdened teams, adding Kanban could be the game changer.
At Agility Wave, I regularly work with teams who started with Scrum and then enhanced their agility by introducing Kanban. If you’re curious to know more about how this works in practice, explore agilitywave.com, we share insights, training opportunities, and case studies there.
About me
I am Prateek Nigam, a Business Agility Coach and Accredited Kanban Trainer, have supported teams at companies like Yamaha, Fiserv, BCG, and Lowe’s in improving delivery, reducing bottlenecks, and building flow-driven systems that create measurable outcomes.
Through Agility Wave, I offer coaching and training in Kanban, Scrum, Agile, and leadership development, helping teams implement structured workflows, track their flow, and achieve sustainable productivity.
For more insights, visit https://www.agilitywave.com
For queries, call: +91 – 9667540444 Or email: support@agilitywave.com
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