Scrum board vs Kanban board

A Scrum board and a Kanban board may look similar, but they manage work differently.

AreaScrum boardKanban board
Work cycleWork is organized into fixed-length sprintsWork moves continuously
Board scopeUsually shows work selected for the current sprintShows the ongoing workflow
PlanningSprint Planning selects work before the sprint beginsWork is pulled when capacity becomes available
ChangesSprint scope is normally protected during the sprintNew work can be added and prioritized continuously
WIP limitsHelpful but not required by ScrumA central Kanban practice
Board resetUsually starts fresh for each sprintContinues without resetting
Main metricsVelocity, sprint burndown, sprint goal progressLead time, cycle time, throughput, WIP
RolesProduct Owner, Scrum Master, DevelopersNo required Kanban-specific roles
DeliveryOften reviewed at the end of the sprintItems may be delivered whenever they are ready

Scrum board example

During a two-week sprint:

Sprint Backlog → To Do → In Progress → Review → Done

Only the stories selected for that sprint normally appear on the board.

At the end of the sprint:

  • completed stories are reviewed,
  • incomplete stories return to the Product Backlog,
  • a new Sprint Backlog is created.

Kanban board example

For a support team:

Requested → Ready → In Progress (WIP 3) → Review (WIP 2) → Done

When one item moves to Done, the team pulls another item into the available space.

There is no need to wait for the next sprint.

Important similarity

Both boards:

  • visualize work,
  • show progress,
  • reveal blockers,
  • support collaboration,
  • can use columns such as To Do, In Progress, Review, and Done.

The difference is not mainly the appearance of the board. The difference is how work is planned and controlled.

Teaching line

A Scrum board manages work inside a sprint. A Kanban board manages the continuous flow of work.

A Scrum team can also use Kanban practices such as WIP limits. This hybrid use is sometimes called Scrumban.

REF: AI Tools/ChatGPT

throughput is it used in scrum as a metric or only for kanban

Throughput can be used in Scrum too. It is not only for Kanban.

However:

Throughput is more strongly associated with Kanban and flow-based systems.
Velocity is more commonly used in Scrum.

In Kanban

Throughput means:

Number of work items completed during a period, such as 12 tickets per week.

Because Kanban uses continuous flow, throughput may be measured daily, weekly, or monthly.

In Scrum

Throughput can mean:

Number of Product Backlog Items or user stories completed during one sprint.

Example:

SprintCompleted storiesThroughput
Sprint 188 stories/sprint
Sprint 21010 stories/sprint
Sprint 399 stories/sprint

Average throughput:

9 stories per sprint

Throughput vs velocity in Scrum

MetricMeasures
VelocityTotal story points completed in a sprint
ThroughputNumber of items completed in a sprint

Example:

A team completes:

  • 6 stories
  • totaling 28 story points

Then:

Throughput = 6 stories
Velocity = 28 story points

Important limitation

Throughput can be misleading when work items have very different sizes.

Completing 10 tiny stories is not necessarily better than completing 5 large, valuable stories.

Teaching line

Throughput is usable in both Scrum and Kanban, but it is a core flow metric in Kanban. In Scrum, velocity is more traditional, while throughput can provide an additional view of how many items the team finishes.

REF: AI Tools/ChatGPT as i

Kanban: Flow metrics

Flow metrics measure how smoothly and quickly work moves through a workflow, especially in Kanban.

MetricDefinitionExample
Lead timeTotal time from when work is requested until it is delivered.Request Monday, delivered Friday = 5 days
Cycle timeTime from when active work starts until it is completed.Work starts Wednesday, done Friday = 3 days
ThroughputNumber of work items completed in a period.12 tickets completed per week
Work in Progress (WIP)Number of items currently being worked on.3 items in In Progress, 2 in Review
WIP ageHow long an unfinished item has remained in progress.One story has been open for 9 days
Blocked timeTime an item cannot move forward because of an impediment.Waiting 3 days for API access
Queue timeTime an item waits before the next stage begins.Story waits 4 days for code review
Flow efficiencyPercentage of total lead time spent actively working rather than waiting.2 active days out of 10 total days = 20%
BottleneckA workflow stage where work accumulates and slows delivery.Review has 8 items while Done has only 1

Simple teaching explanation

Lead time measures customer waiting. Cycle time measures active workflow time. Throughput measures how many items are finished. WIP and queue measures show where work may be getting stuck.

Example workflow:

Requested → To Do → In Progress → Review → Done

  • Lead time: Requested → Done
  • Cycle time: In Progress → Done
  • Throughput: Number moved to Done per week
  • WIP: Number currently inside active workflow stages

The purpose of flow metrics is not to make people appear busy. It is to help the team reduce waiting, expose bottlenecks, and deliver value more predictably.

REF: AI Tools/ChatGPT as is

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Explain: Agile Quality: • Cross-functional ownership

Agile Quality: Cross-functional ownership means:

Quality is everyone’s responsibility, not only the QA/tester’s responsibility.

In Agile, the whole team works together to build quality into the product: developers, testers, Product Owner, Scrum Master, UX/design, business analyst, and sometimes DevOps/security. Your Week 7 slide contrasts this with traditional quality, where QA is often separated after development.

Simple explanation

Team memberQuality responsibility
DeveloperWrites clean code, unit tests, fixes defects
Tester / QATests functionality, edge cases, regression
Product OwnerClarifies acceptance criteria and customer value
Scrum MasterHelps remove blockers and improve process
UX / DesignerChecks usability and user experience
DevOps / SecurityChecks deployment, monitoring, security, reliability

Example

For a checkout feature:

  • Developer checks that the code works.
  • QA tests payment success and failure cases.
  • Product Owner confirms acceptance criteria.
  • UX checks that buttons work clearly on mobile.
  • DevOps checks deployment and monitoring.
  • Team reviews whether the story meets the Definition of Done.

Teaching line

In Agile, quality is not passed to QA at the end. The whole team owns quality from the beginning.

REF: AI Tools/ChatGPT as is

Explain: Traditional Quality:

  • • Quality gates near the end
  • Dedicated QA after development
  • Heavy documentation
  • Defects discovered late
  • Rework can be expensive

Traditional quality means quality is often checked after most of the development work is already completed.

It follows a pattern like:

Plan → Build → Test → Fix → Release

Your Week 7 quality slide contrasts this with Agile quality, where testing and quality practices are moved earlier and shared by the whole team.

1. Quality gates near the end

A quality gate is a formal checkpoint where the project is reviewed before it can move forward.

Example:

The team finishes development, then the product must pass a final testing phase before release.

Problem:

If major defects are found at the end, fixing them may delay the release.

2. Dedicated QA after development

In traditional quality, developers may build first, then hand the product to a separate QA/testing team.

Example:

Developers complete the checkout feature. Then QA tests it later.

Problem:

Developers may already have moved on to other work, so fixing defects becomes slower.

3. Heavy documentation

Traditional quality often depends on detailed quality plans, test plans, sign-off forms, and formal review documents.

This can be useful for control and compliance, but it may slow feedback.

Example:

Before testing begins, the team prepares long test documents and approval forms.

4. Defects discovered late

Because testing happens near the end, defects may be found after many features are already built.

Example:

The team discovers late that the checkout process crashes on mobile.

Problem:

The defect may affect design, code, database, payment integration, and user experience.

5. Rework can be expensive

Late defects are usually more expensive because the team may need to redo completed work.

Example:

If password reset was built incorrectly, the team may need to change requirements, code, tests, documentation, and training materials.

Simple teaching line

Traditional quality often checks quality at the end. Agile tries to build quality throughout the work.

A good classroom example:

“If students write the whole assignment first and only check grammar at the end, fixing problems may be difficult. But if they check each section while writing, quality is built in earlier.”

REF: AI Tools/ChatGPT as is

Explain: Dashboard: Team: Sprint progress, quality, blockers, health

This is a team-level dashboard.

It answers:

How is the team doing right now, and what should we act on today or this sprint?

1. Sprint progress

This shows whether the team is on track to complete the sprint goal.

QuestionExample metric
Are we on track?Sprint burndown
How much work is left?Remaining story points / tasks
Are stories moving to Done?Completed vs remaining work
Is the sprint goal at risk?Sprint goal status

Teaching line:

Sprint progress tells the team whether the current sprint is moving toward completion.

Example:

Burndown line is above ideal → more work remains than expected → team may be behind.

2. Quality

This shows whether the team is delivering good work, not just fast work.

QuestionExample metric
Are defects increasing?Open bugs / escaped defects
Are tests passing?Test pass rate
Is code maintainable?Code quality / static analysis
Is work truly Done?DoD compliance

Teaching line:

Quality tells the team whether completed work is reliable, usable, and maintainable.

Example:

Velocity is high, but escaped defects are also high → team may be moving fast but not building quality in.

3. Blockers

This shows what is preventing the team from finishing work.

QuestionExample metric
What is stuck?Blocked items
Where is work waiting?WIP by column
Who needs help?Blocker owner
What needs escalation?Blocker age

Teaching line:

Blockers show where the team needs to swarm, help each other, or escalate.

Example:

Three stories are waiting for API access from another team → dependency blocker.

4. Team health

This shows how sustainable and healthy the team is.

QuestionExample metric
Is workload reasonable?Capacity vs commitment
Is morale okay?Team satisfaction survey
Is the team overloaded?WIP, overtime, unfinished work
Is collaboration working?Retrospective feedback

Teaching line:

Team health shows whether the team can continue delivering sustainably.

Example:

Team completed the sprint, but everyone worked overtime and satisfaction dropped → delivery may not be sustainable.

Simple classroom explanation

“A team dashboard is not mainly for executives. It helps the Agile team inspect and adapt during the sprint. It shows sprint progress, quality, blockers, and team health so the team knows what to fix next.”

Best short explanation

Team dashboard = daily/sprint-level decision dashboard. It helps the team see whether work is progressing, quality is good, blockers need attention, and the team is healthy enough to keep delivering.

REF: ChatGPT/AI Tools

Explain: Dashboard: Feature progress, dependencies, predictability

This is usually a program manager / product manager / ART-level dashboard idea.

It answers:

Are features moving forward, are cross-team dependencies under control, and can we predict delivery with confidence?

1. Feature progress

This shows how much work has been completed for major features.

Example questions:

QuestionExample dashboard metric
Which features are started?Feature status: Not started / In progress / Done
How much is complete?% complete or completed stories
Are features on track?Planned vs actual completion
Which features are at risk?Red/yellow/green status

Example:

FeatureProgressStatus
Search songs80%Green
Playlist sharing45%Yellow
Offline download20%Red

Teaching line:

Feature progress tells us whether important product capabilities are moving toward completion.

2. Dependencies

This shows whether one team is waiting for another team, system, vendor, or decision.

Example questions:

QuestionExample dashboard metric
Which team is blocked?Blocked dependency count
Who owns the dependency?Dependency owner
When is it needed?Needed-by date / sprint
Is the dependency late?On track / delayed / escalated

Example:

DependencyNeeded byOwnerStatus
Search API from Platform TeamSprint 2Team 4Yellow
Payment gateway approvalSprint 3VendorRed
UX design for sharing screenSprint 2UX TeamGreen

Teaching line:

Dependencies show where work may get stuck because one team needs something from another team.

3. Predictability

This shows whether the team or program usually delivers what it planned.

Example questions:

QuestionExample dashboard metric
Do teams finish what they commit to?Planned vs completed work
Is velocity stable?Velocity trend
Are delivery dates reliable?Forecast accuracy
Are sprint/PI objectives achieved?Objective completion rate

Example:

SprintPlannedCompletedPredictability
Sprint 130 pts28 pts93%
Sprint 232 pts30 pts94%
Sprint 335 pts20 pts57%

Teaching line:

Predictability tells us how confidently we can trust the plan.

Simple classroom explanation

“Feature progress tells us what is being delivered. Dependencies tell us what might block delivery. Predictability tells us whether the plan is realistic based on past delivery.”

Best short explanation

This dashboard helps managers see whether features are progressing, whether dependencies need attention, and whether delivery forecasts are reliable.

REF: AI Tools/ChatGPT

Explain: Dashboard: Executive: Portfolio health, outcomes, risk, budget

Executive dashboard means a high-level dashboard for senior leaders, not for daily team work.

It should answer:

Are our major initiatives healthy, delivering outcomes, within risk tolerance, and within budget?

1. Portfolio health

This shows whether the organization’s major projects/programs are generally on track.

Examples:

Portfolio health questionExample metric
Are major projects on track?% of initiatives green/yellow/red
Are key milestones being met?Milestone completion status
Are teams overloaded?Capacity vs demand
Are dependencies blocking progress?Critical dependency count

Teaching line:

Portfolio health tells executives whether the overall project portfolio is healthy or at risk.

2. Outcomes

This shows whether the work is producing business/customer value, not just activity.

Examples:

Outcome questionExample metric
Are customers happier?CSAT, NPS
Are users adopting the feature?Feature adoption rate
Are we improving delivery?Lead time reduction
Are we meeting strategic goals?OKR progress

Teaching line:

Outcomes show whether the work is creating value, not just completing tasks.

3. Risk

This shows major threats that could affect delivery, quality, compliance, security, or business results.

Examples:

Risk questionExample metric
What could delay delivery?High-risk dependencies
What could affect quality?Escaped defects, critical bugs
What could affect compliance/security?Open security issues
What needs executive attention?Top 5 risks with owners

Teaching line:

Risk tells executives where attention or escalation may be needed.

4. Budget

This shows whether spending is aligned with the plan and expected value.

Examples:

Budget questionExample metric
Are we within budget?Actual cost vs planned cost
Are we overspending?Budget variance
Are funds going to the right priorities?Spend by strategic theme/value stream
Are we getting value for money?Cost vs outcome

Teaching line:

Budget shows whether investment is controlled and aligned with business value.

Simple classroom explanation

“A team dashboard asks: What should the team do today?
An executive dashboard asks: Are we investing in the right work, getting value, managing risk, and staying within budget?”

Example executive dashboard

AreaExample status
Portfolio health7 projects green, 2 yellow, 1 red
OutcomesCustomer satisfaction improved from 4.0 to 4.4
RiskPayment integration is high risk and needs escalation
BudgetPortfolio is 6% over budget

Best short explanation:

Executive dashboard = big-picture decision dashboard. It focuses on portfolio health, business outcomes, major risks, and budget so leaders can decide where to invest, intervene, or adjust strategy.

Ref: ChatGPT/AI Tools

Define: CSAT, NPS, CES

CSAT — Customer Satisfaction Score

CSAT measures how satisfied customers are with a specific product, feature, service, or interaction.

Usually the customer is asked:

“How satisfied were you with this experience?”

Common scale:

1 to 5
1 = very dissatisfied
5 = very satisfied

Example:

After using a new checkout feature, customers rate it 4.5 out of 5.

Teaching line:

CSAT tells us whether customers are happy with what was delivered.


NPS — Net Promoter Score

NPS measures customer loyalty and likelihood of recommendation.

Usually the customer is asked:

“How likely are you to recommend this product to a friend or colleague?”

Scale:

0 to 10

General interpretation:

ScoreMeaning
9–10Promoters — very satisfied and likely to recommend
7–8Passive — satisfied but not strongly loyal
0–6Detractors — unhappy or unlikely to recommend

Teaching line:

NPS tells us whether customers like the product enough to recommend it.


CES — Customer Effort Score

CES measures how easy or difficult it is for customers to complete a task.

Usually the customer is asked:

“How easy was it to complete this task?”

Example tasks:

  • reset password,
  • place an order,
  • submit a support request,
  • find a product,
  • complete checkout.

Teaching line:

CES tells us how much effort the customer had to spend. Lower effort usually means a better user experience.


Simple comparison

MetricMain questionMeasures
CSATAre customers satisfied?Satisfaction
NPSWould customers recommend us?Loyalty/recommendation
CESWas it easy for customers?Ease of use / effort

Easy example

For a campus food ordering app:

MetricExample question
CSAT“How satisfied are you with the food ordering app?”
NPS“Would you recommend this app to other students?”
CES“How easy was it to place your order?”