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:
| Sprint | Completed stories | Throughput |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint 1 | 8 | 8 stories/sprint |
| Sprint 2 | 10 | 10 stories/sprint |
| Sprint 3 | 9 | 9 stories/sprint |
Average throughput:
9 stories per sprint
Throughput vs velocity in Scrum
| Metric | Measures |
|---|---|
| Velocity | Total story points completed in a sprint |
| Throughput | Number 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
