Set the storyboard mode

The storyboard can operate in two different modes: Scrum Mode or Kanban Mode.

You can work with Scrum or Kanban methodologies, or use the storyboard's flexibility to manage a Scrumban methodology that suits your team best.

Scrum mode Kanban mode

In Scrum Mode you continue to work in sprint cycles, but at the same time benefit from the flow and rules that the storyboard provides.

At the beginning of each sprint you plan a sprint backlog, from which you take items for the storyboard. The sprint ends with a sprint closure, in which you reassign items that remain in the Planning and In Progress stages to the next sprint.

The storyboard enables you to model the flow of work items through defined stages, and to gain insight into cycle times – the time it takes work items to complete their journey through the storyboard.

If you want to work on backlog items continuously throughout the release, choose the Kanban Mode.

The flow of work items is governed only by the work-in-progress (WIP) limit and time limit set for each stage.

Tip: Agile Manager requires you to define at least one sprint per release, so if you work with pure Kanban, define the release with a single sprint.

You can also define multiple sprints, although this is not recommended for working in Kanban mode.

Set the storyboard mode

The storyboard mode is set at the release level, and applies to all the teams in a release.

  1. In Configuration, select Release > Release Details.
  2. Select the release you want to configure.
  3. On the left sidebar, click Additional Details.
  4. Under Set Storyboard Mode, select a mode.

After you change the storyboard mode, users must log out and log in again for the change to take effect.

Storyboard mode — detailed comparisons

The following table highlights some of the main differences between the two modes:

  Scrum mode Kanban mode
Where do I take items from for the storyboard?

Drag items from the Sprint Backlog lane onto the storyboard, or add items from the release backlog.

Adding items from the release backlog adds them to the sprint currently displayed.
What is displayed on the storyboard?

Backlog items assigned to the current sprint.

Backlog items your team has worked on throughout the release.

The Sprint Backlog lane displays only items assigned to the current sprint. When you move items into other lanes, they remain on the storyboard for the rest of the release.
What happens to open items at the end of a sprint?

On the Sprint Closure page, reassign any open items to the next sprint.

Items assigned to previous sprints no longer appear on the storyboard.

Items remain on the storyboard for the entire release.

If you are working with sprints, items in the Sprint Backlog column will change to the items assigned to the new sprint.
How do I prepare the storyboard for the next sprint?

Create a sprint backlog that includes items you carried over from the previous sprint and other items from the release backlog.

If you are working in Kanban mode with sprints, create a sprint backlog that includes items you carried over from the previous sprint and other items from the release backlog.

Items remain on the storyboard for the entire release, even after a sprint is completed. Items in the Sprint Backlog lane change with each sprint.

See also: