The primary effect of limiting Work in Progress (WIP) is to create a pull system. A pull system ensures that new work is only started when there is capacity, meaning that work is "pulled" into the system when the team has the availability to do so. This approach prevents overloading the team and helps maintain a steady and predictable flow of work, aligning with the Kanban practices within the Scrum framework

Work Item Age is the amount of time a work item has been in progress. It acts as a leading indicator for the length of the Scrum Team's feedback loop for that item. If a work item stays in progress for too long, it indicates that feedback is delayed, potentially impacting the team's ability to adapt and respond effectively. Tracking Work Item Age helps the team monitor flow and take timely actions to ensure that feedback loops remain short and effective

When WIP limits are implemented, Developers are encouraged to focus on completing existing tasks rather than starting new ones. This leads to a more collaborative approach, as team members may swarm to complete items together. Additionally, limiting WIP enhances transparency in the process, which in turn strengthens self-management by the team. These principles align with Kanban’s emphasis on active management and the Scrum framework's focus on collaboration. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.

Cycle Time measures the time taken to complete individual work items, and while some items might take longer than a Sprint, on average, teams aim to have Cycle Times shorter than the Sprint duration to ensure a smooth flow and regular delivery of value. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.

The decision on whether Kanban is a beneficial complement to Scrum lies with the entire Scrum Team. This includes the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers, who collaboratively evaluate their workflow and decide if Kanban practices would improve flow and meet their specific needs. This is not the responsibility of a single role but a collective decision for effective self-management and ownership​​.

The Definition of Workflow includes the agreed-upon points at which the Scrum Team considers work to have started and finished. These points are determined based on the boundaries and scope of the team's workflow. This definition must be clearly understood by the entire team to track Work in Progress (WIP) effectively and manage flow efficiently. It is up to the Scrum Team to define these boundaries to suit their specific context and workflow needs.

The best answer is option A, which outlines the core Kanban practices for Scrum:

•Visualizing Flow: Helps the team see the state of work items at a glance.

•Limiting Work in Progress (WIP): Prevents overloading the team and promotes focus on completing work.

•Actively Managing the WIP: Ensures the team continuously monitors and manages the amount of work in progress.

•Inspecting and Adapting the Workflow: Regularly reviewing and adjusting the workflow to improve efficiency and effectiveness

In Professional Scrum with Kanban, the Work in Progress (WIP) limits are set as a policy to maintain a sustainable flow of work. Urgent work emerging does not automatically warrant changing these WIP limits; instead, the team should first discuss how to accommodate the urgent work within the existing constraints. Modifying WIP limits for urgent work could undermine the benefits of a controlled flow, which is why urgent work should not be a reason to change WIP limits during a Sprint

Supplementing Scrum with Kanban practices encourages team collaboration and swarming. Kanban practices such as visualizing the workflow, limiting WIP, and focusing on flow metrics foster an environment where team members are more likely to collaborate closely to resolve bottlenecks and ensure a steady flow of work. This collaboration, often called "swarming," involves team members working together on fewer items to complete them faster, thereby enhancing team dynamics and efficiency

When Developers limit Work in Progress (WIP) within a Sprint:

1.Developers Stop Beginning Work and Start Finishing Work (Option A):

Limiting WIP encourages the team to focus on completing work that has already been started rather than starting new tasks. This "stop starting, start finishing" approach helps to reduce multitasking and ensures that tasks are completed more efficiently(

2.Self-management Strengthened Due to Increased Transparency (Option C):

Limiting WIP increases transparency by clearly showing what work is in progress and what remains to be done. This heightened visibility encourages the Developers to self-manage more effectively, as they can see what needs attention and make collective decisions about the next steps(

3.Increased Collaboration/Swarming Between Developers (Option D):

With a limited amount of work in progress, Developers are more likely to collaborate or "swarm" on the tasks that are currently active. This can lead to faster completion of tasks, shared knowledge among team members, and a stronger sense of teamwork(

Option B (The amount of work done by the end of the Sprint would be reduced) is not necessarily correct. Limiting WIP does not inherently reduce the amount of work completed; instead, it aims to improve focus, reduce waste, and ensure more consistent delivery.

Cycle Time is a lagging indicator, meaning it can only be measured after a work item is complete. Therefore, it cannot be used as a leading indicator of the length of the feedback loop (Option A). Additionally, Cycle Time is not typically used during the Daily Scrum to help Developers inspect and adapt their Sprint; rather, it is more often used to assess overall process efficiency

If the Product Owner requests that an urgent, unplanned work item be added during the Sprint, and it aligns with the Sprint Goal but does not fit within the current WIP limits, the Developers should:

1.Add the urgent item to their Sprint Backlog but only start working on it when their WIP Limits allow it (Option A): This maintains the integrity of the WIP limits and ensures that the team doesn't overcommit or create too much work in progress, which could affect flow and focus.

2.Take on the urgent item as an exception to the WIP Limits and visualize that they are above their WIP Limit (Option C): By taking on the urgent item as an exception, the team can address the urgency while being transparent about the temporary breach of the WIP limits. This visualization helps the team and stakeholders understand the current state of work and its impact(

Options B (Adjust the WIP Limits) and D (Reject the urgent item) are less suitable because they either undermine the WIP control mechanism or fail to accommodate a potentially critical change that aligns with the Sprint Goal.

An SLE indicates the expected time frame within which work items should be completed, expressed as a percentage probability over a specific range of days. This helps Scrum Teams using Kanban to establish realistic expectations about delivery timelines. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​.

The Work Item Aging Chart is the best chart to determine when a specific Sprint Backlog item that has been started will be finished. This chart provides a visual representation of how long each work item has been in progress, without being completed. It focuses on items that are currently active and helps teams identify which items are aging too much in the workflow, which might require attention to ensure they are completed promptly. The Work Item Aging Chart helps to quickly identify items that might be taking longer than expected, making it ideal for forecasting when a started item will be finished

During a flow-based Daily Scrum, the team is likely to review metrics such as Work Item Age and Work in Progress (WIP):

•Work Item Age: Helps to identify items that have been in progress for a longer time than expected, signaling possible impediments or the need for swarming to complete those items.

•Work in Progress (WIP): Indicates the number of items currently being worked on, ensuring that the team is not exceeding the agreed WIP limits, which is crucial for maintaining a steady flow

The Scrum framework contains elements that can be treated as explicit policies. For example, Scrum defines specific roles, events, and artifacts, which are treated as rules or guidelines that the team must follow to maintain Scrum's framework. In the context of Scrum with Kanban, additional explicit policies, such as Work in Progress (WIP) limits, may also be established to further optimize flow