How do Scrum and Kanban manage team capacity?
Scrum caps workload through the sprint commitment: the team commits to what its iteration capacity allows, accounting for absences. Kanban caps it through work-in-progress (WIP) limits: the team starts nothing new once the limit is reached. In both cases, realistic capacity is still needed to size the commitment or the limit.
Kanban, Scrum, and capacity
Scrum caps workload per iteration, Kanban through work-in-progress limits.
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Scrum: capacity per iteration
- Sprint capacity is computed from available days and velocity.
- The team commits to a scope compatible with that capacity.
- Absences, leave, and events are deducted before committing.
Kanban: capacity per flow
- WIP limits prevent opening too many items at once.
- Throughput (items completed per period) replaces velocity.
- Capacity helps set limits consistent with team size.
What they have in common
- Both avoid overload by refusing to start more than the team can absorb.
- Neither says how to share a person across several teams: that is the role of a consolidated capacity view.
FAQ
Do you need a capacity tool with Kanban?
For a single team, no. As soon as people are shared across teams or projects, a consolidated capacity view prevents double assignments.
What is the difference between velocity and throughput?
Velocity measures points completed per iteration; throughput counts items completed per unit of time.
Do WIP limits replace capacity?
No, they protect it: capacity helps size them.
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