Scrum vs. Kanban: Which Methodology is Right for Your Team?

Scrum and Kanban have emerged as the two most in-demand methodologies for Agile Project Management. Today’s Product Owners and Project Managers find both frameworks useful with different benefits and unique advantages.

Both Scrum and Kanban have great contributions to improving overall team productivity. However, enterprises often find it challenging to choose between the two because:

• Both frameworks require a certain cultural fit, making it challenging to determine which approach aligns better with the organization's values.
• Due to a lack of understanding of the differences, enterprises may struggle to determine which framework suits their project's complexity and requirements better.

Which framework is suitable for which type of enterprise project? What are the key differences between the two frameworks? This article will help you decide which methodology is right for your team!

A Quick Overview of Scrum:

Scrum is an iterative agile framework focusing on incremental delivery of small and frequent Product Releases. The Scrum methodology relies on various activities, such as Daily Scrum, Sprint Planning meetings, Sprint Retrospectives, and Sprint Reviews. These operational activities help project teams stay on track and ensure that the Product Goal is achieved.

Scrum Team and Developers commit to completing the incremental User Stories through a set of intervals called ‘Sprints.’ The Sprint Goal creates continuous workflow loops to gather and integrate customer feedback. Each Scrum Team member adopts specific roles to make Sprint Artifacts. The team coordinates with the Developers and Operations Teams to complete the Work Items before the PI Planning.

A Quick Overview of Kanban:

Conversely, Kanban is a flexible methodology emphasizing Continuous Improvement and Flow. It visualizes the workflow and limits work in progress (WIP) to improve the team's efficiency. The Kanban board is the core element of this methodology, representing the project's workflow and showing the status of each task. The Agile Team can see the work that needs to be done, what is in progress, and what is completed.

Unlike Scrum, Kanban does not have predefined roles or ceremonies. Instead, it promotes a self-organizing team that takes ownership of the work. Kanban is suitable for units with varying workloads and project types. It allows complete flexibility for managing tasks. It also provides better transparency and enables teams to identify bottlenecks, resulting in increased productivity and faster value delivery to the customer.

Scrum vs. Kanban: Key Differences

While both Scrum and Kanban are agile methodologies, they have some key differences. One of the main differences is that Scrum is an iterative approach, while Kanban is a continuous approach. In Scrum, work is organized into sprints, which are timeboxed periods of weeks. In Kanban, Agile Teams work continuously to complete tasks individually as they keep adding to the Kanban board.

Another key difference is that Scrum is more prescriptive than Kanban. Scrum provides a set of rules and Use Cases that must be followed. In contrast, Kanban is more flexible without having specific traditions or Use Cases, allowing Agile Teams to customize the workflows.

Scrum Tools vs. Kanban Tools:

Scrum and Kanban have their own set of tools that can help project teams manage their work more effectively. 

Scrum tools typically include software like Azure DevOps Board, etc., supporting Sprint Planning, Product Backlog Refinement, and Team Collaboration. Popular Scrum tools also include Jira, Trello, and Asana. 

On the other hand, Kanban tools focus on visualizing work and optimizing workflow. Popular Kanban tools include LeanKit, KanbanFlow, and Trello.

When to Use Scrum? 

Scrum is an ideal methodology for teams that need structure and guidance to manage their work effectively. It is particularly useful for complex projects requiring high collaboration and communication between team members. Scrum can also help teams manage risk and quickly respond to changes in requirements.

When to Use Kanban?

Kanban is a better fit for teams that need flexibility and prefer to work at a steady pace. It is particularly useful for groups working on projects with fluctuating priorities or requiring a high degree of specialization. Kanban can also be helpful for teams that are new to agile methodologies and want to ease into the process.

Kanban vs. Scrum: What if you can't choose?

If you're still unsure which methodology to choose, don't worry! Sometimes, teams may find that a combination of Scrum and Kanban works best for them. This approach is sometimes referred to as ‘Scrumban.’ Scrumban combines the structure of Scrum with the flexibility of Kanban. Teams that use Scrumban start with Scrum but gradually introduce Kanban elements to make the process more flexible.

Choosing between Scrum and Kanban can be challenging, but selecting the methodology best fits your team's needs is important. Consider your team's goals and project requirements to determine which method will help you succeed!

Reference

1. https://www.atlassian.com/agile/kanban/kanban-vs-scrum