Both are methodologies built on top of two different prior frameworks. Scrum is derived from the agile methodology, and it serves as a way to manage complex product development projects. Kanban instead was derived from lean manufacturing, and it also serves as product development and project management methodology in business to get things done.
Aspect
Scrum
Kanban
Framework Type
– Scrum is an Agile framework for iterative and incremental product development. It is particularly suited for projects with changing requirements. – Scrum provides specific roles, events, and artifacts to structure the development process.
– Kanban is a visual project management technique that focuses on workflow optimization. It originated in manufacturing but is widely used in knowledge work, including software development. – Kanban does not prescribe specific roles or events and is less prescriptive than Scrum.
Roles
– Scrum defines three primary roles: 1. Scrum Master: Responsible for facilitating the Scrum process and removing impediments. 2. Product Owner: Represents the stakeholders and defines product backlog items. 3. Development Team: Self-organizing team responsible for delivering product increments.
– Kanban does not prescribe specific roles. Teams are often cross-functional, with members collectively responsible for managing and improving their workflow.
Events
– Scrum includes specific events: 1. Sprint: Time-boxed iterations (usually 2-4 weeks) during which a potentially shippable product increment is created. 2. Daily Scrum: A daily 15-minute stand-up meeting for the Development Team to synchronize and plan work. 3. Sprint Review: A meeting at the end of each sprint to inspect and adapt the product. 4. Sprint Retrospective: A meeting at the end of each sprint for the team to reflect on their processes and identify improvements.
– Kanban does not have predefined events like Scrum. Instead, it visualizes the workflow and continuously pulls work items through various stages. Teams may hold regular meetings, such as daily stand-ups or service delivery reviews, as needed.
Artifacts
– Scrum defines several artifacts: 1. Product Backlog: A prioritized list of requirements or features. 2. Sprint Backlog: A subset of the product backlog items selected for a specific sprint. 3. Increment: The product increment created during a sprint. 4. Burndown Chart: A visual representation of work remaining in the sprint backlog.
– Kanban primarily uses a Kanban board, which is a visual representation of the workflow. It may include columns for “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” Work items, represented by cards, move from one column to another as they progress.
Work Planning
– Scrum plans work in time-boxed iterations (sprints). At the beginning of each sprint, the team selects a set of product backlog items to work on during the sprint. The sprint goal is defined, and the team commits to delivering a potentially shippable product increment by the sprint’s end.
– Kanban does not rely on fixed-length iterations. Work is continuously pulled as capacity becomes available. There are no sprint commitments, and teams can respond to changing priorities more flexibly.
Work in Progress (WIP)
– Scrum does not explicitly limit work in progress within a sprint. The focus is on delivering the committed items by the end of the sprint.
– Kanban actively manages and limits work in progress. Teams set explicit WIP limits for each stage of the workflow, preventing overloading and improving flow.
Change Management
– Scrum discourages changes to the sprint backlog during a sprint to maintain stability and focus on the sprint goal. Changes are addressed in subsequent sprints.
– Kanban allows for more flexibility in handling changes. New work items can be introduced or reprioritized as needed, often with minimal disruption.
Performance Metrics
– Scrum commonly uses metrics like velocity (the amount of work completed in a sprint) and sprint burndown charts (showing remaining work) to track progress.
– Kanban focuses on metrics such as cycle time (the time it takes to complete a work item) and throughput (the rate at which work items are completed) to measure and optimize workflow efficiency.
Continuous Improvement
– Scrum encourages continuous improvement through sprint retrospectives, where the team reflects on their processes and identifies areas for enhancement.
– Kanban emphasizes continuous improvement as a core principle. Teams regularly review their workflow and make incremental changes to optimize it.
Use Cases
– Scrum is well-suited for projects with evolving requirements and a need for predictable, iterative delivery. It is commonly used in software development but is applicable to various industries.
– Kanban is versatile and can be used in any knowledge work environment where visualizing workflow and optimizing processes are beneficial. It is especially useful for teams with fluctuating workloads and varying priorities.
Cadence and Rhythm
– Scrum operates with fixed cadences, such as sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and sprint reviews, to provide structure and synchronization.
– Kanban does not prescribe fixed cadences. Workflows can be as continuous as needed, allowing for more flexibility in responding to changes and demands.
Visual Management
– Scrum may use task boards or sprint backlogs for visualizing work within a sprint.
– Kanban relies heavily on visual management through the Kanban board, where work items move through columns representing different stages of the workflow.
Common Tools
– Common tools for Scrum include Jira, Trello, and Azure DevOps.
– Common tools for Kanban include Trello, Kanbanize, and LeanKit.
Scrum is a methodology that Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland co-created for effective team collaboration on complex products. Scrum was primarily thought for software development projects to deliver new software capability every 2-4 weeks. It is a sub-group of agile also used in project management to improve startups’ productivity.
Kanban is a lean manufacturing framework developed by Toyota in the late 1940s. The Kanban framework is a means of visualizing work as it moves through identifying potential bottlenecks. It does that through a process called just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing to optimize engineering processes, speed up manufacturing products, and improve the go-to-market strategy.
Similarities:
Agile Foundation: Both Scrum and Kanban are methodologies rooted in Agile principles, emphasizing customer collaboration, adaptability, and iterative development.
Visual Management: Both methodologies utilize visual management techniques to enhance transparency and improve communication within teams.
Continuous Improvement: Both frameworks encourage teams to continuously reflect on their processes and make adjustments for better outcomes.
Flexibility: Both Scrum and Kanban offer flexibility in adapting to changing project requirements and conditions.
Differences:
Time-Boxed vs Continuous: Scrum employs time-boxed iterations (sprints) with fixed durations, while Kanban operates on a continuous flow of work without predefined time-boxes.
Roles: Scrum defines specific roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team), whereas Kanban doesn’t prescribe specific roles, allowing more fluid team structures.
Events: Scrum includes defined events (Daily Standup, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective), while Kanban does not enforce any specific events, allowing teams to design their own processes.
Work in Progress (WIP) Limits: Kanban places a strong emphasis on setting and enforcing WIP limits to control the amount of work in progress at any given time. Scrum does not have explicit WIP limits.
Planning: Scrum involves upfront sprint planning where a set of tasks is committed for the upcoming sprint. Kanban focuses on pulling new work when capacity allows, with less emphasis on upfront planning.
Iterations vs Continuous Flow: Scrum work is organized into fixed iterations with deliverables at the end of each sprint. Kanban supports continuous and incremental delivery without distinct iterations.
Change Management: Scrum tends to resist changes within a sprint to maintain stability. Kanban handles changes more dynamically, allowing new work to be incorporated as needed.
Focus: Scrum emphasizes delivering a potentially shippable product increment by the end of each sprint. Kanban focuses on optimizing the flow of work and identifying bottlenecks.
Metrics: Kanban relies more on quantitative metrics like cycle time and lead time to analyze process efficiency. Scrum places more emphasis on qualitative feedback and team collaboration.
Sprint Commitment: In Scrum, the team commits to completing a set of tasks during the sprint. In Kanban, work items are pulled based on capacity and priority without explicit commitment.
Key Takeaway
In summary, both Scrum and Kanban share the Agile foundation and a focus on continuous improvement, but they differ in terms of their approach to time-boxing, roles, events, workflow management, and planning. The choice between Scrum and Kanban depends on the specific needs and preferences of the team and the project at hand.
Both tools are handy within the Agile philosophy. At the same time, the Scrum methodology prioritizes short software development cycles to speed up shipping while kicking off an iterative process. Kanban is an excellent tool for visualizing the process as it moves along and enabling bottlenecks to be overcome.
Is Kanban harder than Scrum?
Kanban is a much simpler visualization tool to enable projects to move swiftly while trying to avoid or tackle bottlenecks. At the same time, Scrum is a more encompassing methodology that needs to be built into the company’s organizational structure to work in full swing.
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Scrumban is a project management framework that is a hybrid of two popular agile methodologies: Scrum and Kanban. Scrumban is a popular approach to helping businesses focus on the right strategic tasks while simultaneously strengthening their processes.
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Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
