Agile: Scrum or Kanban

Agile methodologies have revolutionized the way software development teams work. Scrum and Kanban are two of the most popular methodologies used today. Both Scrum and Kanban share the same values and principles of the Agile Manifesto, but they have different approaches to managing the work.

Scrum is a framework that is used to manage complex projects. It is an iterative and incremental process that involves a set of predefined roles, events, artifacts, and rules. Scrum is particularly effective when the team is set and tenured and has a healthy backlog of groomed stories with a product owner on the team.

Kanban, on the other hand, is a visual framework used to manage work. It focuses on continuous delivery and visualizing the flow of work. It is particularly effective for development initiatives that involve a great deal of research and learning by the development team or with teams that are stacked only with developers and no product owners.

Let’s dive deeper into the differences between Scrum and Kanban:

Roles and Responsibilities

Scrum has three primary roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Development Team. The Product Owner is responsible for managing the product backlog, prioritizing tasks, and ensuring the team is working on the most important items. The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring the team is following the Scrum framework, facilitating meetings, and removing obstacles. The Development Team is responsible for delivering the product increment.

Kanban, on the other hand, doesn’t prescribe specific roles. It is more flexible in this regard and allows teams to define their own roles and responsibilities. The focus is on visualizing the flow of work and making sure work is flowing smoothly through the system.

Iterations and Continuous Flow

Scrum is based on the concept of iterations or sprints. Each sprint lasts for a fixed period of time, typically between 1–4 weeks, during which the team works on a set of predefined tasks. At the end of the sprint, the team delivers a working increment of the product.

Kanban, on the other hand, is based on the concept of continuous flow. Work is pulled from a backlog and completed as quickly as possible, without the constraints of a fixed sprint length. Work is continuously delivered throughout the process.

Planning and Estimation

Scrum requires planning and estimation before the start of each sprint. The team estimates how much work can be done during the sprint and creates a sprint backlog. The sprint backlog is a prioritized list of tasks that the team will work on during the sprint.

Kanban, on the other hand, doesn’t require planning and estimation before work begins. Work is pulled from the backlog as capacity allows, and the team focuses on completing work as quickly as possible.

Visual Management

Visual management is an important aspect of both Scrum and Kanban. Scrum uses a physical or digital scrum board to track the progress of the sprint. The board is typically divided into columns representing the different stages of the sprint, such as “To Do”, “In Progress”, and “Done”.

Kanban also uses a visual board, called a Kanban board, to track the progress of work. The board is typically divided into columns representing the different stages of the work, such as “To Do”, “In Progress”, and “Done”. The Kanban board provides a clear visualization of the work, making it easier for the team to manage and prioritize their work.

Conclusion Both Scrum and Kanban are highly effective Agile methodologies for managing software development projects. Scrum is most suitable for established teams with a well-maintained backlog of user stories and a product owner onboard. In contrast, Kanban is best suited for development projects that require significant research and learning by the development team or for teams composed solely of developers without a product owner.