Kanban and Scrum are used as different or amalgamated approaches to achieve team efficiency and better governance. Here is some handy comparison of both.
Scrum is an Agile framework that incorporates accountability, inspection and adaptation, and transparency as its fundamental pillars. The three roles- Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team takes accountability of their jobs to ensure that everyone knows what had to be done by whom. Scrum is focused on project delivery and is thus best suited for complex projects with strict deadlines.
Kanban on the other hand focuses on managing the workflow of a project, rather than its delivery. That is why Kanban needs more discipline in the team for project success.
| Kanban | Scrum | |
|---|---|---|
| Roles and Responsibilities | There are no pre-defined roles for a team. Although there may still be a Project Manager, the team is encouraged to collaborate and chip in when any one person becomes overwhelmed. | Each team member has a predefined role, where the Scrum master dictates timelines, Product owner defines goals and objectives and team members execute the work. |
| Due Dates / Delivery Timelines | Products and processes are delivered continuously on an as-needed basis (with due dates determined by the business as needed). | Deliverables are determined by sprints, or set periods of time in which a set of work must be completed and ready for review. |
| Delegation & Prioritization | Uses a “pull system,” or a systematic workflow that allows team members to only “pull” new tasks once the previous task is complete. | Also uses a “pull system” however an entire batch is pulled for each iteration. |
| Modifications / Changes | Allows for changes to be made to a project mid-stream, allowing for iterations and continuous improvement prior to the completion of a project. | Changes during the sprint are strongly discouraged. |
| Measurement of Productivity | Measures production using “cycle time,” or the amount of time it takes to complete one full piece of a project from beginning to end. | Measures production using velocity through sprints. Each sprint is laid out back-to-back and/or concurrently so that each additional sprint relies on the success of the one before it. |
| Best Applications | Best for projects with widely-varying priorities. | Best for teams with stable priorities that may not change as much over time. |
Where does Agile fit into all this?
The last methodology to be compared in the Kanban vs Scrum vs Agile debate – some argue would argue that Agile is a frame of mind as opposed to a methodology. Agile is a process that encourages and enables teams to provide quick responses to feedback within their projects. Analysis and improvement do not come after the product is built, rather it is present throughout the entire process in Agile. Think of Agile as taking a number of small, quick steps, as opposed to one giant leap. Everything is fluid, including an Agile team’s responses to issues.
The product manager will typically take the lead on deciding what to prioritize, but the team will generally decide amongst themselves how this work will be completed. Agile teams agree on a pre-defined outcome, and then the ‘definition of done’ is used to decide what work is completed and what is yet to be finished. It’s snappy – team members can quickly inform others that something is done, allowing individuals to move on to other pieces of work right away.
For product managers and other leaders, this can be a nerve-wracking process. Agile needs trust above all else – trust that everyone in the team will carry their weight and work will be done on time. It is nearly always the case that agile teams experience enhanced pride and ownership in their work specifically because of this trust and so do everything possible to exceed expectations.
A view on SDLC:
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