Kanban vs Scrum: What's the Difference?

In today's fast-moving business environment, understanding the distinctions between Kanban vs Scrum—two key frameworks in the Agile —is vital. The comparison of Kanban and Scrum offers iterative and flexible approaches to Project Management that allow teams to deliver value quickly while maintaining adaptability and transparency. 

According to the State of Kanban Report of 2022, approximately 85 per cent of project teams find the Kanban Board more effective than other methods. Additionally, the report highlights that 90 per cent of respondents implement Scrum methodologies in their projects. Explore this blog to uncover the nuances of each framework and determine which method, Kanban vs Scrum, might be best suited for your project needs.

Table of Contents 

1) What is Kanban?   

2) What is Scrum?

3) Key differences between Kanban vs Scrum 

4) Synergy between Kanban and Scrum 

5) Conclusion

What is Kanban?

Kanban is a lean Project Management tool designed to enhance efficiency through visual management. Originating in Japanese manufacturing circles at Toyota, it is now widely applied across various industries for managing work at every stage of production. At its core, Kanban helps teams visualise their workflow, limit work-in-progress, and maximise efficiency.  

The process involves using a Kanban Board, typically segmented into columns such as "To Do," "In Progress," and "Completed." This method fosters better team collaboration and continuous process improvement, making it an effective strategy for teams seeking a flexible and transparent approach to Project Management.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a structured framework for managing complex projects in Software Development and other fields. It breaks down large projects into smaller, manageable chunks known as sprints, typically lasting two to four weeks. Each sprint starts with a planning meeting where team members commit to delivering specific pieces of work.  

The process is facilitated by key roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master and the Development Team. This framework emphasises accountability, teamwork, and iterative progress toward a well-defined goal, making it highly effective for projects where requirements are rapidly changing.

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Key differences between Kanban and Scrum

When it comes to Project Management, Kanban and Scrum lead the pack, especially in the realm of Agile development. Both are popular for their efficiency in handling projects but cater to different types of workflows and team dynamics. Here is the detailed distinction:

Focus

Kanban focuses on streamlining and improving the flow of work. It emphasises reducing bottlenecks, managing work in progress, and visualising tasks through a Kanban Board. This approach allows for a smoother workflow and quick identification of blockages. 

On the other hand, Scrum workflow concentrates on achieving specific goals within each sprint cycle. It is designed to handle complex projects that benefit from incremental development and frequent reassessment of tasks.

Flexibility

Flexibility is where Kanban shines. It adapts to changes in priority or scope without disrupting the current flow of work, making it ideal for environments where requirements can change rapidly. 

In contrast, Scrum is less flexible in terms of scope changes during sprints but offers flexibility through its regular sprint reviews and retrospectives, which allow teams to pivot and adjust before the next sprint begins.

Planning

In Kanban, planning is continuous and less formal. Tasks are pulled from a backlog and moved onto the board as capacity allows, which supports just-in-time delivery of features.

 On the other hand, Scrum involves more structured planning, primarily through sprint planning meetings where the team commits to specific tasks for the upcoming sprint, aiming to deliver a potentially shippable product increment at the end.

Metrics

Kanban utilises metrics such as lead time, cycle time, and throughput to measure the flow of work and efficiency. These metrics help teams understand their productivity and identify areas for improvement. 

In contrast, Scrum focuses on sprint burndown charts and velocity as key metrics, which help gauge the team's speed and predict future performance based on historical data.

Adaptability

Kanban is highly adaptable due to its lack of prescribed roles or iterations. This makes it easy to integrate with other practices and to be tailored to the specific needs of a team. 

On the other hand, Scrum is adaptable but through its sprint retrospectives. Teams can discuss what worked, what did not, and how processes can be improved for better results in the next iteration.

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Roles and responsibilities

Scrum has defined roles: the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team. Each role has specific responsibilities, making it clear who is accountable for what.

 In contrast, Kanban does not have defined roles, offering more flexibility but requiring a higher level of maturity and self-management from the team members to ensure everyone contributes effectively.

Customer engagement

Kanban involves the customer primarily through the continuous delivery of work items, which can quickly adapt to changing customer needs. This ongoing interaction ensures that the product evolves in close alignment with what the customer wants. 

On the other hand, Scrum engages customers at the end of each sprint during the sprint review, where stakeholders can provide feedback on the increment delivered, ensuring the product is developed according to their expectations.

Synergy between Kanban and Scrum

While Kanban and Scrum play different roles in  distinct Project Management, many organisations find value in combining elements of both to create a more adaptable and efficient workflow. This hybrid approach, often referred to as Scrumban, leverages the strengths of each method to enhance team productivity and Project Management. The commonalities between these two are mentioned below: 

a) Blending flexibility and structure: Scrumban uses the flexible approach of Kanban within the structured framework of Scrum. This allows teams to plan sprints as in Scrum, but with the ability to update and adapt their task boards as work progresses, akin to Kanban. This blend helps manage both the predictable and the unpredictable aspects of projects, ensuring more consistent delivery of value. 

b) Meeting and planning adaptations: Scrumban typically involves the regular sprint planning meetings of Scrum but integrates the continuous workflow of Kanban. This means while there may be a set plan for the sprint, the team can dynamically adjust their workload based on immediate needs and blockages, much like in Kanban. 

c) Roles and responsibilities: In Scrumban, the defined roles of Scrum (Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team) are often maintained to keep clarity of responsibilities, but flexibility in role definitions from Kanban is also adopted. This allows team members to be more versatile and to take on various tasks as needed. 

d) Metrics for continuous improvement: By combining Kanban's metrics like cycle time and throughput with Scrum's focus on sprint goals and Scrum Velocity, Scrumban provides a comprehensive view of both individual workflow efficiencies and overall project progress. This dual approach helps teams measure and optimise their process continuously. 

e) Enhanced customer engagement: The synergy of Kanban and Scrum also improves the way teams engage with customers. Like in Scrum, regular reviews keep the project aligned with customer needs, while Kanban's continuous delivery ensures that any changes or feedback can be quickly incorporated into the project without waiting for the next sprint cycle.

Also learn about the difference between Kanban and Agile in Kanban vs Agile blog.

Conclusion 

By understanding the key differences and strengths of both Scrum and Kanban, as outlined in our blog "Kanban vs Scrum," teams can make informed choices that best suit their operational goals. Additionally, the synergy between Kanban and Scrum can offer teams a versatile and dynamic framework, combining structured planning with flexibility in execution. This approach can be the solution for teams looking to enhance their productivity and streamline their Project Management processes effectively.

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