Kanban vs Scrum vs Agile: A Detailed Comparison to Find Differences

A Thorough Comparison of Kanban, Scrum, and Agile

Are you aiming to efficiently complete your projects on time? Are you facing challenges in a complex project? Are you struggling in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment? Have you been advised to follow an agile methodology to overcome these obstacles?

When it comes to agile methodologies, different people have different opinions. Some advocate for Kanban, while others support Scrum. This only adds to the confusion.

This post aims to eliminate this confusion.

In this article, we will discuss Kanban and Scrum, exploring what the Kanban framework is, what Scrum is, and how they differ from each other.

What is Kanban?

• First and foremost, Kanban means “Visual Signal” in Japanese. The Kanban process focuses on visualizing the current tasks.
• The Kanban process revolves around a “Kanban Board,” which plays a significant role in displaying the workflow and optimizing the flow of tasks between different teams.
• Companies can choose between physical and virtual Kanban boards. Virtual boards offer advantages in terms of availability and accessibility across different locations.
• Kanban boards typically have three segments: To Do, In Progress, and Done.

• Depending on the project, team size, workflow, the Kanban board can be customized. It can have modified segments such as To Do, In Progress, Code Review, In Testing, Deliverable, etc.
• Each work item on the Kanban board is represented by a Kanban Card, which enables the team to visually track the work.
• The Kanban Card provides information about the work item, its responsibilities, estimated completion time, and the current status.
• This allows the team to anticipate challenges, quickly address blockers, increase traceability, and reduce dependencies.
• In the Kanban process, the team only focuses on the work item that is currently in progress. Once a work item is moved to the done state, they select the next item from the backlog/to-do list.
• The most critical work items are prioritized at the top of the to-do list by the product owner. If necessary, priorities can be adjusted.
• Kanban does not follow fixed-length iterations. It is based on cycle times, which refer to the time needed to move a work item from the To Do state to the Done state.
• Kanban also emphasizes the importance of overlapping skill sets. A resource with multiple skill sets can contribute to different dimensions of the work item, reducing dependencies and cycle time. For example, a developer can switch to testing when needed, instead of focusing solely on development.

What is Scrum?

• Similar to Kanban, Scrum is another framework for implementing Agile. Scrum distinguishes itself with defined iteration durations and role-based tracking/approach.
• Scrum follows fixed-length iterations called sprints, which typically range from 2 weeks to 1 month.
• Each sprint begins with a Sprint Planning meeting, where the backlog/work items for that sprint are finalized. The sprint’s estimation is also justified in this phase.
  • Selection of product backlog items for the specific sprint is done in this phase.
  • The scope and completion targets are communicated to all involved parties.
  • Backlog items can be split if necessary.
  • Priorities can be modified during this phase, and decisions are made accordingly.
• Each sprint includes Daily Stand-Up meetings/Daily Scrum meetings.
  • All team members participate in these meetings.
  • The meetings should not exceed 15 minutes.
  • The meetings focus on reporting progress since the last meeting and planning for the next one.
  • Blockers, bottlenecks, and dependencies are addressed in these meetings.
• Each sprint concludes with a Retrospective meeting.
  • Completed work items are showcased, and demos are given.
  • This meeting analyzes the success points and identifies areas for improvement in the next sprint.
• Once a sprint is completed, the same steps are repeated for the remaining backlog items.
• Scrum operates based on three roles: the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and the Development Team.
  • The Product Owner possesses knowledge about the product and is responsible for creating the list of backlogs. They understand the business requirements and ensure the product deliverables address those needs.
  • The Scrum Master manages the delivery flow, sprint planning, reviews, daily meetings, and other related activities.
  • The Development Team executes tasks such as analysis, design, development, testing, and documentation to deliver a shippable product at the end of each sprint.

Now that we understand Kanban and Scrum individually, let’s move on to the comparison between the two.

Kanban Vs Scrum

Based on the above descriptions, both Kanban and Scrum share similar ideologies. However, their execution and processes differ significantly.

Some companies/teams choose Scrum, while others prefer Kanban. In some cases, both methodologies are combined, resulting in a hybrid approach known as Scrumban. Scrumban combines the best aspects of both Kanban and Scrum.

For example, Scrumban may incorporate the fixed length sprints and roles from Scrum, while also incorporating work-in-progress limits and cycle time management from Kanban. The choice between Kanban and Scrum, or a combination of both, depends on the team, company, and project requirements.

Now, let’s discuss the difference between Scrum and Agile.

What is the difference between Scrum and Agile?

Comparing Scrum vs Agile or Agile vs Scrum is like comparing the words “Red” and “Color.” Red is a type of color, and its use depends on the preference and comfort level of users. The same principle applies to Scrum and Agile.

Scrum is a type of agile methodology and is essentially an agile process framework. In software development terms, Scrum and Kanban are specific flavors or types of agile methodologies.

While it is reasonable to compare Scrum vs Kanban or Kanban vs Scrum since both are agile methodologies, comparing Scrum vs Agile would be like comparing the words “Red” and “Color.”

Scrum is just one of the many iterative and incremental agile software development methods. You can find a detailed description of the Scrum process here.

Conclusion

There are significant differences between Kanban and Scrum agile methodologies. We hope to have explained these differences in simple terms.

About the author: Subhasis has over 8 years of corporate experience working for Fortune 500 IT companies in the field of Software Quality Assurance, Software Development, and Testing. He currently leads the QA team of a top-tier IT company and enjoys sharing his experiences on Software Testing Tricks and Software Testing Help.

If you have any queries about Kanban and Scrum methodologies, feel free to ask in the comments.