Scrum and Kanban are two distinct technologies which, when combined, can provide a highly effective and adaptable approach to software development. Kanban is a workflow management system, designed to improve and manage workflows in human systems, whilst Scrum is a framework that helps teams address complex and adaptive challenges.
Organization is essential for achieving success in all endeavors, regardless of size. This is especially pertinent when managing large-scale projects involving hundreds or thousands of developers.
Collaborative project management software such as Scrum and Kanban are now used by organizations of all sizes to maintain their agility and remain competitive. This is irrespective of the programming languages used by the team, as these tools can help improve efficiency whether they are working in Java, JavaScript, .NET, Ruby, Python, C, C++, C# or any other language.
Which of these tools should you utilize? To help you decide, let us compare and contrast the two. To begin with, let us consider Kanban.
Kanban
Kanban: what is it?
Kanban was developed by Taiichi Ohno in the 1940s for Toyota Automotive. Ohno sought to achieve this through careful inventory and workload management. Ohno established a methodology based on four fundamental principles, which can be applied to various types of projects.
- Get going right now with what you’re doing.
- Make small, gradual adjustments.
- Recognize the value of present positions and titles.
- Promote leadership in all settings
The following fundamental procedures are thus governed by these principles:
- Methods of operation should be shown graphically.
- Reduce the number of active projects.
- Control the pace at which tasks are completed.
- Make sure that all process policies are made clear.
- Establish and monitor feedback loops
- Develop and advance via teamwork
The Kanban board is an implementation of these ideas, and it has sections for things like:
- Needing Action
- Working on It
- Comparative Evaluation by Experts
- Testing
- Done
Application of Kanban
For Project X, the initial step in utilizing a Kanban board for project management would be to assign tasks to each column.
- Task A
- Task B
- Task C
- Task D
A programmer (or team of developers) will be assigned to each task. Initially, each activity will be labelled ‘To Be Done’ on the board. Once they have started working on the task, the group’s job will be moved to the ‘In Progress’ column. Upon completion, the job will be sent for Peer Review. After this, it may be sent for Testing to ensure accuracy. Once all tests have been passed, the job will be marked as complete. If further work is needed, the job can be moved back to the ‘In Progress’ state.
When everything is checked off in the Completed column, the project is complete and ready for rollout.
Let’s go into Scrum now.
Scrum
When asked, “What is Scrum?”
When compared to Kanban, Scrum is a framework that allows groups to establish conditions in which:
- When a product owner faces a difficult challenge, they will put the necessary tasks for solving it into a Product Backlog in order of priority.
- During a code sprint, a group of people work together to transform a portion of the work into a new feature or piece of functionality.
- Before starting a new round of code development, the team and the stakeholders evaluate the previous round’s output.
Until the project is finished, the aforementioned procedures are repeated.
Methods of Using Scrum
Scrum is based on empiricism, which favors human-centered heuristic approaches over computational ones. The main structure of Scrum is as follows:
- Backlog of Products
- Sprint preparation
- Accumulated work from the previous sprint
- Daily meeting
- Increment
- Reflection on a Very Short Time Period
- A Look Back at the Sprint
If the work is completed after the final stage, it is ready to be completed in the Scrum process. If any further work is identified to be necessary during the review and retrospective, the task is moved back to the Sprint Planning stage and the process is restarted.
Kanban and Scrum: The Key Distinctions
Now, let’s compare and contrast these two methods.
Scheduling
Scrum divides time into ‘sprints’, which can be between two and four weeks in length. In contrast, Kanban does not rely on a time constraint to operate; rather, it utilizes a continuous delivery system that is tracked using Kanban boards.
Roles
Scrum assigns each member of a team one of three distinct responsibilities:
- Product Manager
- Team leader in Scrum
- Construction crew
Outside of a project manager, no other jobs are specified in Kanban.
Meetings
Scrum requires its participants to take part in the following four “scrum ceremonies”:
- Sprint preparation
- Scrum daily standup
- Reflection on a Very Short Time Period
- A Look Back at the Sprint
When using Kanban, you won’t have to worry about scheduling daily stand-ups.
Evaluation of Task Progression
Scrum teams use data such as burndown and burnup charts to measure and track progress. Team members in Kanban systems use cumulative flow diagrams to monitor the progress of a given task.
How do I decide which device to employ?
Scrum offers a higher level of control and structure than Kanban, making it the preferred choice for teams requiring more direction throughout their project. Conversely, Kanban may be more suitable for teams that prefer a less hands-on approach.
Additional factors to think about while making your choice are:
- Scrum is the way to go if you want to boost your planning and estimation abilities.
- To enhance productivity, use a Kanban system.
- Scrum is the way to go if you want to use multi-disciplinary teams.
- Kanban is the best tool to utilise if your team collaborates across departments.
- Scrum is the greatest option if you find that code sprints benefit your project.
- Kanban is the most effective method for managing ad hoc activities in a collaborative setting.
- Kanba is an excellent choice if you want constant supply.
- Kanban is the ideal approach if you’re searching for something that can be put into place quickly and with little effort.
Conclusion
Choosing the correct tool can be instrumental in ensuring successful project management and keeping developers on track. The decision must be tailored to your individual circumstances, teams, and objectives. If the correct choice is made, the development lifecycle will be a success.
