Agile, Scrum, and Kanban are indispensable to software development and project management. They share similar goals, like efficiency and project flexibility, but each has a different structure and application. Agile serves as an overarching philosophy. Scrum and Kanban are specific Agile methodologies with distinct practices. It can be challenging to understand which one will best suit a project.
In short:
- Agile is a flexible project management philosophy based on iterative progress.
- Scrum is a specific Agile framework with a structured, time-boxed approach to project management.
- Kanban is a visual workflow management method that came originally from Lean manufacturing. It supports continuous delivery.
This guide explores each framework’s differences, similarities, and use cases. By understanding Agile, Scrum, and Kanban, you can choose the right approach for your team’s needs and project goals.
What is Agile?
Agile is a flexible project management philosophy of iterative development and continuous improvement. Unlike fixed processes, Agile adapts to change, prioritizes customer collaboration, and delivers working software in small increments. It helps teams respond quickly to evolving project needs.
Agile started with the Agile Manifesto in 2001. It’s a mindset rather than a strict process. By emphasizing flexibility, Agile lets teams deliver small portions of a project frequently, adapting to inevitable changes. This iterative approach respects customer needs and allows for ongoing improvement.
Core principles of Agile
Customer collaboration: Agile recognizes the client and end-user as key stakeholders in the development process. Instead of negotiating contracts, Agile teams collaborate with customers. This keeps them on track with project goals, creating more relevant, user-centered software. They use frequent check-ins with stakeholders to build trust and make adjustments that improve the final product.
Responding to change: Agile is designed for adaptability. Agile teams embrace changes in requirements, even late in development. This flexibility lets them respond to market shifts, new customer insights, or changes in project scope. Instead of derailing progress, changes keep the software relevant and functional.
Frequent delivery of working software: Agile teams work in short, iterative cycles, often delivering functional software every 1-4 weeks. They have regular opportunities for testing, feedback, and refinement. This reduces risk and creates a smooth, continuous development process. It also lets stakeholders see real progress and provide input at every stage.
Use cases for Agile
- Projects with evolving requirements: Agile works well in dynamic environments where project scope can shift. Startups and businesses in rapidly changing industries often use it to develop software. Agile teams can adapt and iterate based on the latest information, and client needs are always kept in view.
- Flexible development projects: Agile software development projects are flexible. Feature-driven apps or products that are still finding their market fit often use Agile. Software development teams use its iterative approach to adjust features based on ongoing feedback.
- High-collaboration environments: With Agile software development, teams collaborate with stakeholders. This helps them resolve issues faster and reach better outcomes.
What is Scrum?
Scrum is one of several project management methodologies in the Agile philosophy. It works in structured, iterative cycles known as sprints. Each sprint lasts 2-4 weeks, creating a focused, time-boxed process. Scrum is particularly effective for development because of its adaptability and rapid delivery.
Other Agile project management methodologies (Extreme Programming, Crystal, Feature-Driven Development) are available for different types of projects.
Overview of Scrum framework
Scrum helps manage complex projects by breaking them into smaller, manageable increments called “sprints.” During each sprint, a development team works toward a specific goal to deliver potentially shippable parts of the project. Teams get real-time feedback using it to assess progress and adjust priorities. Scrum is a good choice for projects with shifting requirements.
Key roles in Scrum
- Product Owner: Managed the sprint backlog, prioritized tasks, and represented customer needs. The Product Owner keeps each sprint in step with project goals and customer expectations.
- Scrum Master: Facilitates Scrum ceremonies, removes obstacles, and guides the team via Scrum principles. The Scrum Master upholds productivity and process improvement.
- Development Team: A cross-functional group responsible for delivering increments of the product. The team collaborates closely. Its members use their diverse skills to reach the sprint goal.
Scrum ceremonies
- Sprint Planning: At the beginning of each sprint, the team defines the sprint goal and selects tasks from the product backlog to work on.
- Daily Standup: A 15-minute meeting held daily to review progress, address challenges, and synchronize efforts. The Daily Standup lets the team respond to any issues that arise.
- Sprint Review: At the end of the sprint, the team shows stakeholders the completed work and gathers feedback to guide future sprints.
- Sprint Retrospective: After each sprint, the team reflects on what went well and what could improve. They discuss how to improve collaboration and productivity.
Benefits of Scrum
Scrum brings structure, accountability, and adaptability to project management:
- Teamwork and accountability: Scrum’s structured roles and ceremonies give each team member ownership in the production process, keeping them engaged.
- Transparency and communication: Frequent check-ins and clear documentation improve project transparency and align the team on goals and expectations.
- Adaptability to change: Scrum’s iterative approach lets teams respond to new priorities and requirements, making it a good fit for dynamic project environments.
What is Kanban?
Kanban is a project management methodology and visual system based on Lean principles. Kanban teams manage workflows by using a board to organize tasks into stages like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” Created at Toyota, Kanban focuses on continuous delivery rather than fixed iterations.
Overview of Kanban methodology
Kanban lets teams improve their workflows by visualizing each task’s stage and controlling the pace of work. Unlike Scrum, with its time-boxed sprints, Kanban is flexible and adapts as new work arises. Its visual Kanban board layout highlights bottlenecks and maintains a steady flow of task completion. Kanban is an excellent Agile methodology for projects with unpredictable or ongoing workloads.
Core elements of Kanban
Kanban board: A Kanban board visually organizes tasks. It shows progress across columns labeled for each stage of the workflow, like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” This layout keeps the entire process transparent and helps teams stay aligned on priorities.
WIP limits (Work in progress): Work in progress (WIP) limits restrict the number of tasks in each workflow stage. By capping WIP, teams can reduce bottlenecks. This moves work smoothly from one stage to the next.
Pull system: Kanban operates on a pull system. Tasks are “pulled” through the process only when the next stage is ready. This helps prevent overload, letting the team complete tasks before moving on to new ones.
Benefits of Kanban
- Increases visibility and transparency: A Kanban board lets team members and stakeholders see tasks at every stage. This creates healthy alignment and clarity across the project.
- Reduces lead time: By setting WIP limits, this Agile methodology minimizes bottlenecks and allows for faster task completion, improving efficiency.
- Adapts to unpredictable workloads: Kanban’s flexible, continuous delivery approach makes it ideal for projects with changing priorities and varied task demands.
Agile vs. Scrum vs. Kanban: key differences and similarities
Agile vs. Scrum
Agile is a broad project management philosophy based on flexibility, continuous improvement, and collaboration. Scrum is a specific framework within Agile. It uses structured roles, rituals, and time-boxed sprints to keep projects on track. Scrum’s structured approach helps teams deliver regular, incremental progress regularly. It adds predictability and discipline to Agile’s adaptable mindset.
- Scope and structure: Agile offers general principles. Scrum defines specific roles like Scrum Master and Product Owner to add structure.
- Time management: Agile can be flexible in timing. Scrum uses sprints (typically 2-4 weeks) to create regular delivery cycles.
- Feedback and improvement: Both emphasize feedback, but Scrum formalizes it through sprint reviews and retrospectives at the end of each sprint.
Scrum’s combination of defined roles, sprint planning, and ceremonies like daily stand-ups improves accountability and collaboration. It fits Agile projects that need a structured approach amid complexity.
Agile vs. Kanban
Agile is a project management philosophy focused on adaptability and iterative progress. Kanban is a visual, Lean-based methodology for continuous delivery. Agile methodologies like Scrum use time-boxed sprints for structured cycles. Kanban manages to work through a steady flow without fixed timelines. Kanban is flexible, with real-time task adjustments. It’s a good choice for teams with ongoing, unpredictable workflows.
- Iteration vs. continuous flow: Agile typically uses sprints to deliver in phases. Kanban follows a continuous workflow, pulling tasks as capacity allows.
- Feedback cycles: Agile methodologies encourage feedback at the end of each sprint. Kanban provides ongoing improvements through real-time monitoring and adjustments.
- Focus areas: Agile suits product development and projects with changing requirements. Kanban’s work-in-progress limits and flow work well for maintenance or operational work.
Agile’s structure with iterations works best for teams that need regular checkpoints. Kanban’s real-time adaptability offers greater flexibility for continuous task management.
Scrum vs. Kanban
Scrum and Kanban are both Agile methodologies that support efficient project management. Scrum uses time-boxed sprints and defined roles. It adds structure and predictability. Kanban creates continuous flow and visual management. It lets teams pull tasks as capacity opens up.
- Roles and structure: Scrum uses roles like Scrum Master, Product Owner, and a defined Development Team. Kanban has no specific roles for a more flexible team setup.
- Task management: Scrum follows a sprint-based approach, completing tasks in a time-boxed cycle. Kanban uses a pull system, with tasks moving continuously through the team’s workflow as capacity becomes available.
- Predictability vs. flexibility: Scrum offers predictability with sprint planning and structured ceremonies. Kanban adapts in real time, with work-in-progress limits for a natural flow and fewer bottlenecks.
Scrum is a good Agile product methodology for projects that need set roles and structured cycles. Kanban benefits teams managing ongoing tasks that need adaptability and continuous progression.
When to use Agile, Scrum, or Kanban
When to choose Agile
Agile project management works well for complex projects where requirements are likely to change. Choose this flexible project management methodology if you need to make ongoing adjustments based on frequent customer feedback. Agile teams deliver working software iteratively. They can make changes based on new insights, keep the project relevant, and work to client needs.
- Ideal for: Projects with evolving requirements and a need for adaptability.
- Best suited for: Software development and teams focused on continuous improvement.
When to choose Scrum
Scrum is best for projects that thrive on structure and clearly defined roles. It’s a specific Agile methodology that breaks down work into time-boxed sprints. Scrum gives teams a predictable schedule for each project phase. It organizes teams into roles like Scrum Master and Product Owner. It’s an excellent project management method for product development.
- Ideal for: Projects needing structured delivery and accountability.
- Best suited for: Teams requiring a time-boxed approach with regular deliverables and predefined roles.
When to choose Kanban
Kanban is a good choice for teams with continuous workflows. DevOps or support functions often use Kanban. Visual systems, typically displayed on a Kanban board, offer real-time insights into each task’s progress. This gives teams the flexibility to adjust priorities as needed. They can also control work in progress to prevent overload.
- Ideal for: Projects with ongoing, real-time needs and unpredictable workloads.
- Best suited for: Environments that require high adaptability and continuous task flow.
Pros and cons of each framework
Agile pros and cons
Pros
- Highly flexible and adaptive to change: Agile works well for projects with evolving requirements. Startups and innovation-driven teams use Agile to adapt quickly based on user feedback and market trends. Its flexibility keeps development on track, even when the scope changes mid-project.
- Encourages stakeholder involvement: When implementing Agile, stakeholders work with developers to help them meet customer needs and expectations. Agile’s regular check-ins in enterprise software projects let teams adjust quickly to changes, reducing the risk of costly misalignment.
Cons
- Can be hard to scale across larger teams: Large organizations can struggle to use Agile across multiple teams. Agile’s decentralized approach can cause inconsistencies in enterprise companies without a well-structured framework.
- Less structured than Scrum or Kanban: Agile’s high-level philosophy lacks strict structure, which can confuse teams that are used to specific guidelines. Organizations that thrive on clear roles and rules may find adopting Agile’s broad principles difficult.
Scrum pros and cons
Pros
- Provides clear structure with roles and ceremonies: Scrum assigns roles like Scrum Master and Product Owner, creating accountability within each sprint. This project management methodology works well for teams that need defined responsibilities. In regulated industries like healthcare, the clear roles and specialized Scrum team members in this Agile methodology can help improve compliance.
- Boosts teamwork and accountability: Scrum’s regular ceremonies, like daily stand-ups and sprint retrospectives, strengthen team collaboration. This helps cross-functional teams communicate better, for example, product development teams working on user-facing applications.
Cons
- May be too rigid for dynamic environments: Scrum’s structure can be limiting in fast-paced sectors where priorities change rapidly, such as marketing or creative projects. In these fields, the fixed sprints in this project management methodology may hinder timely adjustments.
- Requires all team members to adopt Scrum principles: Scrum’s project success depends on consistent commitment from all team members. If a team isn’t familiar with Agile, they may need training before using Scrum. Other project management methodologies (like Waterfall or PRINCE2) can be useful to these teams.
Kanban pros and cons
Pros
- Offers flexibility with continuous delivery: Kanban’s pull system and continuous delivery are a good fit for support or operations teams managing ongoing tasks. In IT support, the real-time task management in this project management methodology helps prioritize and resolve incidents as they arise. This speeds up response times.
- Reduces bottlenecks by visualizing WIP: Kanban’s visual approach lets teams see potential bottlenecks before they escalate. A Kanban board with WIP limits reduces delays by keeping manufacturing resources available.
Cons
- Lacks time-boxed structure, which may reduce predictability: Kanban’s open-ended nature can make it hard to predict delivery times. It may not suit projects that have regular deadlines. In contract-based projects, where clients expect set delivery dates, Kanban’s flexibility may cause planning challenges.
- If WIP limits are ignored, Kanban can lead to inefficiencies. Kanban relies heavily on adherence to WIP limits. If these are ignored, the Kanban board can overload, making it hard to track progress. Software development teams that use this project management methodology without enforcing WIP limits may face delayed releases.
FAQs
Here are a few questions people often ask about Agile vs. Scrum vs. Kanban for project managers.
What is the main difference between Agile, Scrum, and Kanban?
Agile is a broad, flexible project management philosophy based on iterative development. Scrum and Kanban are specific Agile project management methodologies that increase efficiency. Scrum uses time-boxed sprints and defined roles like Scrum Master and Product Owner. Kanban uses a continuous workflow without fixed iterations, task visualization, and WIP limits.
Can Scrum and Kanban be used together?
Yes, hybrid frameworks like Scrumban combine Scrum’ and Kanban. They blend Scrum’s structured roles and sprints with Kanban’s visual task management and continuous delivery. Scrumban is a good project management methodology for teams that need to manage dynamic projects with flexibility and structure.
Which is better for startups: Scrum or Kanban?
Scrum offers a structured approach that can help startups maintain a predictable pace. Along with a Kanban board, this makes it easier to track progress. However, Kanban’s flexibility lets startups respond quickly to changing priorities. This Agile methodology is useful in fast-paced environments. Many startups benefit from combining both.
How do I decide which framework to use?
Consider your team’s workflow, project goals, and customer needs. Use Agile’s flexibility for evolving projects, Scrum’s structure for roles and timelines, and Kanban for continuous workflows. Evaluate these factors to find the best fit for your project’s demands.
Are Scrum and Kanban part of Agile?
Both Scrum and Kanban are often associated with Agile, but in different ways. Agile is a project management philosophy focused on flexibility, iterative progress, and customer collaboration. Scrum is a specific Agile framework. It uses Agile principles with structured roles, time-boxed sprints, and defined ceremonies. Kanban wasn’t originally part of Agile. However, it uses Agile values like adaptability and continuous workflow. Many teams now use Kanban within Agile to improve task flow without the structured sprints of Scrum.
Choosing your approach
Agile, Scrum, and Kanban each bring unique strengths to project management. Agile is a flexible philosophy that guides iterative progress and customer collaboration, making it ideal for projects with evolving requirements. Scrum, a structured Agile methodology, adds roles, sprints, and ceremonies to organize teamwork. It’s a strong choice for projects that need clear roles and timelines. Kanban, rooted in Lean principles, manages workflows visually and continuously. It helps manage unpredictable demands and ongoing tasks.
Choosing the right framework depends on your team’s needs and project goals. Consider Agile if you need a flexible, iterative approach. Use Scrum if structure and accountability are key and Kanban if you manage continuous, real-time workflows.
Ready to implement the right framework for your team? Start small, measure results, and iterate to find what works best!
