Scrum vs Kanban – Which One’s for Me?

In the Agile battle of Scrum vs. Kanban, which one wins? Both support the overall goal of Agile, but how do you know which one you should use for your team? In this article, we’ll attempt to provide some insight to help you make a more informed decision.

 

Scrum vs. Kanban

Lets look at some common considerations, and how both “flavors” of Agile stack up.

Scrum Kanban
Release Frequency Incremental Delivery at end of sprint The team decides when to package and release.
Work in Progress WIP controlled by how much work is committed to in the sprint. WIP limit must be set, and agreed to, by the team.
Change Management Once a Sprint has started, changes in Scope are highly discouraged. New requests, including production support,  should be prioritized in the backlog, and pulled into the appropriate later sprint. A common issue with this is how to incorporate timely resolutions to critical issues in production environments. Workflow is more flexible. Work items can be moved to a blocked status, or even back in “To Do” in the event of a higher priority item coming to the team.
Metrics/KPIs Velocity – The number of “Story Points” completed (met the Definition of Done) in a given sprint. Over time, this number is used by the team to make better decisions in regards to what commitments they can make in a sprint. Cumulative Flow Diagram – This helps  measure workflow, identify bottlenecks, and find areas to improve  the flow.

Cycle Time – This determines the average amount of time it takes for a work item to be handed to the team, and delivered to the stakeholder(s).

 

How do I decide?

Which one is best for you? Well, looking at the above list of pros/cons, ask yourself, what is your team’s purpose?

  • Are you providing a new product or service for one or more stakeholders that requires a regular feedback loop? Scrum might be best.
  • How heavy are you in DevOps? Are you responsible for a volatile environment for requirements? You should consider Kanban.

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this article, and maybe even got an answer you were looking for. Please feel free to comment below!

Bonus: Here’s a fun video I found related to this topic as well.

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Hi! I’m Mike. I have almost 15 years of technology experience in product, engineering, and architecture. Prior to that I have several years of business management experience in the hospitality industry.
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