Kanban vs Scrum: which method to choose?

Faced with the multitude of agile methodologies available, development and project management teams often find themselves confronted with a crucial dilemma: Kanban vs Scrum, which approach should they adopt to optimize their productivity? This question is particularly important in a context where agility has become a determining factor of success.

The Kanban method and Scrum represent two distinct approaches within the agile framework, each with its own advantages and specificities. While Kanban favors a continuous workflow visualized through a Kanban board, Scrum structures activities into defined sprints. The choice between these two agile methodologies largely depends on your team’s specific needs and the nature of your projects.

Adopting online Kanban board software or Scrum tools can significantly influence your team’s efficiency. This Kanban vs Scrum comparison will help you identify the method best suited to your professional context, by analyzing their fundamental differences, respective advantages, and essential selection criteria.

Sommaire

1. Quick comparison between Kanban and Scrum
2. Presentation of the 2 methodologies
3. Kanban vs Scrum comparison table
4. Advantages and limitations of each method
5. In what contexts to use Kanban, Scrum, or Scrumban?
6. How to choose the right method for your team?
7. FAQ – Kanban or Scrum ?
8. Conclusion

Quick comparison between Kanban and Scrum

Summary Box:

Kanban: Continuous flow, work visualization, maximum flexibility

• Structure: Workflow columns (To Do, In Progress, Done)
• Duration: No time constraints
• Roles: Self-organized team, no defined roles
• Meetings: Optional daily standup

Scrum: Structured sprints, defined roles, regular ceremonies

• Structure: 1-4 week sprints
• Duration: Fixed and repetitive cycles
• Roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, development team
• Meetings: Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Retrospective

Presentation of the 2 methodologies

What is Kanban?

Kanban is an agile methodology originating from the Toyota production system, adapted for software development and project management. This approach is characterized by its simplicity and flexibility, favoring workflow visualization through a board divided into columns representing different process stages.

The fundamental principle of Kanban is based on limiting work in progress (WIP) and continuously improving flow. Teams use cards to represent tasks, which move from one column to another according to their progress. This method allows constant adaptation to priority changes without major workflow disruption.

The four basic principles of Kanban are: start with what you’re currently doing, agree to pursue gradual and evolutionary changes, respect current processes, roles and responsibilities, and encourage leadership acts at all levels.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a structured agile framework that organizes work into short cycles called sprints, typically lasting 1 to 4 weeks. This methodology defines specific roles: the Product Owner who sets priorities, the Scrum Master who facilitates the process, and the development team who performs the work.

The Scrum process revolves around five main events: Sprint Planning to plan work, Daily Scrum to synchronize the team daily, Sprint Review to present results, and Sprint Retrospective to improve the process. The Product Backlog centralizes all features to be developed, while the Sprint Backlog contains items selected for the current sprint.

This approach promotes collaboration, transparency, and rapid adaptation to changes, while maintaining a structured framework that helps teams regularly deliver value.

Kanban vs Scrum comparison table

Advantages and limitations of each method

Advantages of Kanban

Flexibility constitutes Kanban’s major asset. This methodology allows immediate adaptation to priority changes without disrupting existing workflow. Teams can adjust their workload in real-time through WIP limitation, thus avoiding overload and improving deliverable quality.

Clear workflow visualization facilitates identification of bottlenecks and improvement areas. This transparency promotes collaboration and enables precise task progress tracking. Moreover, the absence of rigid time constraints reduces team pressure and encourages a more serene work approach.

Kanban also excels in managing irregular or unpredictable workflows, such as customer support or maintenance. Its implementation simplicity allows teams to start quickly without extensive training.

Limitations of Kanban

The absence of time structure can be a disadvantage for projects requiring precise deadlines. Without defined sprints, it can be difficult to predict delivery times or plan long-term resources.

The freedom offered by Kanban can also lead to lack of discipline in some teams, particularly those accustomed to a more structured framework. The absence of defined roles can create confusion about responsibilities and decision-making.

For teams new to agile methodologies, Kanban may seem too permissive and not provide sufficient guidance to effectively structure their work.

Advantages of Scrum

Scrum’s clear structure offers a reassuring framework for teams, with defined roles and regular ceremonies that promote communication and collaboration. This methodology excels in managing complex projects requiring close coordination between team members.

Sprints offer a regular and predictable rhythm, facilitating planning and deadline estimation. Integrated ceremonies, notably the retrospective, encourage continuous improvement and process adaptation.

Scrum also promotes stakeholder engagement through regular demonstrations during Sprint Reviews, ensuring constant alignment with business needs.

Limitations of Scrum

Scrum’s rigidity can be a hindrance in environments where changes are frequent and unpredictable. The inability to modify the Sprint Backlog during a sprint can create frustrations when urgent priorities emerge.

Scrum’s implementation complexity requires thorough training and initial support, which can delay implementation. The numerous ceremonies can also be perceived as time-consuming by some teams.

The framework may prove unsuitable for small teams or simple projects, where the imposed structure may seem disproportionate to actual needs.

In what contexts to use Kanban, Scrum, or Scrumban? {contexte-utilisation-kanban-scrum-scrumban}

Kanban proves particularly effective in customer support contexts, ticket processing, or maintenance, where requests arrive continuously and irregularly. This method suits teams managing operational workflows with changing priorities, such as technical support teams, after-sales services, or digital marketing teams managing multiple campaigns.

Environments where reactivity takes priority over long-term planning greatly benefit from the Kanban approach. Teams working on evolutionary maintenance projects or bug fixes find in this methodology the flexibility necessary to adapt to emergencies while maintaining stable workflow.

Scrum excels in managing complex projects with clear objectives and defined deadlines. This methodology perfectly suits software development teams working on products requiring close coordination between members and regular stakeholder validation.

Innovation projects, new feature development, or product creation benefit from Scrum structure. Multidisciplinary teams working on high-value-added projects find in Scrum ceremonies the necessary tools to maintain alignment and engagement.

Scrumban represents a hybrid approach combining Scrum structure with Kanban flexibility. This method suits teams transitioning between the two approaches or having mixed needs: structured projects with continuous support elements.

Mature teams wishing to benefit from both methodologies’ advantages can adopt Scrumban to maintain Scrum ceremonies while integrating Kanban flow flexibility.

How to choose the right method for your team?

Selection Checklist:

1. Analyze your project context:

• Work nature: predictable vs unpredictable
• Change urgency: frequent vs occasional
• Complexity: simple vs complex
• Duration: short-term vs long-term

1. Evaluate your team:

• Team size: small (2-3) vs large (8+)
• Agile maturity: beginner vs experienced
• Autonomy need: high vs supervision required
• Ceremony availability: limited vs flexible

1. Consider your organizational constraints:

• Time pressure: fixed deadlines vs flexible
• Reporting: frequent vs occasional
• Stakeholders: involved vs distant
• Training budget: limited vs substantial

1. Test and adapt:

• Start with the simplest method
• Measure results after 2-3 months
• Adjust based on feedback
• Consider a hybrid approach if necessary

Specific Recommendations:

Choose Kanban for: support teams, irregular flows, need for maximum flexibility

Opt for Scrum for: complex projects, large teams, need for structure and predictability

Consider Scrumban for: experienced teams, mixed needs, transition between methodologies

FAQ – Kanban or Scrum ?

What’s the best choice: Kanban or Scrum?

There’s no universal answer to this fundamental question of Kanban or Scrum. The optimal choice entirely depends on your specific context: work nature, team maturity, organizational constraints, and business objectives.

Kanban suits environments requiring maximum flexibility and constant reactivity better, while Scrum excels in complex projects requiring close coordination and clear structure. The important thing is to choose the methodology that best aligns with your current needs while keeping the possibility to evolve.

Can we combine both?

Absolutely! Scrumban represents an increasingly popular hybrid approach that combines both methodologies’ advantages. This approach allows maintaining Scrum sprint structure while integrating Kanban flow flexibility.

Many teams also adopt elements from one or the other method according to their specific needs. For example, using a Kanban board to visualize work in a Scrum context, or introducing planning meetings in a Kanban flow.

What indicators to track according to the method?

For Kanban :

• Cycle time: average duration to complete a task
• Throughput: number of tasks completed per period
• WIP (Work In Progress): number of tasks in progress
• Lead time: total processing delay

For Scrum :

• Velocity: number of story points completed per sprint
• Burndown chart: remaining work progression
• Burnup chart: accomplished work versus total scope
• Sprint completion rate: percentage of objectives achieved

How to transition from Scrum to Kanban or vice versa?

Scrum to Kanban transition:

1. Keep existing Scrum board
2. Gradually remove time constraints
3. Introduce WIP limits
4. Adapt metrics and meetings
5. Train team on new processes

Kanban to Scrum transition:

1. Gradually introduce time-boxes
2. Define Scrum roles
3. Implement ceremonies one by one
4. Create and manage Product Backlog
5. Train team on Scrum responsibilities

In both cases, a gradual approach is recommended, with appropriate support and sufficient adaptation period to allow the team to embrace the new methodology.

Conclusion

The question of Scrum vs Kanban doesn’t call for a single answer but a thorough analysis of your specific context. These two agile methodologies offer complementary approaches to optimize productivity and deliverable quality, each with its distinct advantages.

The choice between which agile method to choose fundamentally depends on your work nature, team maturity, and organizational constraints. Whether you opt for Kanban flexibility, Scrum structure, or the hybrid Scrumban approach, the essential lies in continuous adaptation and constant improvement of your processes.

This Kanban vs Scrum comparison demonstrates that the differences between Kanban and Scrum are not obstacles but optimization opportunities according to your specific needs. The important thing is to start, experiment, and adjust your approach based on obtained results and your team’s feedback.