Published on Apr 03, 2025 5 min read

Kanban vs. Scrum

Agile project management has grown popular worldwide because it offers teams and projects flexibility and allows for easy value deliveries. People mostly apply Scrum or Kanban methods when working with Agile. Neither system seeks to enhance work processes and team relationships yet takes unique ways to achieve these goals. This article follows the strengths and weaknesses of Scrum and Kanban to match them with suitable project options.

Understanding Agile: The Foundation of Kanban and Scrum

To start our analysis of Kanban and Scrum, it is first essential to grasp the key principles of Agile methodology. Agile uses small, repeated steps and a degree-by-degree work breakdown to manage projects to meet specific needs.

• Customer Collaboration: Frequent interaction and feedback from stakeholders.
• Our team adjusts its practices while monitoring new market demands and project changes.
• Our team delivers operating product increments to customers at regular intervals.
• Individual and Interactions: Prioritizing team collaboration and communication.
• Testing our methods for performance improvement consistently.

Agile principles drive how Kanban and Scrum work in various development methods, but they take separate paths to achieve these principles.

Scrum: A Structured Approach to Agile

Scrum represents a disciplined Agile framework that promotes teamwork through its specific methods and sets work periods known as sprints.

Key Components of Scrum:

• Teams devote fixed periods of 2-4 weeks to finish agreed tasks.
• Product Backlog shows the ordered list of work items our team must achieve.
• The sprint backlog includes the product backlog sections that get worked on during a sprint period.
• Every morning, team members meet to update each other on their current status, imminent difficulties, and intended actions.
• The Sprint Review lets stakeholders view sprint results and gives team feedback through meetings at the sprint conclusion.
• After every sprint, the team meets to analyze their work methods and discover methods to get better results.
• Roles:
  • The Product Owner determines product requirements and ranks their development items.
  • The Scrum Master controls Scrum activities and resolves team obstacles.
  • Development Team members execute all activities to produce the finished project.

Advantages of Scrum:

• Defined job descriptions let team members accept responsibility for their tasks.
• The defined system shows teams how to manage projects by following specific steps.
• Team evaluations and review meetings help the group reach better results.
• Project teams release expected results each sprint through fixed programming timeframes.
• Team collaborations grow stronger when team members talk during daily scrums and sprint sessions.

Disadvantages of Scrum:

• The official plan becomes hard to adjust when work needs to change.
• Scrum delivers results only with total dedication from every team member.
• Scrum shows less success in handling projects that need quick changes and ongoing delivery processes.
• Heavy events and meetings make work difficult for certain teams.

Kanban: A Flexible and Visual Approach to Agile

Kanban is a flexible visual Agile system that allows work to move continuously while controlling the amount in progress at one time.

Key Principles of Kanban:

• Show the Workflow Steps Through a Kanban Board.
• Put a stop to task processing within each workflow phase to help the team stay focused and avoid delays.
• Do Better Flow Management by refining work movements within the system.
• Explain the Process Standards Out Loud: Set written rules that lead teams through their workflow.
• Regularly check the workflow process and apply new changes for better results.
• Let Teams Improve Processes by Partnering for New Solutions

Advantages of Kanban:

• Kanban works well with various teams and projects because it adjusts easily to their needs.
• Through Kanban, companies stabilize their workflow so tasks advance smoothly without backups that waste time.
• Teams can add Kanban boards gradually to their workflow because setting it up is straightforward.
• Through its Kanban board, the workflow becomes clear and easy to see, which enhances team interaction.
• Kanban promotes regular adjustments of work activities and systems.

Disadvantages of Kanban:

• When team members do not have assigned responsibilities, there is confusion that decreases accountability levels.
• Kanban functions best when teams support its rules of WIP management and workflow control.
• The open nature of Kanban makes it easier to perform work without clear planning guidelines.
• Projects with stable outcomes should avoid Kanban because it works better for short-term projects with shifting demands.

Kanban vs. Scrum: A Detailed Comparison

Which is Better? It Depends.

Every project organization demands that its selection be based on multiple methodologies. Your selection depends on what your project team and organization require.

Choose Scrum if:

• You require a defined system that shows individual tasks and events.
• Your project contains clear target results and needs.
• You need predictable delivery schedules.
• You desire excellent team involvement and effective communication.

Choose Kanban if:

• The system needs to be flexible for different situations.
• Your work demands change continuously.
• You continue to produce work without interruptions.
• Your team requires an easy-to-understand visualization of its work processes.

Can You Combine Kanban and Scrum? (Scrumban)

Teams can develop Scrumban as a practice that includes both Kanban and Scrum principles. Scrumban unites Scrum methods with Kanban principles for a strong, flexible working process. This mixed framework helps teams move from using Scrum to Kanban and also works for flexible project requirements.

Real-World Examples

• Teams employ Scrum to develop new software products that need specific required feature specifications.
• Teams use Kanban methods to control support and operations in information technology since these tasks depend on unpredictable changes with a steady stream of assignments.
• Marketing teams use Kanban to handle campaigns better by adjusting their working priorities quickly while performing tasks faster.

Conclusion

Agile teams use Kanban and Scrum methodologies to enhance their work process and deliver better results to customers. Choosing between Kanban and Scrum depends on your project requirements, and understanding their particular benefits and disadvantages will lead you to better results in your work. Choosing between Scrum and Kanban while following Agile principles will boost team teamwork and let you handle changing projects while pleasing your customers.