Learn 9 differences between Scrum Vs Kanban

Nowadays we can count on a variety of project management methodologies, so in some cases, it can be difficult to choose the most appropriate one. Some of the most mentioned are the Scrum and Kanban methodologies.

But what is Scrum and Kanban? These are agile project methodologies implemented by companies, usually software development companies, to direct the creation and delivery of their products and services .

Not only technology companies apply these agile methodologies; in recent years, marketing and design agencies, startups, manufacturers and companies around the world have joined in their implementation.

In many cases, there has been an attempt to differentiate and compare Scrum vs Kanban, so below we will see some of the differences that exist between them: 9 differences between Scrum vs Kanban.

Differences between Scrum and Kanban

1. In Scrum there are 2 figures; the Scrum Master and the Product Owner , while in Kanban these roles do not exist.

2. In Scrum, fixed times are handled, which are called Sprints , however, in Kanban there is continuous work.

3. The Scrum methodology limits the number of tasks that can be carried out in parallel on the board, but in Kanban the WIP (work in process) is limited by the state of the workflow.

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4. Scrum requires multidisciplinary teams, so that team members have the ability to perform multiple tasks, while Kanban allows teams made up only of specialists.

5. In Scrum, it is not possible to change the tasks of the Sprint , which means that once the task has been assigned to it, it cannot be moved. In any case, what is allowed is to modify the delivery date, but not the task. On the contrary, in Kanban , the task can be modified until it enters the flow; once it enters that process, it cannot be modified.

6. In Scrum , the set of tasks that are carried out during the Sprint must be at least the size of a Sprint, since it is not possible to have less than one. The opposite happens with Kanban , which has a continuous work rhythm, and what is done is to drag the new tasks along the board until they reach their final state.

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7. In Scrum , everything that is necessary is measured. It measures how long it will take to complete each user story, how long it will take to complete each task, and the team's speed. In Kanban , since a certain level of skill in the methodology is already present, neither tasks nor speed are measured.

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8. In Scrum, a series of meetings are held and a series of charts are applied, such as burn down , which can be used to see and evaluate the progress of the project, and burn up, which is used to measure the team's speed. On the other hand, in Kanban , neither these types of meetings nor charts are considered.

9. In Scrum, the boards are reset at the end of each Sprint, that is, as the Sprint ends, the board is empty and new user stories begin to be added again. In Kanban, since there is an input and output flow, as the cards go through each of the states until they reach the final state, when they reach that state they leave the board and are archived, a continuous flow is always maintained.

As you can see, both methodologies are completely viable when it comes to implementing one of them to your work team, you just have to analyze which one is the best for you.

For our part, we recommend the online course of:

Scrum Master: Managing work teams

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Do you want to acquire more skills to lead agile teams as a Scrum Master? We remind you to also check out our Professional Agile Coach Certification, Professional Scrum Developer Certification and Professional Scrum Product Owner Certification courses.