What is the Difference Between Scrum vs Kanban?
By Derek Neighbors on September 3, 2013
What Process is Right For My Team (Scrum vs Kanban)
I see a lot of new teams search endlessly for the best process for to use. They tend to ask what is best for us? Which usually devolves into Scrum vs Kanban. I am firm believer in experiencing them to understand, but one could argue you have to start somewhere. If you go with Scrum, consider these six ways to improve your planning meeting. For those seeking here is a very brief quick side by side view.
Similarities Between Kanban and Scrum
- Both are Lean and Agile
- Both use pull scheduling
- Both limit Work in Process (WIP)
- Both use transparency to drive process improvement
- Both focus on delivering releasable software early and often
- Both are based on self-organizing teams
- Both require breaking the work into pieces (decomposition)
- In both cases the release plan is continuously optimized based on empirical data (velocity or lead time). A Scrum burndown chart is one way to visualize this in practice
From Henrik Kniberg’s “practical guide” comparing Kanban vs Scrum (pdf).
Quick Feature Comparison
| Feature | Kanban | Scrum | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Stand-ups | No | Yes | Yes |
| Artifacts | None | Backlog, Current Work, Burndown Charts | Current Work |
| Metrics | Lead Time/Cycle Time | Velocity | Lead Time/Cycle Time |
| Demo/Review | Not used | Required | Optional |
| Skill Sets | Specialized Allowed, Cross-Functional Optional | Cross-Functional Prescribed | Specialized Allowed, Cross-Functional Optional |
| Iterations | Optional (can be event driven) | Yes | Optional (can be event driven) |
| Commitment | No | Yes (Per Iteration) | No |
| New Work | Prioritized Immediately (Optional) | Prioritized at Sprint Planning Meeting | Prioritized Immediately (Optional) |
| Retrospective | Not used | Required | Optional |
| Work Decomposition | No Size Limit | Limited to fit within Iteration | No Size Limit |
| WIP Limiting | Per workflow state | Per sprint | Per workflow state |
| Estimation | No | Prescribed | Optional |
| Work Visualization | Board is persistent | Board reset every sprint | Board is persistent |
| Defined Roles | None | Product Owner, Scrum Master, Scrum Team | Product Owner, Scrum Master (Optional), Scrum Team |
Modified from Requirementally’s “A Quick Comparison of Scrum-ban, Kanban and Scrum“.
