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. 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)
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“.
