One of the core principles for a home run in a project is constant pace. Agile, an iterative approach to project management abides by this rule as it breaks down the development life cycle into several phases. Did you know at a minimum of 71% of the US, companies are now practicing agile which results in 64% success rates?

Within this, there are several terms, that I’m sure you are aware of such as lean, scrum, and Kanban. What is more confusing is that these are used interchangeably. You might get stuck up to these if you are a newbie and to thoroughly understand this have a sneak peek of our course.

 

Let’s move on and briefly learn about the key differences and what is the right approach for your team.

What is Kanban?

Kanban is a system that helps you optimize your workflows visually. What it actually does is that it aligns inventory levels to its actual consumption. It has been demonstrated that Kanban increases productivity, fosters a culture of continuous improvement, and improves visibility.

Kanban is also considered as an anti-bottleneck system that helps stop potential blockages and allows you time to strategize in removing them. There are two main roles and accountabilities such as

  • Service Delivery Manager
  • Service Request Manager

It is totally possible to nominate particular team members for the SDM and SRM roles. However, it’s also feasible to organize the entire team so that everyone assumes responsibility for at least one element of the projected SDM and SRM duties.

What is Scrum?

If you are a rugby fan or heard about it once, chances are you are familiar with “Scrum”. Scrum abides by five core principles

  • Focus
  • Courage
  • Respect
  • Commitment
  • Openness

Compared to Kanban, the Scrum framework is far more prescriptive. Scrum has set roles such as scrum master, product owner and development team, and processes, and it necessitates extensive and constrained planning.

Scrum teams are far more focused on the idea of empiricism than Kanban teams, who place more emphasis on a continuous flow. They have a tendency to base conclusions on data gleaned from the process and client feedback. Through each succeeding sprint, this data is continuously looped in, assisting the team in progressing toward higher-end product quality.

Core Key Performance Indicators

Now, as the name suggests we can’t ignore the key performance indicators because they become part of your work life when it comes to making decisions.

For Scrum KPI

There are two key KPIs for Scrum that you should concentrate on:

  • Velocity
  • Planned Capacity

Actual narrative points finished, which are often an average of all prior sprints, are used to determine velocity. It is used to determine how many things from the product backlog the team should include in the upcoming sprint.

Typically, Scrum teams use two charts to keep an eye on them:

  • Burndown chart
  • Velocity chart

For Kanban KPI

The most crucial metrics in Kanban are:

·        Lead time

·        Cycle time

Lead time, simply put, is the amount of time that passes between the time that a new activity enters your workflow and the time that it finally leaves it. Consider it this way: As soon as you agree to work on a project or client order, the lead time clock begins to run.

There are two main charts you may use to keep a close check on them:

·        Cumulative flow diagram (CFD)

·        Cycle time histogram

 

We saw the KPI’s but which one is right for you? Let’s have a look. 

Kanban vs Scrum – Which One is Right for You?

Let’s compare Kanban and Scrum side by side to understand how each approach approaches agile development in order to settle the argument between the two.

A simple methodology called Kanban uses Kanban boards to illustrate workflow and monitor task progress. There are no predetermined release cycles or due dates, and no roles or responsibilities are specified.

Scrum, on the other hand, is a more prescribed methodology with predetermined roles, artifacts, and ceremonies. The group works in short, time-limited bursts known as sprints.

 So to sum up, Scrum is perspective however, Kanban is a more flexible approach.

You can learn more by taking our online course on Understanding Agile and Scrum at a Deeper Level. Or browse our other courses below.

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