Agile project management’s rise has brought a new meaning to the terms Kanban and

Scrum.

Every team works differently when mapping out project stages. It helps to play to the
strengths of each member and consider what each project demands. Often, this leads to
the age-old comparison (which isn’t actually that old): Scrum vs. Kanban.

Both are valid ways of managing a project, but each presents its own pros and cons. While
Kanban methodologies tend to be more fluid, Scrum systems are fast, furious, and slightly
more rigid.

So, how do you know which one is best for you, your team, and your projects? Let's break
the two styles down.

Kanban board view

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What is Kanban?

Kanban is a visual management system for projects. In this system, cards representing
each project, task, or related item go on a board based on status so teams can better
manage the overall workflow. The board captures the project as a whole, and each task
moves from one column to the next before completion.

The Kanban method originated in Japan in the 1940s. Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer
for Toyota, realized the inefficiencies of the car manufacturer compared to its American
rivals. Ohno created a simple planning system to control and manage the work at every
production stage in the most efficient way possible.
Today, you probably recognize Kanban project management in its contemporary “board”
format, where tasks are dragged from one column to the next as they move through the
pipeline. Kanban’s key concepts center around limiting work in progress (WIP), definition
of workflow (DoW), visual indicators, Kaizen, and continuous improvement.

The workflow stages you’ll most commonly see are:

To Do

In Progress

In Review

Done (or Completed)

What Kanban looks like in action

For example, if you’re carrying out a web design project for a client, you might have
various tasks in each stage of the workflow. The wireframes might be Done, while the
visual assets are In Review, and the copy could still be In Progress. Having each task
mapped out on a board gives a better overview of what’s finished, potential bottlenecks,
and what needs action.

A simplified version of a Kanban board can look like this:

Kanban teams add columns specific to their processes and workflows, and expand each
section to their unique project needs. For example, you could add columns for This
Month, Paused, and This Week to get an even more granular view of what’s happening at
any given time.

The fluidity of the Kanban approach makes it easy to continuously pull in new work items
or refine completed deliverables — when capacity allows for it.

Using the example above, once the website copy moves to In Review, designing the About
page and other outstanding tasks go to the In Progress column. If it turns out the team
needs to revisit the completed website copy needed for the wireframes, the task simply
goes back to the To Do column with the new requests.

How to measure Kanban

Like any project management methodology, you can improve and optimize the Kanban
method. However, you need to measure it in the first place to effectively streamline your
workflow.

The most important metrics are lead time and cycle time. Each of these measures the
average amount of time it takes for tasks to move through the board.

Knowing the average time per task smooths out the flow of work. Also, improving those
cycle times means your team completes projects quicker and more efficiently.

Where does the Kanban method work best?

The Kanban method can work in pretty much every project-based situation, but it’s
effective in some scenarios more than others.

For example, Kanban works great for teams receiving numerous incoming requests that
are weighted differently in urgency and priority. Users can add and move new cards
sequentially based on priority levels, urgency, and project specifications.

The functionality of Kanban boards is also great for marketers who need to manage
various pieces of content through each stage. For example, we use Teamwork.com's Board
View to move content to each stage to monitor the lifecycle of a given task.

Teamwork.com offers flexible and agile project management views to help different teams
get work done. We make it easy to streamline your process, share assets, and monitor
assignments from start to finish.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a project management method that allows teams to use strict periods of time to
focus on specific tasks. A Scrum is broken up into sprints that last anywhere from a day to
four weeks — depending on their scope.

The most impactful concepts in Scrum are:

Sprints
 Roles

Artifacts

Time boxing

Collaboration

Constant improvement

The idea behind Scrum is that it’s fast-paced and allows for uninterrupted periods of
productivity. There are set start and finish dates. With the short timeframes, Scrum teams
must break up complex tasks into smaller, more actionable activities.

Sprints have a few different stages, including sprint planning, sprint review, and sprint
retrospective meetings. Each phase typically occurs with daily Scrum meetings to go
over roadblocks, daily to-dos, or quick wins.

The key difference between Kanban and Scrum is that Scrum is less flexible in terms of
adding tasks halfway through a sprint. Instead, completing an entire sprint is necessary
before moving on to the next sprint task or activity.

What Scrum looks like in action

Let’s use the web design example again for simplicity. A Scrum might involve two weeks of
the entire team researching to map out wireframes. Only when that sprint is complete can
the entire team move on to designing the visual assets.
There are three roles in the Scrum framework: development team, product owner, and
Scrum master.

Each activity becomes the focus of that sprint, with all members taking a defined role in
the process. Whereas the Kanban method allows multiple people to work on various tasks
throughout a given timeframe, the Scrum methodology requires that everyone come
together to intensely work on a small section of a bigger project.
At the start of each sprint, the team plans the Scrum timeline, including the outcomes that
will happen, who will do what, and when tasks need to be completed. The dedicated Scrum
Master then breaks down each task into smaller activities and supervises the sprint from
start to finish.

Teams will use aScrum board to create a project visual. Organized by sprints, Scrum
boards help groups stay on track and organized throughout the project. Scrum boards are
easy to adapt to different needs. They may be simple. with only three columns (usually To
Do, In Progress, and Done), or they may be complex with many notes and sections.

At the start of a project, the Scrum Master will estimate how much time it will take to finish
everything on the list, ensuring everyone agrees on the sprint’s length ahead of time. If
priorities change in the middle of a sprint, the entire sprint must stop, and the planning
process starts again.

How to measure Scrum

You can measure Scrums in velocity, which is the number of tasks you can complete in a
given sprint.

Essentially, each task is assigned a point(s). These are added up and used to measure
how long the sprint needs to be and how much should be completed during that time.

If a team completes an average of 40 points per sprint, the velocity of the sprint is 40. A
sprint that has more than 40 points will need to take place over a longer period of time —
or vice versa if there are fewer points.

Where does the Scrum method work best?

Software development teams or groups that are working on a similar project, task, or
activity at the same time often use Scrum.

Each sprint is an increment dedicated to a specific set of tasks, where each team member
has their own role but is also part of a bigger ecosystem.
Kanban vs. Scrum: What are the real differences in
these agile methodologies?

When set up head-to-head, Kanban vs. Scrum starts to become an easier decision based
on your specific project, team, or workflow.

The pros and cons of any project management system vary depending on your team’s
needs and the tasks you plan to complete. However, there are some key benefits that each
method brings to the table.

Kanban pros and cons

Pros:
 Visualizes the workflow to plan what’s in progress at any time

Ensures quality with WIP limits

Manages the project’s flow

Establishes feedback loops

Improves team collaboration

Flexibly pivots depending on priority

Cons:

No set strict responsibilities, making it difficult for teams to focus on priorities

Can become very complex and confusing

No timing parameters

Scrum pros and cons

Pros:

Helps team members focus and complete tasks with short sprints

Divides complex assignments into smaller, manageable activities

Achieves quick wins to drive team motivation

Provides clear insight so every stakeholder knows what’s happening

Helps create a goal-oriented workflow

Cons:

Requires a lot of focus

Tends to have pacing issues if there are slower team members

Demands lots of planning and resources to measure, track, and manage

Not flexible for teams if priorities change mid-sprint

Which is the best method for your team?

Kanban and Scrum are bothAgile frameworks with unique benefits and drawbacks. How
can you decide which tool would best fit your agency? Consider the points below to help
you choose.

Use Kanban if your team:

Has a continuous flow of work

Works on one thing after another

Handles projects that don’t require inspection and adaptation

Works on projects with many elements and repetitive tasks

Doesn’t require accountability tools

Doesn’t demand frequent stakeholder engagement

Use Scrum if your team:

Works on tasks that continuously evolve

 Needs requirements to be tracked separately from the WIP (with product backlog and
sprint backlog)

Needs disciplined planning at regular intervals

Must be highly focused on one action

Works on projects requiring consistent stakeholder and/or client engagement and

feedback

Or, you can use both! Scrumban is a hybrid method that combines Scrum’s processes with
Kanban’s visualization tools.

Project management software like Teamwork.com provides users with Scrum and Kanban
to help manage tasks, collaborate, proactively minimize obstacles, and stay on track to
deliver high-quality work on time.