Software development often takes the form of a project. This, therefore, means it has to be structured in such a way that all activities of the development process are coordinated to achieve a desired end.
In this short guide though, we shall take a closer look at the Kanban and Scrum, and see which agile development approach is better for you in 2019.
To start off, Agile software development involves less initial planning, but it’s activities are prioritized based on customer value or on the basis of business.
Now, Scrum is arguably the most used agile development method. It operates in an environment where there are roles, responsibilities and regular meetings.
It uses iterative methods to implement project goals, but members of the team are individually responsible for their input.
Unlike Kanban, Scrum utilizes the strengths of each individual member of the development team and ensures maximum productivity is achieved.
In 2019, what you should ideally be looking for is something that gives you the benefit of having a smaller team that is capable of delivering optimally.
A Study involving 5000 respondents was conducted by Scrum Alliance placed the Success rate of Scrum Users at 62%. The benefit of using Scrum is that you get to develop a success plan right from project initiation to completion.
What’s more, you get to assign each group member a specific role against which their performance is gauged and evaluated.
Kanban
As it is in Agile approach, Kanban vs Scrum are project implementation approaches that operate within teams. Usually, it involves projects that are not really pre-planned, but can change depending on what is found to be suitable within the prevailing circumstances.
The team always has its eyes on the projects of the day, and they push towards a common direction with a specified task and timeline. The benefit of having using the Kanban approach is that you get to identify problems with software early enough due to the number of people involved.
However, by not clearly defining roles, responsibilities and tasks to the members, teams could drag.
Difference between Kanban and Scrum
While Kanban has no predetermined team members’ roles and responsibilities, Scrum employs a different approach.
Here, the Scrum project revolves around three main points; Product Owner, Scrum Master and Development Team.
The product owner’s roles are defining the project direction and outlining the tasks to be performed by each team member within a specified period of time (Sprint).
The tasks defined by the product owner are referred to as Project backlog. In the middle is the scrum Master. S/he is in charge of reliably coordinating the project owner and the development team to adhere to good practice and laid-down policies.
Kanban Process
In Kanban, it’s more of team work than individuals working on their specific tasks from the project owner.
Here, the work is subdivided into smaller roles and displayed in a Kanban board. From this board, every member of the team has access, and the project supervisor can see what all team members are doing together.
Conclusion
Really, there is no clear winner between Scrum and Kanban. However, if you want a structured development approach where the development teams can be closely monitored, Scrum is where to head.
On the other hand, your project may involve a series of changes in-between, then Kanban offers that flexibility without having to incur additional costs.
