Talking about agile methodologies and frameworks inevitably leads us to review the most popular formats. Your project manager can follow fixed iterative work sequences with Scrum or manage a task board with due dates using the Kanban methodology. Which one best suits your project? Next, we will briefly review the main characteristics of both.
Scrum
The agile Scrum methodology has roles and sprints of fixed duration, which can range from 1 to 4 weeks but commonly last two. This framework for agile projects includes four key instances: sprint planning, sprint demo, backlog refinement, daily quick meetings, and retrospectives.
Scrum teams are small to ensure fluid communication and collaborative work, where three main roles emerge:
Product Owner: the owner of the product acts as an intermediary between the team and the client or counterpart, known as stakeholders. He takes the role of guide to defining the project vision, assignment of dependencies, and change or prioritization of needs.
Scrum Master: The project manager will be in charge of leading the team by organizing meetings and monitoring progress in the sprint. His role is in charge of facilitating the work of the team and eliminating potential obstacles in their progress.
Team: the self-managed group has individuals of various profiles who use their expertise to meet the objectives.
Advantages of Scrum
There is constant contact from the interested party so that the team adjusts to their needs.
Assigning responsibilities to the entire team, combined with the rapid development of value, improves productivity and delivery times.
Daily meetings allow for quick problem-solving on the go.
Disadvantages of Scrum
Team members will not be able to participate in multiple projects with ease.
The team needs a high level of expertise and commitment for tight times.
Constant changes can affect the morale of less mature teams.
Kanban
In contrast to Scrum, Kanban offers a more relaxed structure by not having established roles. Instead, this management model bases teamwork on a task board. Items are displayed here with their due dates, where any team member can make changes based on project priorities.
Kanban Advantages
No daily events are needed to start a team in Kanban.
Allows greater flexibility in changing priorities and tasks.
It only focuses on the work in progress, leaving the possibility to add new items if applicable.
Disadvantages of Kanban.
It can incite chaos if the project gets complicated and the board becomes too complex to understand.
There is a risk of losing the sense of urgency to complete tasks.
There is no responsible person who aligns the team with the objectives and procedures.