Both Scrum and Kanban are popular agile frameworks used to help teams work together to get things done. They have some subtle differences, which we have summarised below:
| Scrum | Kanban |
|---|---|
| “Scrum is a framework for developing and sustaining complex products” | “Kanban is a method for optimising the flow of valuable work” |
| Product based: Scrum focusses on building software product. | Services based: Kanban focusses on services such as development, test, UX, customer services. |
| Narrow focus: Scrum isn’t generally used to optimise non-product delivery. | Wide focus: Kanban is great at optimising the flow of work in all situations – not just product. |
| Intense: Scrum has rules – time boxes, ceremonies, roles and so on. | Flexible: Kanban focuses on continuous flow – it has principles not rules. |
| Discipline: Scrum needs discipline – it can be good for less experienced teams | Discipline: Kanban needs discipline and experience to apply those principles effectively. |
| Specific and defined: Scrum is defined in the excellent Scrum Guide. | Emerging situations: Kanban is great at managing emerging and unpredictable situations –like support issues that cannot be predicted. |
| Use: Scrum is good for optimising stable situations, like digital product development. | Systems thinking: Kanban is great at helping eliminate waste beyond project and product teams – up to and including whole organisations. |
