Kanban vs Scrum: What's the Difference?

Kanban and Scrum are project management methodologies designed to help you complete tasks in small increments and emphasise continuous improvement. What sets them apart is the processes they use to achieve those ends. While Kanban is centred on visualising tasks and continuous flow, Scrum is more about implementing timelines for each delivery cycle and assigning set roles.

Kanban and Scrum borrow from Agile and Lean approaches, though Scrum is often more heavily associated with Agile. That means both Kanban and Scrum are adaptive and transparent and reduce inefficiencies in the project process. 

Choosing between Kanban and Scrum isn’t always necessary, as you can use both together to maximise the benefits you get from each. Look at this breakdown of what each is, how they compare, and which to use when.

Kanban vs Scrum: What’s the difference?

So what are Kanban and Scrum, exactly? Take a detailed look at their attributes.

What is Kanban?

Kanban is a visual method of project management that tracks tasks and reduces inefficiencies. The heart of the Kanban method is the Kanban board—physical or digital—in which you divide phases of the project into columns. You'll write tasks on cards that progress from one column to the next until they are completed.

Kanban has several benefits. First, it increases transparency in a project by visually clarifying what tasks need to be completed and where tasks are piling up. This visual aid makes it easier to delegate resources where they need to go, reducing inefficiencies. According to the 2022 State of Kanban Report, the top Kanban benefits include [1]:

• Improved visibility of flow

• Increased speed of delivery or throughput

• Improved predictability

• Improved alignment between business objectives, key results, and delivery of work

Kanban uses principles from Agile and Lean. It can typically be easily combined with other methodologies, and it is often used in tandem with Scrum in a hybrid process called Scrumban. According to the 2022 State of Agile report, 27 percent of survey respondents were using Scrumban, while 56 percent were using Kanban [2].

Did you know?

Kanban means “signboard” in Japanese. The Kanban method was developed in a Toyota factory when cards were created to track production progress. It is now used to improve products and processes beyond the automotive industry, including software development, financial services, consulting, and other manufacturing sectors.

Other key concepts in Kanban include:

• Definition of Workflow (DoW): The DoW defines key parts of the Kanban workflow, such as what units are moving through the board, what “started” and “finished” mean, and how long it should take for an item to progress through the columns.

• Work in progress (WIP) limits: Teams can set WIP limits in columns, groups of columns, or the entire board. This means a column with a WIP limit of five can’t have more than five cards at a time. If five exist, the team must tackle the tasks in that column before moving to new ones. WIP limits can help prevent bottlenecks in the production process.

• Kaizen: This means “improvement” in Japanese. It encourages a mindset of continually improving the process. This can motivate all team members, not just managers, to share their insights and work to improve the team.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is an Agile methodology designed for complex projects where it is frequently necessary to adapt to change. Scrum is based on short development cycles called sprints, which generally last one to four weeks. A Scrum team is self-organised, small (typically no more than nine people), and includes one Scrum Master and one product owner. The rest of the team is called the development team.

As typical of Agile frameworks, Scrum uses an iterative approach to completing projects. Instead of delivering a project simultaneously, teams complete and deliver tasks in stages. This makes it easier to adapt to changes and evolving priorities.

Scrum is built on three pillars:

• Adaptation: Scrum is adaptive, meaning it embraces change. Scrum can easily accommodate a project changing tactical directions.

• Transparency: Transparency ensures the team knows what is going on and why. 

• Inspection: Team members and stakeholders inspect projects consistently. This encourages a culture of improvement.

Scrum has five core values: courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness. These values emphasise the importance of clear and honest communication and a sense of ownership by each team member.

Kanban vs Scrum: Similarities and differences

The similarities and differences between Kanban and Scrum can be summarised as follows:

• Kanban and Scrum are both methodologies that allow projects to adapt to change, encourage engagement by all team members, have short development cycles, and increase transparency.

• Kanban is a methodology centred around visualising tasks, while Scrum is a methodology that structures workflow and team culture to deliver projects in short timelines.

• Kanban delivers tasks continuously until the project is finished, while Scrum delivers chunks of deliverables in one—to four-week periods.

Here’s a side-by-side look at Kanban and Scrum.

Kanban vs Agile

Agile is a set of project management principles that encourage an adaptive and iterative way of approaching project management. It's an overarching philosophy and not a set of tools or processes. Agile emphasises flexibility over following a plan and is often used for projects that are met frequently with change.

Kanban, on the other hand, is an Agile methodology. This means it offers the specific tools and processes to implement Agile. It exhibits many of the principles of Agile, including the capacity to adapt to changes and transparency across the team. 

Kanban vs Waterfall

Waterfall is a traditional approach to project management in which tasks are completed in a set order until the project is finished, just as water might flow down a series of rocks in a waterfall. Waterfall is not designed to absorb changes throughout a project and is recommended for projects where few changes are expected. This might include projects with strict budgets or time constraints or where tasks must be completed sequentially.

Waterfall might seem at odds with Kanban’s capacity to absorb change. However, project managers can use an adapted Kanban board in a Waterfall process to visualise tasks.

Kanban vs Scrum: Which should I choose?

Kanban and Scrum each have their separate strengths. But pitting Kanban against Scrum is a false dilemma; you can easily use both in your work to maximise the benefits.

When to use Kanban

Kanban has been shown to improve visibility, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and increase productivity [1].

Kanban can integrate with existing processes, including Scrum. Kanban can be a good way to start if you don’t want to overhaul your entire work process but are hoping to gain the benefits of an Agile process.

When to use Scrum

Scrum has been linked to higher productivity, faster delivery, lower costs, and higher quality. Many project managers consider Scrum an effective method for tackling complex projects or projects that might see frequent change.

Scrum can make sense if you’re in an industry that experiences frequent change or if your project needs space to adapt to feedback. This might include industries that frequently update technology or projects that create new products.

Scrumban: Choosing both

Scrumban is a hybrid method that combines both Kanban and Scrum. Scrumban uses the processes of Scrum and the visualisation tools of Kanban. Scrumban can be a good way for teams familiar with either Scrum or Kanban to incorporate the other into their process.

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Kanban and Scrum are project management methods emphasising flexibility and short development cycles. Kanban visualises tasks and continuous flow, while Scrum uses fixed-length sprints and defined roles. Kanban is good for ongoing projects with frequent changes, while Scrum is better for complex projects with clear milestones. You can even combine them into a hybrid approach called Scrumban.

Knowing how and when to implement Kanban, Scrum, or both will take combining knowledge and practice. If you’re an aspiring project manager, consider the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate. This highly recommended program is designed to help you build skills in project management, change management, Agile, strategic thinking, and effective communication skills.