In today’s dynamic and fast-paced business environment, project management methodologies that promote flexibility, adaptability, and collaboration are essential for successful outcomes. Fifty years ago, the waterfall model was preferred because it provided for the sequential completion of tasks ensuring that every step was fulfilled before moving on to the next. However, this traditional approach came with multiple limitations, creating the need for innovation in project management. Agile methodologies were the next step in the evolution of project management. The Agile frameworks enable teams to respond effectively to changing requirements, mitigate risks, and optimize project delivery. As the name suggests, it is all about agility. Some prominent Agile frameworks in software development include Scrum and Kanban. These two have gained notoriety for their positive and immediate impact on productivity. Where Waterfall led to yearlong delays, Scrum and Kanban have made it possible to respond to project needs in real-time. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of project management in the context of agile development, specifically focusing on the Scrum and Kanban frameworks.
Agile Development
Agile development is a project management concept that takes a collaborative approach to software development to ensure the delivery of top-of-the-line products that meet consumer and client expectations. It is essential to note that flexibility and adaptivity are key features in this framework. Agile acknowledges that product development, especially in the world of software, is not linear. It promotes frequent feedback, continuous improvement, and early and regular delivery of working software (Lei et al., 2017). Agile methodologies emphasize close collaboration between cross-functional teams, customer involvement, and the ability to respond quickly to changes.
Scrum
Scrum is an agile framework for managing and organizing complex projects. It breaks down the work into sections called sprints. These sprints are assigned limited periods within which they must be completed. Most organizations that take this approach limit the duration of each sprint to a max of four weeks. Each team in this framework has members with specified roles, such as product owner, scrum master, and development team efficiency (Alqudah & Razali, 2017). Like in any other setting, the team’s success depends on each member understanding and accepting their role. If one person drops the ball, it sabotages the completion of the project. The product owner is at the top of this scrum team hierarchy and decides the order of completion that must be followed within the sprint depending on the perceived priority and importance of the group objective. The development team executes the items on the priority list within the sprint (Lei et al., 2017). This team organizes within itself because everyone understands what needs to happen to achieve the required outcomes. Scrum provides transparency, regular inspection, and adaptation through ceremonies like daily stand-ups, sprint planning, sprint review, and sprint retrospectives.
Kanban
Kanban is another agile framework that visualizes and optimizes the workflow. It originated from lean manufacturing principles and is often represented as a board with columns representing stages of work. The objective of all these frameworks is to minimize waste and optimize productivity without compromising on the quality of output. Therefore, it is unsurprising that Kanban borrows some principles of lean manufacturing which emphasize optimal production levels. In Kanban, each work item is represented by a card, and the movement of cards across columns indicates progress. Kanban emphasizes limiting work in progress (WIP), continuous flow, and maximizing efficiency (Alqudah & Razali, 2017). It provides flexibility and enables teams to respond to changing priorities and minimize bottlenecks.
Transitioning from Scrum to Kanban
Although Kanban and Scrum are both under the Agile umbrella, transitioning from Scrum to Kanban involves a shift in mindset and practices. This is because they are not identical. Therefore, before making the change, it is important to ensure that everyone on the team is familiar with the Kanban principles. As mentioned above, some of these include minimizing WIP and visualizing the workflow. It will also be crucial to break down the current systems and processes under the Scrum approach. This will enable the team to identify the various areas where Kanban will be more suitable for better project outcomes. This analysis provides information that helps the team to understand the reason for the transition. It ensures that the members buy into the idea. Once this is done, a Kanban board will enable everyone to visualize the workflow (Zayat & Senvar, 2020). The workflow is then mapped as columns based on the different stages identified on the Kanban board. This provides a platform for continued visibility and visualization of the workflow.
Once the visualization is complete, the next step is setting the WIP limits for each column on the board mentioned above. The WIP limits provide focus boundaries so that the team members can work on specified tasks before moving on to new ones (Zayat & Senvar, 2020). This minimizes overburdening and improves the overall flow. After the project starts rolling, it will also require tracking flow metrics such as lead time and cycle time. Lead time refers to the time taken to complete an item, whereas cycle time is time spent actively working on an item. The lead time and cycle times can be integral in identifying bottlenecks, optimizing production, and consistently elevating the team’s performance.
Challenges of Transitioning from Scrum to Kanban
- Mindset shift: Moving from a time-boxed and structured framework like Scrum to a more flexible and flow-based approach like Kanban requires changing mindset and team dynamics. This is often not easy to achieve, especially if people have been working with Scrum for an extended period.
- Lack of defined roles: Kanban does not have predefined roles like Scrum, which can create confusion initially (Zayat & Senvar, 2020). Clear communication and a shared understanding of responsibilities are crucial. In the absence of communication, there will be an overlap of tasks and roles.
- Team buy-in: Transitioning to Kanban requires the whole team’s buy-in and understanding of the principles and benefits. It may take time for team members to adapt and embrace the change. Human beings are wired to resist changes away from the status quo due to the uncertainty that comes with it.
Best Practices for a Successful Transition
It is important to start with minor changes and roll out Kanban gradually as the team warms up to the idea (Kniberg & Skarin, 2010). This provides time for the team to adapt to the new realities. Furthermore, this time can be invested in training the employees in Kanban principles to minimize interruptions to company operations. Additionally, this transition only works if the team members can collaborate and work together. Thus, it requires transparency through communication so everyone knows their role and how it impacts the team’s success. Furthermore, the management should employ change management strategies to ensure the changes go down well with the rest of the team. Finally, it is crucial to install a culture of continuous improvement. The management should regularly review and analyze flow metrics to identify areas for improvement and experiment with changes to optimize the process.
Benefits:
Scrum benefits:
- Clear roles and responsibilities
- Time-boxed iterations for predictable delivery
- Frequent inspection and adaptation through ceremonies
- Improved collaboration and transparency
Kanban benefits:
- Flexibility to accommodate changing priorities
- Visual representation of work and flow
- WIP limits to prevent overburdening and improve focus
- Continuous flow and reduced waste
Project Types
Scrum is well-suited for projects with evolving requirements, where customer feedback and collaboration play a significant role (Ahmad et al., 2016). It works best with a clear product vision and a dedicated Product Owner.
On the other hand, Kanban is suitable for projects with a continuous flow of work or projects where priorities change frequently. It is effective for maintenance tasks, support teams, or projects that require a steady and predictable workflow.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Scrum
Scrum is more predictable because of its time-boxed structure. One can easily estimate the delivery timelines at the start of the project. Furthermore, it provides a clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This makes managing the team and maintaining accountability easier (Ahmad et al., 2016). Furthermore, Scrum offers regular windows for inspection and adaptation based on the required improvements. Finally, it emphasizes collaboration and customer involvement. On the downside, Scrum is rigid regarding fixed iterations and scope. It also required dedicated team roles such as product owner and scrum master. This makes it challenging to estimate and plan for long-term projects.
Kanban
Kanban offers more flexibility, enabling the team to adapt the project process to differing priorities. The visual representation of the work and flow also facilitates clear communication to the team on the roles and steps to execution (Kniberg & Skarin, 2010). This enables efficient utilization of resources through the predetermined WIP limits. The flexibility of Kanban makes it suitable for both predictable and unpredictable workloads. On the downside, the undefined roles open the team to confusion and miscommunication. Thus, it requires a higher level of discipline and self-organization.
References
Ahmad, M. O., Kuvaja, P., Oivo, M., & Markkula, J. (2016, January). Transition of software maintenance teams from Scrum to Kanban. In 2016 49th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) (pp. 5427-5436). IEEE.
Alqudah, M., & Razali, R. (2017, November). A comparison of Scrum and Kanban for identifying their selection factors. In 2017 6th International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Informatics (ICEEI) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
Kniberg, H., & Skarin, M. (2010). Kanban and Scrum-making the most of both. Lulu. com.
Lei, H., Ganjeizadeh, F., Jayachandran, P. K., & Ozcan, P. (2017). A statistical analysis of the effects of Scrum and Kanban on software development projects. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 43, 59-67.
Zayat, W., & Senvar, O. (2020). Framework study for agile software development via Scrum and Kanban. International journal of innovation and technology management, 17(04), 2030002.
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