{"id":36552,"date":"2024-04-19T14:50:53","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T19:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectmanager.com\/?p=36552"},"modified":"2026-04-27T12:03:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T17:03:45","slug":"kanban-vs-scrum-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectmanager.com\/blog\/kanban-vs-scrum-better","title":{"rendered":"Kanban vs. Scrum: What\u2019s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kanban and scrum are agile project management methodologies that can be used for similar purposes, but each has its unique pros and cons. As a project manager, it\u2019s important to understand the difference between kanban and scrum so you can determine the best approach for your team.<\/p>\n

So, which is the best project management method if we compare kanban vs. scrum? Well, it\u2019s a trick question, because it depends on what that project is, the nature of your organization and which path is best for your team. And certainly, both methodologies have their value.<\/p>\n

In fact, there are lots of methodologies you can use for your projects, but kanban and scrum are often debated. So for the sake of argument, let\u2019s compare them head to head, and may the best project management methodology win!<\/p>\n

What Is Kanban?<\/h2>\n

Kanban<\/a> is from Japan, originating in the factories of the Toyota car company in the 60s as a lean manufacturing tool for workflow and inventory management. The name kanban means billboard in Japanese, and you can see why, as the process involves placing tasks represented by cards on physical or digital kanban boards.<\/p>\n

Kanban boards allow you to assign tasks to your team members and track their progress as they go through each workflow step until completion. It\u2019s important to note that there\u2019s more to the kanban methodology than just kanban boards<\/a>. There are also kanban principles, practices, metrics and other elements of this methodology you should be familiar with.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to use kanban boards for managing tasks, projects or workflows you\u2019ll need project management software like ProjectManager<\/a>. ProjectManager\u2019s kanban boards offer advanced planning, scheduling and tracking features to help you manage your team\u2019s workload and track their performance. Assign work to your team members, manage resources, estimate costs, automate workflows and much more. Get started for free today.<\/p>\n

\"Kanban<\/a>
ProjectManager’s kanban boards can help plan projects and identify bottlenecks. Learn more<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One value of using this method is that it\u2019s easier to identify bottlenecks and other issues that could delay the completion of tasks and address them before they affect your project budget<\/a> or schedule. Such advantages have seen kanban used in visual planning apps, where it can help with storyboarding user stories and sprint backlog planning.<\/p>\n

For more information on using kanban board software<\/a>, watch the short video below. It outlines practically exactly how kanban can work for your team.<\/p>\n

Project management training video (8cbjgsisvj)<\/a><\/div>
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What Is Scrum?<\/h2>\n

The scrum methodology<\/a> has been around since the mid-1980s and has been a core sub-methodology of agile since 2001 when Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle wrote the book on it: Agile Software Development with Scrum.<\/p>\n

Scrum is a project management framework with well-defined roles, guidelines and procedures that ensure this methodology is implemented consistently. Scrum is often used by smaller teams in what they call sprints<\/a>, made up of tasks of a shorter duration, to make the project more flexible and adaptable to change. The cycles are roughly two weeks long and led by a scrum master, which can be but doesn\u2019t have to be, a certified CSM (Certified Scrum Master) position.<\/p>\n

The scrum master<\/a> is the team expert on the process, and they are instrumental in guiding the team to optimize the use of scrum in the project. This can be through scrum meetings, which are held daily in scrum, but they act almost as a teacher throughout the project to support the team and give them direction.<\/p>\n

While scrum has been scaled to apply to bigger projects and organizations, its roots are in agile software development<\/a> and has come to work seamlessly in that smaller, nimble environment. That hasn\u2019t stopped practitioners from using scrum in varying industries, from retail logistics to event planning.<\/p>\n

What Is the Difference Between Scrum and Kanban?<\/h2>\n

The main difference between scrum and kanban is that scrum is a method that has strict rules when it comes to the roles and responsibilities of the scrum team<\/a>, and guiding their everyday activities such as how they should plan their work and how often they should meet, among other things. This means this methodology greatly influences how your team operates and might even require you to make hiring decisions based on it.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, kanban doesn\u2019t have such strict rules. While the kanban methodology also has a framework of principles<\/a> and best practices, they\u2019re much more flexible than scrum. For example, the kanban method doesn\u2019t require you to have a specific team structure or hold meetings. Because of this, kanban can be applied by a wider variety of teams.<\/p>\n

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Get your free<\/p>\n

Kanban Board Template<\/h3>\n

\n\tUse this free Kanban Board Template for Excel to manage your projects better.<\/p>\n\t\t