Lean vs. Agile vs. Scrum vs. Kanban: A Comparability

Over the previous three a long time, Agile-inspired frameworks reminiscent of Scrum, Kanban, Excessive Programming (XP), and Lean-Agile have come to dominate software program improvement. Whereas they share a lineage, every gives a distinct method to managing software program improvement tasks—and every has distinct benefits and limitations.

On this venture administration blueprint, I focus on the Lean and Agile philosophies and hint their discursive evolution and utilized follow from auto-manufacturing in mid-Twentieth-century Japan to their present-day use by software program groups worldwide, adopted by an in depth examination of Scrum and Kanban, the 2 most prevalent Agile-inspired frameworks within the trade as we speak.

Lean Philosophies

The time period “Lean” advanced from the Toyota Production System (TPS), a producing mannequin developed by Sakichi Toyoda, Kiichiro Toyoda, and Taiichi Ohno. The system revolutionized manufacturing from the Nineteen Fifties to the Seventies by specializing in eliminating inefficiencies from the manufacturing course of. Toyota recognized three broad sources of inefficiency:

1. Waste: Waste (identified in Japanese as muda) arises resulting from defects, overproduction, ready, transport, inventories, movement, and extra processing. (Many corporations now acknowledge unused talent as an eighth sort of waste.)

2. Overburden: Overburden (muri) applies to personnel and equipment and manifests as burnout, absenteeism, or issues of safety. To forestall muri, Toyota distributed manufacturing actions evenly throughout the meeting line.

3. Unevenness: Unevenness (mura) may result from fluctuating buyer demand or variations in operator pace or product completion instances. It will increase the danger of overburden, creating waste. Coaching employees on a number of machines for elevated flexibility and forecasting demand might help cut back unevenness.

To take away these impediments, Toyota established its manufacturing system on a core idea generally known as “just-in-time.” This method minimizes the retention of extra inventory previous to manufacturing. As an alternative, the corporate replenishes supplies as merchandise are accomplished in what’s generally known as a “pull system.”

Toyota acknowledged that high quality management should be ingrained within the manufacturing course of, requiring each automation and human intelligence—a mix known as jidoka. Toyota designed equipment to cease robotically when an issue occurred. The corporate additionally empowered employees to cease manufacturing once they seen irregularities.

TPS emphasizes the need of steady enchancment, on-the-ground statement, and respect for individuals via teamwork and collaboration. Toyota’s philosophy and practices have been additional popularized within the 1990 ebook The Machine That Changed the World by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Roos, which cited TPS because the mannequin for “Lean manufacturing.”

Lean Developments

Lean rules started getting into software program improvement within the Nineties. At that time, the trade was in determined want of recent approaches. A 1994 report by the Standish Group discovered that fewer than one in 5 software program tasks have been an unqualified success. These deficiencies have been partly resulting from conventional Waterfall methodologies, which outlined necessities at first of multiyear tasks and resulted in late or over-budget software program supply. In some instances, the deliverables have been out of date resulting from market modifications that had occurred throughout a venture.

Early enhancements to Waterfall included rapid application development, which emerged at IBM and unfold with the publication of James Martin’s 1991 ebook Rapid Application Development. This technique centered on waste discount by way of strategies reminiscent of fast prototyping. Software program builders additionally moved towards incremental improvement, including options in a continuing iteration of small tasks. Whereas these methods of working helped, they didn’t clear up the core issues related to Waterfall.

One other important improvement occurred throughout the realm of enterprise administration. In 1996, authors James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones adopted up on The Machine That Modified the World with Lean Thinking. The ebook outlined the rules of Lean management, distilling the core Lean values of steady enchancment and respect for individuals into 5 prescriptive rules that may very well be used to eradicate waste and enhance constantly. These concepts would inform the event of Lean-Agile methodologies within the a long time to return.

In the meantime, software program builders started to independently develop new Lean-inspired methodologies and frameworks, together with Scrum, XP, Crystal, and Adaptive Software program Growth. These typically originated from in-house efforts to enhance effectivity, however builders had additionally begun to share their concepts via publications and shows.

Agile Approaches

In February 2001, a gaggle of software program trade leaders met in Snowbird, Utah, to plan an answer for effectivity issues in software program improvement. The attendees included a number of individuals already credited with launching Lean-inspired methodologies, together with Jim Highsmith (Adaptive Software program Growth); Jeff Sutherland, Ken Schwaber, and Mike Beedle (Scrum); Kent Beck, Ron Jeffries, and Ward Cunningham (XP); and Alistair Cockburn (Crystal).

The assembly resulted within the Manifesto for Agile Software Development (typically known as the Agile Manifesto), during which the attendees laid out 12 Lean-inspired principles for software program improvement. The rules emphasised the significance of adapting to altering necessities and buyer wants, minimizing waste, and delivering working software program sooner utilizing an incremental method. The core values of the Agile Manifesto are extensively identified as we speak however value reiterating. These values prioritize:

• People and interactions over processes and instruments.
• Working software program over complete documentation.
• Buyer collaboration over contract negotiation.
• Responding to vary over following a plan.

In 2002, Jim Highsmith expounded on Agile rules in Agile Software Development Ecosystems. The ebook described the sooner Lean-inspired strategies like Scrum and XP as strategies for reaching Agile software program improvement.

Within the years following the Agile Manifesto, further frameworks and methodologies emerged, placing the philosophy’s values and rules into follow. Mary and Tom Poppendieck printed Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit in 2003. Their method makes use of the seven types of waste in Lean manufacturing as a jumping-off level for Agile software program improvement. In 2010, David J. Anderson, a software program engineer at Microsoft, formally outlined Kanban, one other Lean-inspired methodology, in his ebook Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business.

In the present day, the 2 most outstanding Agile-enabled frameworks are Scrum and Kanban. I focus on these two frameworks within the following sections, displaying the similarities and variations between them.

Scrum

Scrum has confirmed to be the preferred Agile-enabled framework, utilized by 87% of respondents, based on the 2022 State of Agile Report. (Many contributors used multiple framework or methodology.) The time period “scrum” originates in rugby, the place it describes a decent formation of gamers across the ball. It was launched in a producing context by Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka in a 1986 Harvard Business Review article. They used the time period to explain the teamwork required to maneuver a venture “downfield.”

Scrum entered the software program trade in 1993 when Jeff Sutherland started implementing Scrum processes with colleagues on the Easel Company. Two years later, Sutherland and Ken Schwaber offered a paper on the Scrum improvement course of at a software program trade convention. Schwaber then labored with Mike Beedle to element the strategy of their 2002 ebook Agile Software Development with Scrum. In that very same yr, the Scrum Alliance was shaped by Schwaber, together with Mike Cohn and Esther Derby; since then, it has grown to develop into the world’s largest Agile and Scrum certification {and professional} networking group.

Scrum Overview

Scrum is an incremental and iterative framework for software program improvement. Its rules and practices assist groups work in brief cycles, enabling fast response to suggestions and altering wants. The framework is prescriptive, with clearly outlined staff constructions, workflows, occasions, and phrases.

Scrum includes self-organizing, self-managing teams of often 5 to seven staff members. One member is called the Scrum grasp: This servant-leader facilitates collaboration and enforces Scrum processes, however shouldn’t be chargeable for assigning duties or product supply. One other member, the product proprietor, defines the imaginative and prescient for the staff, engages with different stakeholders, and finally accepts or rejects the staff’s work. Groups are cross-functional; members work collectively and will not be certain to distinct roles like architect, programmer, designer, or tester.

Work happens in brief, time-boxed iterations known as sprints, sometimes one to 4 weeks in length. The dash focuses on work objects from a prioritized “product backlog” established earlier than the dash begins. The staff goals to ship working software program on the finish of every dash, enabling fast suggestions cycles.

Scrum Course of

Earlier than a dash can start, the product proprietor creates a product backlog. The backlog often begins with improvement objects known as “consumer tales.” The tales outline product options from an end-user perspective. Analysis and prototyping duties are known as “spikes” and are generally required earlier than the staff can start a narrative. The product proprietor arranges the backlogged work in precedence order.

As soon as a product backlog is created and prioritized, the continued backlog refinement course of takes over. The Scrum staff critiques an inventory of tales and different duties. They meet with the product proprietor and Scrum grasp and focus on “acceptance standards” for every story (i.e., the testable necessities specified by the product proprietor). In addition they consider complexity, threat, dimension, implementation technique, and different components. As soon as the contributors set up a typical understanding of every story, they estimate the trouble required to finish the duty by evaluating it to a earlier, well-understood piece of labor and assigning size-based values known as “story factors.”

To formally launch the dash, the Scrum grasp facilitates a dash planning assembly with the Scrum staff and the product proprietor. The staff determines its dash capability, which is the variety of story factors it could possibly deal with primarily based on the out there time and assets. The product proprietor presents objects from the product backlog, and the staff discusses every story and breaks down the subtasks required for the story to satisfy the “definition of done” (DoD). They proceed pulling tales from the backlog till reaching the dash capability. The tales are organized on a table-style show known as a Scrum board, the place the staff will monitor progress in the course of the dash. After reviewing the dash scope, the Scrum staff (however not the Scrum grasp or product proprietor) commits to finishing the work (i.e., the “dash backlog”), and the dash commences.

In the beginning of every day in the course of the dash, the Scrum grasp facilitates a short, 15-minute assembly with the Scrum staff and product proprietor to plan and evaluation progress. This quick assembly is called the “day by day scrum.” Every individual briefly reviews on work finished the day earlier than, the work deliberate for the present day, and any impediments. When a staff member identifies an impediment, the Scrum grasp provides the merchandise to an “impediments backlog,” offering visibility for the staff. The Scrum grasp is chargeable for addressing points on the impediments backlog.

Along with sustaining the Scrum board, the Scrum grasp displays progress with a burndown chart. The chart exhibits the quantity of labor accomplished, measured in story factors. The remaining story factors are proven on the Y axis, and the remaining time is proven on the X axis. The Scrum grasp updates the dash burndown chart because the staff completes tales.

On the finish of the dash, the Scrum grasp facilitates a dash demo assembly at which the staff presents every accomplished story utilizing the working software program. The product proprietor will approve the story if all of the acceptance standards are met. If a narrative is rejected, the product proprietor identifies the shortfalls, and the story returns to the product backlog in its precedence order. Typically, the rejected portion of a narrative is transformed right into a separate story, and the unique is closed.

After the dash demo, the Scrum grasp facilitates a remaining assembly generally known as the dash retrospective. The staff displays on the dash and evaluates what went effectively and what didn’t. This course of generates an inventory of enchancment motion objects, which can be added to the product backlog or trigger modifications to the staff constitution.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Scrum

As a result of Scrum groups prioritize backlog objects and work in brief iterations that all the time produce working software program, Scrum permits clients to find out what they like (and don’t like) and request modifications throughout product improvement. The overhead prices for course of and administration are decrease, resulting in faster, cheaper outcomes.

Nonetheless, Scrum shouldn’t be the most effective venture administration course of in some conditions. Organizations ought to perceive points that may come up from this framework:

• Transparency: Scrum will increase transparency and accountability. Though transparency is advantageous, it may be uncomfortable when issues and poor efficiency are uncovered, resulting in resistance if not appropriately dealt with throughout the Scrum framework of steady enchancment.
• Crew expertise and dedication: Inexperienced or uncommitted Scrum groups or Scrum masters could cause critical issues by misapplying the Scrum framework. As a result of staff members wouldn’t have outlined roles, all members should possess related technical expertise. Scrum additionally advantages from dedication coming from different components of the group.
• Scope creep: One of many fundamental benefits of Scrum is that groups and stakeholders can alter priorities and scope alongside the best way, however this may also be a drawback if self-discipline isn’t used. Scope creep is a particular concern for tasks with out a outlined finish date, as stakeholders could proceed including work objects.
• Poorly outlined work: Poorly outlined and understood consumer tales or duties can result in rework, inaccurate estimates, and scope creep. Though Scrum prioritizes creating working software program over documentation, the product proprietor should clearly talk standards and expectations.
• Scaling: Scrum capabilities greatest with smaller groups. Massive groups require a distinct method.

Scrum is a superb framework for tasks with necessities which are unsure or anticipated to vary. It’s best-suited for skilled, motivated groups, because it empowers them to arrange their work and consider progress and issues. Scrum groups typically enhance and develop into extra productive over time.

Kanban

Kanban is an Agile administration course of that focuses on visualization, workflow, and limiting work in progress. The idea emerged instantly from the TPS, during which the time period kanban (or “signboard”) refers to tags on merchandise and supplies. When a Toyota employee removes the kanban and sends it down the manufacturing line, a brand new order is initiated.

Software program builders started to undertake Kanban following David J. Anderson’s 2010 ebook Kanban: Profitable Evolutionary Change for Your Expertise Enterprise, which outlined strategies used at Microsoft. Lately, its use has expanded quickly. The 2022 State of Agile Report discovered that 56% of Agile groups use Kanban, making it the second-most well-liked methodology following Scrum.

Kanban Course of

In software program improvement, Kanban resembles a light-weight and fewer regimented model of Scrum. The staff makes use of a Kanban board to visualise work in progress. The board is just like a Scrum board, however the workflow doesn’t advance in time-boxed sprints. As an alternative, Kanban permits for a continuing circulation of labor however limits what number of objects occupy every standing at one time primarily based on staff capability. The staff can’t pull new work till current work advances.

As a result of Kanban groups will not be required to work in sprints, the groups don’t comply with a prescribed course of conferences for planning, product demonstrations, retrospectives, and so forth. Steady enchancment is achieved by monitoring and analyzing the circulation of things and making incremental enhancements as points are uncovered.

Kanban doesn’t prescribe particular roles for staff members, though a venture supervisor typically facilitates actions and ensures that work objects are prioritized and clearly understood. A single Kanban board may even be shared throughout groups.

This desk is an summary comparability of Kanban and Scrum:

Total, Kanban is a extremely adaptable methodology that’s well-suited for groups making incremental enhancements to a product. It requires much less coaching than Scrum and is extra versatile. Kanban may be mixed with different frameworks and may even be implemented at enterprise scale.

Past the Blueprint

In keeping with the Standish Group, tasks that implement Agile frameworks and methodologies are roughly four times more likely to succeed than these utilizing extra conventional strategies. The most well-liked Agile-inspired project-managed blueprints used for software program improvement have their historic roots in Lean manufacturing and TPS and have reworked the software program trade over the previous three a long time.

understanding of Lean, Agile, Scrum, and Kanban is key to the sector of venture administration and having all of them defined in a single place allows additional steady enchancment and development as groups and firms scale utilizing Waterfall, DAD, SAFe, and different hybrid approaches.

This text has not too long ago undergone a complete replace to include the newest and most correct info. Feedback under could predate these modifications.