You already know two execution methods – Scrum and Kanban, that could be replaceable sometimes. The visual representation of the workflow happens at designated boards which differ in some of their key points.
- Work in progress limit – Scrum restricts the number of unfinished tasks by iteration, and Kanban – by limiting each phase of the workflow. At the Scrum board, the development team must commit to the number of tasks the team can complete during the sprint. Nothing speaks against having all elements in the Progress section simultaneously. Kanban, on the other hand, restricts the current amount of work. So if we have specified “five” in that section, there should not be more than five tasks in Progress at any given moment. But Scrum teams also comprehend that having too many ongoing and unfinished commitments is not a good tactic. That is why they usually try to complete current tasks before taking on new ones. Some teams even decide to limit the number of unfinished tasks and thus turn the Scrum board into a Kanban board. For a specific campaign, if your team uses Scrum, you can hire a crew to shoot video, create a strategy for social networks, and brief the media about what is happening at the same time. While going for Kanban means that these activities will happen sequentially, one after the other.
- Board owner – The Scrum board is always owned by a team and usually managed by a facilitator – the Scrum Master. That is why you need to select a multifunctional group of employees with adequate experience and qualifications when developing a campaign via this method. The Scrum board is visible to all parties involved, but its changes can be made only by the owner, that is, by the team. The Kanban board, on the other hand, does not need to be owned by a predefined team since the method focuses on the work process. The teams do not need to be multifunctional. However, you need to arrange rules about the board use and optimizing the way it works.
- Priorities – Scrum preferences the product list. There are always prioritised and sorted product lists. The priorities changes can only appear in the following, not in the current sprint. In Kanban, on the other hand, you can select any way of priority order (even not having any). The changes may occur when there is free capacity, not a fixed time. Depending on what is crucial in the specific campaign, you can decide which of the two methods will be more effective.
- Reset – In Scrum, all stickers must be in the final section with the completed tasks for the sprint to be considered successful. Then you should remove all the stickers and clear the board for the next sprint. The process of resetting the board can set a sense of achievement and satisfaction with the concluded task. Kanban, on the contrary, is a timeless tool, so you do not have to reset it and start over. The flow continues within the project life cycle, and new elements (stickers) are being added. If it is critical to limit tasks in time, it is better to choose Scrum. If time does not matter and you prefer to overview the whole project, better go for Kanban.
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