Scrum vs Kanban vs Scrumban: Choosing the Right Project Management Framework

Waleed Mousa
3 min readFeb 19, 2023

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Scrum, Kanban, and Scrumban are popular project management frameworks that have been used by organizations to increase efficiency, improve collaboration, and deliver projects on time. In this article, we will explore the differences between these three methodologies, discuss which one is best suited for what, provide examples, and recommend project management tools to use with each framework.

Scrum:

Scrum is a project management framework that emphasizes collaboration, iterative development, and frequent delivery of working software. It is based on the Agile methodology, which means it focuses on responding to change and delivering value to the customer. The Scrum framework is made up of several roles, events, and artifacts that work together to ensure the team stays on track and focused on delivering a quality product.

Roles:

  • Product Owner
  • Scrum Master
  • Development Team

Events:

  • Sprint Planning
  • Daily Scrum
  • Sprint Review
  • Sprint Retrospective

Artifacts:

  • Product Backlog
  • Sprint Backlog
  • Increment

Scrum is best suited for projects where the requirements are well-defined and where the team is co-located.

Examples of industries where Scrum is often used include software development, healthcare, education, and finance.

Some of the best project management tools to use with Scrum include:

  • Jira Software
  • Trello
  • Asana
  • Monday.com

Kanban:

Kanban is a project management framework that emphasizes visualization, flow, and continuous delivery. It is based on the Lean methodology, which means it focuses on eliminating waste and improving efficiency. The Kanban framework is made up of three basic principles: visualize the workflow, limit work in progress, and manage flow.

Roles:

  • None (team members are self-organized)

Events:

  • None (meetings are optional)

Artifacts:

  • Kanban Board
  • WIP Limits
  • Cumulative Flow Diagram

Kanban is best suited for projects where the requirements are constantly changing and where the team is distributed. Examples of industries where Kanban is often used include software development, marketing, and manufacturing.

Some of the best project management tools to use with Kanban include:

  • Trello
  • Asana
  • Monday.com
  • Kanbanize

Scrumban:

Scrumban is a project management framework that combines the best of Scrum and Kanban. It takes the iterative and collaborative approach of Scrum and the continuous delivery and visualization approach of Kanban to create a hybrid methodology. The Scrumban framework is made up of the principles of both Scrum and Kanban.

Roles:

  • Product Owner
  • Scrum Master
  • Development Team

Events:

  • Sprint Planning (optional)
  • Daily Scrum (optional)
  • Sprint Review (optional)
  • Sprint Retrospective (optional)

Artifacts:

  • Product Backlog
  • Kanban Board

Scrumban is best suited for projects where the requirements are both well-defined and constantly changing, and where the team is distributed. Examples of industries where Scrumban is often used include software development, healthcare, and finance.

Some of the best project management tools to use with Scrumban include:

  • Trello
  • Asana
  • Monday.com
  • Kanbanize

In conclusion

choosing the right project management framework depends on the needs and requirements of the project. Scrum, Kanban, and Scrumban are all effective methodologies that have their strengths and weaknesses. It is important to understand the requirements of the project and the strengths of each methodology before deciding which one to use. With the right project management tool, any of these frameworks can help teams to work more efficiently, collaborate more effectively, and deliver high-quality products on time.

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