For many of us, our day to day jobs requires that we provide fantastic project management in order to make the business successful. In fact, one institute even claims that there will be more than fifteen million new project manager positions added to the worldwide job market by the year 2020, which isn’t really far off at all! Project management is simply the organization and strategic implementation of the tasks that need to be done to complete a project and this also means completing it on time and to a set budget.
The fun, but sometimes frustrating, thing about project management is that every project is different and there is no one size fits all when it comes to finding a project management system. There are now lots of amazing project management systems out there for you to choose from, and in this article, we are going to be focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of two of the most popular project management methods and show you a comparison of Kanban and Scrum.
What is Kanban?
The Kanban project management style was first implemented by Toyota back in 1940s Japan and since then it has moved across to nearly ever factory floor across the world. What’s more, it has now also moved into lots of new and emerging industries, particularly in the digital and technology sectors. With Kanban, you will be continuously working towards a project. For example, on the Toyota line, it would start off with one piece of metal and as it worked further and further down the line, this then was transformed into a car and the project was completed.
So, the idea with a Kanban project is that you will be working towards it and then sending it down the digital conveyor belt to another station for other skilled workers to get to work. Kanban also takes inspiration from the grocery store models which is to carry just enough of the products to meet customer demand. When comparing the Scrum board vs Kanban board, the Kanban board is a lot more relaxed as there is no assigned roles and deadlines are not as hard.
To use a Kanban board, you will be looking to define each stage of your workflow and then ensure that you can move each task along it as they are being completed. What many people really like about Kanban is that this is a great way to visualize your project and you can make it as flexible as you choose.
Kanban is ideally suited to a cohesive team who know how to keep the flow going and you should not need to micromanage any deadlines as the team will be self-motivated to do this. While the deadlines are not usually as strict like with Scrum is should still encourage efficiency within the office and save yourself money on resources, plus project managers will be able to change the tasks that people are working on which allows greater flexibility but with a lot less frustration. Make sure with Kanban that you are only assigning work that the team will be able to handle.
While the pros definitely outweigh the cons with Kanban, there are still a few weaknesses to think about. One is that if one team member has an in-demand skill then they may hold up the production line as they cannot be everywhere at once. Kanban might also not be the best for those with projects that have a strict, hard deadline.
What is Scrum?
Scrum and Kanban are both similar project management methods and it breaks up tasks into a smaller section that are easier to complete. These smaller chunks are known as sprints and usually have to be completed within two to four weeks. At the end of each sprint, the project should be evaluated to see if there are any changes that need to be made. When you are first using Scrum, it can seem quite overwhelming. However, after a period of training and using it you will find that it becomes much easier to use and is a structured way to ensure that everything gets done.
There are many strengths to using Scrum. If you have a project that needs to be shipped to a tight deadline, then this is a fantastic option for you. What’s more, it is easy to respond should any changes to the project occur and it provides an easy way to delegate tasks. There are also some weaknesses to the Scrum method too. This includes having trouble initially adjusting to this project management method and not being able to complete work in the desired sprint time.
So, with Kanban vs Scrum board, which will you choose for your next project?
