Difference Between Agile and Kanban

Kanban and Agile are the two most popular project management methodologies today. Understanding their differences is essential for teams to decide which methodology to implement. In this article, we will discuss the definitions of Agile and Kanban, the similarities and differences between them, when to use Agile and Kanban methodologies, and offer a final summary of the key points. 

Kanban and Agile are modern-day project management approaches that have been developed to provide teams with more efficient, effective, and flexible ways of organizing their projects. Agile is a set of principles, practices, or processes that focus on continuously improving the product, responding to customer feedback, and improving collaboration. Kanban is a visual system for tracking workflows and tasks that emphasize continuous delivery and eliminating bottlenecks. 

By understanding the key features of Agile and Kanban and their differences, teams can decide which methodology to use for their projects better. Let's dive in and learn more about Kanban and Agile.

What is Agile?

Agile development methodologies are widely adopted because they help businesses provide high-quality output with minimal disruption. Agile's success hinges on its key tenets: iterative development, feedback, and methodological improvement. It is important to know that Agile is not a set of rules but rather a process that leads to better work and higher performance.

Why Use an Agile Methodology for Software Development?

Organizations adopt the Agile process to stay abreast of market developments and be prepared to deliver high-quality products. Therefore, each consumer comment and market acceptability is incorporated into the subsequent product development cycle, allowing for improved future outcomes. 

So, Agile teams work together to create a shared vision for both the development and customer end. Teams specify their criteria to increase visibility in maintaining a more complete, useful product that conforms to the highest quality to attract the customer's attention. Even management relies on Agile teams to maintain the same level of customer satisfaction and product quality.

What is Kanban?

Kanban uses boards, called "Kanban Boards", to manage the workload among teams in accordance with the lean methodology. Here, having full visibility of the system's workload lets you find a good balance between the system's capacity and its needs.   

With Kanban, everyone in the team can see the status of the development process at a glance, thanks to the visual printout of the many steps in the process. Each team member has the opportunity to review the steps taken in each process, speak with those who are directly engaged and suggest improvements.

Why Use Kanban Boards for Project Management?

Kanban methods are extremely effective for projects with specified goals and manageable scopes. It facilitates better job distribution and team-wide capacity for exceptional performance in all areas of work. 

Agile Kanban Boards are also used to automate tasks that need to be done over and over again. This makes the workflow management system better. You may examine the workflow metrics further and acquire insights to enhance overall quality. Blocker visualization is another important part of Kanban Boards. This helps to find and fix problems that come up in the procedures.

What is the Difference Between Agile and Kanban?

Kanban, as previously said, is an Agile methodology-based tool. However, there are a few minor distinctions between Agile and Kanban. Let’s look at some of them below:

• Approach

Agile is a method, not a tool. Kanban, on the other hand, is a tool that works with the Agile method. Kanban uses Kanban cards and Kanban boards to visualize work items or WIP. Therefore, you may optimize work items or WIP and swiftly accomplish jobs.

• Ensuring Quality

When using Kanban boards, quality is guaranteed at every level of the operation. Other Agile methods only check for quality at the end of each workflow.

• Workflow Structure

As you may know, Agile divides the primary project into smaller processes that are easier to build, test, and optimize. It also fosters a concurrent and incremental workflow strategy. Kanban is based on a continuous workflow framework. The cards on Kanban boards may be grouped to represent the flow of work items, which aids in optimizing them efficiently.

• Application

Kanban boards are applicable to all sorts of projects, although other Agile approaches are applicable to specific project types. Kanban primarily offers quick delivery with shorter life cycles.

• Roles

You don’t need to set roles for maintaining Kanban boards. Instead, each member of the team is responsible for managing their own board. To put it another way, Kanban fosters a sense of communal responsibility. On the other hand, other Agile methods like scrum use clearly defined roles to manage tasks at different stages of the development lifecycle.

• Usability

The Kanban approach is easy to use and doesn't call for any special training. However, training is necessary to use the tools successfully with other Agile approaches.

• Metrics Used

Cycle time is a key indicator for tracking workflow progress in Kanban. Control charts and CFD aid in identifying workflow bottlenecks and improving throughput. Kanban primarily uses Kanban boards for visual inspections, whereas other Agile techniques utilize tools such as storyboards to track workflow progress.

Conclusion

Agile is a technique, and Kanban is one of the tools used to apply the Agile approach. Agile permits the modification of software development workflows and the creation of high-quality software. It not only gives teams more autonomy but also promotes constant development. On the other hand, Kanban uses visual aids to track the status of workflows and improves them in real-time, depending on changes. 

When comparing Agile boards to Kanban boards, the main difference is that Agile boards give detailed information about the different steps in the process. In contrast, Kanban boards are a key part of the whole process because they show all activities, monitoring, work requests, demand, and almost everything else. Is your organization searching for professional freelance web developers who can help develop kanban-based project management software? Our website hosts some of the best software developers, website designers, and UI/UX designers in the industry. Check it out now.