How Kanban Differ from Other Agile Methodologies?

Do you have any confusion about Kanban in Agile Software Development? If yes, then you no longer need to surf the internet about the Kanban Agile Method. This article covers an in-depth explanation of Kanban along with its features that differentiate it from other Agile Methods. By the end of this blog, you will gain a clear understanding of the difference between the Kanban in Agile Methodologies.

Overview of Agile Methodology

Agile Methodology is the framework that focuses on iterative development throughout the Project Lifecycle.

1. It differs from the traditional sequential approach to software development as it focuses on adaptive planning.
2. It also keeps the Project Stakeholders involved in the decision-making so that the Product conforms to the Customer’s business goals.
3. Hence, the Project has an iterative lifecycle with a collaborative development approach. Some popular Agile Methodologies include Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming(XP), Dynamic Systems Development Method, Feature Driven Development, etc.

What is Kanban?

Kanban is a type of Agile Method that acts as a visualization tool to interpret the Project Execution activities at different phases.

1. It uses a visualization tool which is called the ‘Kanban Board’ that outlines what is coming next in the Project Execution.
2. It can also be integrated with the project workspace so that day-to-day activities can be easily managed without maintaining any separate record document.
3. Now, it’s time to look into some features of Kanban so that you can understand it in a better way.

Features of Kanban

1. It helps us to prevent overload: The Kanban board has a Work-In-Progress limit (WIP) which allows only a limited number of tasks per column. This helps us to manage the work without putting much workload on a particular role.
2. It supports Cycle Time Tracking: We can easily track how much time each task takes for its execution which is called the Cycle Time of the Task. Thus, we can evaluate the performance of the project easily.
3. It visualizes the task prioritization: Kanban Board highlights the todos and assignees of the project according to the priority. Thus, important activities such as security, role-based data access, authentication, etc. can be completed with priority.
4. It improves the transparency of the project: The visual approach to Project management improves communication among the different associates or stakeholders can be kept informed about the project’s progress.

Comparative Analysis of Kanban and Other Methodologies

If we analyze the Kanban and other Methodologies, we will come across differences such as fixed-length sprints, and enforcing a set of predefined roles, events, artifacts, etc in the other Agile methods that make them more complex. Kanban, on the other hand, provides us with a more fluid and adaptive workflow. The key differences between the other Agile Methods and Kanban are highlighted in the below table:

Comparison	Kanban	Scrum	Lean	XP
Teams	Highly specialized	Specialized specialists	Cross-functional	Collective ownership
Roles	No specific roles	Defined roles (PO, SM, DT)	Minimal roles	Collective ownership
Planning	Team-driven priorities	Fixed sprints, set priorities	Value stream mapping	Iterative planning, feedback
Time	Task completion times	Fixed sprint durations	Continuous flow	Short cycles, frequent releases
Visualizing	Kanban board always filled	Scrum board with fixed columns	Value stream mapping	Visual tools for progress
Indicators	Average task completion time	Total weight of tasks in sprint	Cycle time, throughput	Velocity, TDD metrics
Application	Small projects or long-term	Large-scale projects	Process optimization	Software development enhancement

With the above analysis, we can easily understand the main distinguishing features of the Kanban that differentiate it from other Agile Methods.

Key Differences Kanban and Agile Methodologies?

1. Kanban has a Pull-System Approach

Kanban uses a Pull-System approach for undertaking a particular task under execution. It means that when there is a requirement for that task, it is pulled into the system for its execution. On the contrary, other Agile Methods use a Push-System Approach in which the tasks are updated in the record without any requirement. They are pushed into the task log for execution. Thus, other methods are rigid for task execution.

2. Kanban as Continuous Delivery

In the Kanban, the Project Managers have to focus on the continuous delivery of the Project. It does not include a pre-planned release of the product’s build, defined iterations, or fixed release cycles. While, in the other Agile Methods, the delivery of the Project follows an iterative approach through which release operations are fixed the build is delivered at the end of each iteration.

3. Kanban does no pre-defined Roles

Kanban has no pre-defined roles and responsibilities in the project execution. The project professionals can dynamically choose the roles according to the requirements of a particular business process. But, in the Scrum Methodology, there are fixed roles of the Product Owners, Scrum Master, and the developer team which helps the Project Managers in delegating the work among the team.

4. Kanban does not have Time Constraints

The Kanban method in Agile Framework does not define the timeframes within which the execution has to be completed. This is different from the other methods that have time-based constraints. For example, in Agile, one iteration is called sprint which typically lasts for two to four weeks.

5. Kanban focuses on Continous Evaluation

In Kanban, the team members and stakeholders frequently update the progress of the tasks which makes the evaluation of each task a necessary activity at each phase. But, in the other methods of the Agile Framework, the progress of the project’s phase is evaluated at the end of the iteration.

Advantages of Kanban over a Agile methodologies

1. Kanban focuses on the Continous workflow which helps us to maintain a consistent pace during the project initiation and execution phases.
2. You do not need to modify the existing setup to implement the Kanban Boards. You can easily maintain the existing roles and assign them the tasks highlighted in the Kanban Cards.
3. The visual approach of the Kanban Board helps in faster updates about the project’s progress. Also, stand-up meetings and sessions are optional in Kanban. Thus, we can achieve early delivery of the project.

Challenges of Kanban over a Agile Methodologies

Kanban is a versatile Agile Method that can easily fit into your workflow and maintain the project’s task tracking at a continuous pace. However, it is important to clearly understand the specific challenges while using Kanban for our project.

1. Since users need to make small changes regularly, it becomes tedious to do too many updates on the Kanban Board.
2. Kanban tasks are not fixed for each project. Instead, they vary differently for different tasks. Thus, it is difficult to manage resources for the tasks
3. Continous Workflow emphasizes on speed of the delivery which may cause project troubles and errors in the project activities.

Considerations of Kanban over a Agile Methodologies

Implementing any Project Management Methodology requires a certain amount of organizational effort, resources, and time. So is for the Kanban Method which requires various factors to be taken under consideration. These considerations are stated below:

1. The main principle of Kanban is to reduce resource wastage by eliminating the unnecessary tasks and activities.
2. Kanban is a suitable choice if you want to maintain the existing setup without modifying it even a single bit and implement the Agile method in the project.
3. Your team members should be comfortable with the visual tool with a drag-and-drop interface, rather than the traditional record and documentation-based approach.
4. If the Project length is short and does not need stand-up sessions and meetings for execution, Kanban can be easily applied to manage the workflow.

Case Studies

It is well known that Kanban originated as a simple planning system for the production line of Toyota, a Japanese Automotive Company. Soon, its principles became popular and it became standardized for the other sectors as well. Thus, the case studies of Kanban extend beyond Project Management in the IT sector.

1. Due to its wide applicability, Kanban is popular among many different sectors like Automotive, Manufacturing, Software Industries, etc. Thus, many organizations have achieved successful results by implementing Kanban in their operational scenarios.
2. For example, Encoparts®, one of the leaders in the distribution of spare parts for the Yellow Line improved its operational efficiency by 33% by using the Kanban principles for its workflow.
3. Also, Somabe, an Industrial Engineering Company managed all its workflows using Kanban principles and achieved optimum efficiency in its operations by getting a data-based visual understanding of its Issues.
4. One another notable case study is of Boa Vista, a Brazillian FinTech Solution Provider, who also chose Kanban over other Agile Methods to attain a data-driven continuous workflow in their operations.

Conclusion

Kanban is an easy-to-implement Agile Method for the project. It focuses on the visual board approach in which the tasks are represented through the cards. These cards can be updated through the drag-and-drop interface, without any manual update in the records. After carefully understanding Kanban, you are now ready to identify when you need Kanban to execute your Project to fulfill the business requirements.