The Kanban software development methodology is getting a lot of attention as of late, particularly for its ability to enable DevOps. Some organizations are even going so far as to move from Scrum to Kanban to improve efficiencies. We use Scrum at OutSystems, since we’re doing feature development that requires stakeholder feedback. The sprint lock and end-of-sprint demos to stakeholders are invaluable to us. But I was curious to see how the two methodologies differ and how Kanban may further enable an organization’s move to DevOps. Here’s what I found.
There are two key differences between Scrum and Kanban: the rules and the workflow.
The Rules
Both software development methodologies provide rules for how work is performed. If your organization uses Scrum, then you know that it is quite prescriptive. Agile Advice lists 23 mandatory and 12 optional rules for implementing Scrum. These include, for example:
- A product owner creates and manages a product backlog
- Teams are cross functional
- Interruptions are prohibited during sprints
- Work is time boxed
- Scrum meetings are held daily
- A burn-down chart is used to measure progress
Taken together, these rules create a fairly rigid box in which teams must operate in order to be successful with Scrum. As I see it, this presents two big challenges. First, few organizations actually follow all of the rules, leading to what is called ScrumBut – We practice Scrum, but… ScrumBut means a company ignores specific Scrum rules for internal reasons, leading to a suboptimal use of the framework.
Second, at the core of Scrum is the time box. Time boxes are good for providing distraction-free time for developers to deliver the product, and define regular milestones for stakeholders to evaluate and steer the project. But, from a DevOps point of view, these artificial delivery checkpoints break the flow. Coordinating dependencies between sprints and ensuring their successful move to production becomes a big challenge.
Kanban, on the other hand, is less restrictive. Its rules are as follows:
- Visualize the workflow
- Limit work in progress
With only two rules, Kanban is an open and flexible methodology that can be easily adapted to any environment. (Some companies are using it across the entire organization – from manufacturing to marketing.) You can add rules as needed, borrowing from Scrum, if you so wish.
The focus on the flow instead of time boxes makes Kanban an attractive choice to use with DevOps. Deploying work items becomes just another step in the process, and with its emphasis on optimizing the whole delivery rather than just the development process, Kanban and DevOps seem like a match made in heaven. With the contrast in rules understood, let’s look at the workflow.
The Workflow
In addition to rules, the workflow differs in Kanban vs. Scrum. This is a direct consequence of the rule sets. In Scrum, you decide beforehand what features will be completed in the next sprint. The sprint is then locked, the work is done over the course of a couple weeks (the usual sprint duration), and the queue is empty at the end of the sprint. Locking the sprint ensures the team has the necessary time to work on a problem without being interrupted with other apparently “urgent” requirements, while the feedback sessions at the end of the sprints ensure stakeholders approve the delivered work and steer the project as the business changes.
In Kanban, you do not have the time constraints of a sprint, and the focus is on making sure the work keeps flowing with no known defects moving downstream. However, limits are placed on the size of the queues. This means that a maximum number of features or issues can be worked on at a given time, allowing the team to focus on delivering those work items with high quality. Making the flow visible creates a sense of urgency to keep things moving along. Note that Kanban was born in manufacturing, and its big focus is on productivity and efficiency. Kanban has to be extended in order to incorporate fundamental aspects of software success, such as stakeholder participation.
Enter DevOps
Organizations that adopt DevOps are looking to increase efficiencies, deploy features more frequently and be more responsive to business demands. You can see, then, how each methodology addresses various aspects of DevOps to greater and lesser degrees. Choosing one over the other isn’t cut and dried. Here’s what I advise:
If your team is responsible for feature development, which requires stakeholder feedback, and developers need to focus, Scrum is probably a better fit. The sprint lock and end-of-sprint demos to stakeholders can be invaluable.
If your team is responsible for maintenance and tends to be more reactive, then consider Kanban. There is no need to lock your backlog and you have more flexibility to respond to customer input.
Ultimately, every team is different. You know where your team excels and where it needs extra guidance. I suggest you borrow from both methodologies to give your team just what it needs to achieve DevOps’ goals.
About the Author
Rodrigo Coutinho is Principal Software Engineer, OutSystems. A member of the founder’s team at OutSystems, Rodrigo has a passion for web development, great products, and geeky stuff. He spends his time designing future versions of OutSystems Platform and dreaming about the cool future of the web.
