As a scrum master, I often get asked: “When should you choose Kanban instead of scrum?”
Well, it’s a great question and one that doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer.
Both frameworks have their strengths, but understanding the differences can help you decide which suits your team’s unique context better.
Let’s explore scenarios you might want to choose kanban over scrum for your project or team.
When to choose kanban over scrum
1. Is your work unpredictable or reactive?
One of the first questions to ask when deciding between kanban and scrum is: “How predictable is your workload?”
Scrum thrives in environments where work can be planned in advance. It uses fixed-length sprints, usually two or four weeks, during which the team commits to a set amount of work.
But what happens when your workload is unpredictable?
When urgent tasks pop up that need immediate attention, Scrum’s sprint boundaries can feel restrictive.
This is where kanban shines. Kanban allows work to flow continuously without the rigid structure of sprints.
Your team can respond to tasks as they come in, moving them through the workflow in real-time.
It’s perfect for teams dealing with reactive work, like maintenance, support, or operations.
In my experience as a scrum master, I’ve worked with a support team that initially tried to use scrum.
They were constantly interrupted by urgent issues, making it impossible to stick to their sprint goals.
Switching to kanban gave them the flexibility they needed, and their productivity improved almost overnight.
2. Do you want more flexibility in your process?
Another important question is: “Does your team need more flexibility than scrum offers?”
Scrum is great for teams that benefit from a defined structure. The ceremonies like sprint planning, daily standups, and retrospectives create a regular cadence for the team.
However, not all teams thrive under this level of structure. Some teams find it too restrictive, especially if their work doesn’t fit neatly into two-week sprints.
Kanban, on the other hand, offers flexibility. You can tailor it to fit your team’s unique workflow.
There’s no need for sprints or set timeframes, which means no pressure to deliver specific work at the end of a sprint. Instead, work moves fluidly based on priority and availability.
For example, a marketing team I worked with struggled to keep up with the rigid deadlines of scrum.
They often faced changing priorities, last-minute requests, and external dependencies that threw off their sprint plans.
After moving to kanban, they found it much easier to adapt to changes without sacrificing quality or feeling overwhelmed.
3. How important is continuous delivery?
If your team values continuous delivery over batch delivery, kanban might be the better choice.
Scrum encourages teams to deliver a potentially shippable product at the end of each sprint.
While this cadence works for many development teams, some industries or departments need to deliver work more frequently. In these cases, scrum’s sprint structure can slow things down.
Kanban promotes continuous delivery. The team delivers work as soon as it’s ready, without waiting for the end of a sprint.
This makes kanban a good fit for teams that need to deliver on a near-daily basis, such as DevOps teams or support teams handling constant requests.
I’ve seen this first-hand with a DevOps team I worked with. They initially used scrum but found that waiting for the end of a sprint to deploy changes didn’t make sense for their workflow.
Moving to kanban allowed them to ship updates faster and with fewer bottlenecks.
4. Is your team struggling with sprint commitments?
Does your team consistently miss sprint goals? If so, kanban might provide the breathing room they need.
Some teams struggle with the commitment aspect of scrum. If work regularly carries over from sprint to sprint, it can be demoralising for the team.
They might feel pressured to meet sprint goals, even when it’s not realistic due to outside factors like dependencies or unforeseen issues.
In Kanban, there are no sprint commitments. Teams simply work on what’s available, at their own pace.
The focus is on managing the flow of work and optimising the process over time, rather than hitting sprint deadlines.
When working with a newly-formed team, the pressure of sprint commitments tends to cause stress and affect team morale.
If this is difficult to manage, moving to kanban can help the team feel more in control of their work and happier with their progress.
5. How important is visualising workflow?
One of the key benefits of kanban is its focus on visualising the workflow. If your team struggles to see the big picture or understand bottlenecks, Kanban’s visual board can be a game-changer.
Scrum provides visibility through tools like burndown charts and sprint boards, but Kanban’s visualisation is more intuitive.
Every piece of work is visible on the kanban board, from to-do to done. You can see where work is piling up, identify bottlenecks, and make improvements to the flow.
For example, a product team I worked with used Kanban to manage their development and bug-fixing process.
Seeing the flow of work helped them spot bottlenecks, balance workloads, and ultimately speed up delivery times.
Conclusion: Which one is right for you?
So, when should you choose kanban over scrum? If your team’s work is unpredictable, or reactive, or if you need more flexibility, kanban could be the better fit.
Teams that struggle with sprint commitments, need continuous delivery, or want better visualisation of their workflow will also benefit from Kanban’s strengths.
On the other hand, if your work is more predictable, and your team thrives on structure and regular cadence, scrum might still be the best choice.
Every team is different, and the key is to choose the framework that fits your team’s needs and not the other way around.
Remember, kanban and scrum aren’t mutually exclusive. Many teams successfully combine the two frameworks (hello, Scrumban!) to get the best of both worlds.
As a scrum master, I encourage you to experiment with both and find what works best for your unique situation.
To help your team transition seamlessly, here’s how to switch from scrum to kanban successfully.
I hope you found this post helpful.
