What is the difference between Scrum and Kanban?

Scrum and Kanban are both popular frameworks used in Agile development, but they have some key differences.

1. Focus: Scrum is primarily focused on managing and delivering complex projects, while Kanban is more focused on visualizing and optimizing workflow.

2. Roles and Responsibilities: In Scrum, there are defined roles such as Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team. These roles have specific responsibilities and interactions. On the other hand, Kanban does not prescribe any specific roles. It allows teams to define their own roles and responsibilities based on their needs.

3. Planning and Iterations: Scrum follows a time-boxed approach with fixed iterations called sprints, usually lasting 1-4 weeks. Planning is done at the beginning of each sprint. Kanban, on the other hand, does not have fixed iterations. Work is continuously pulled from the backlog as capacity allows, and planning is done on a just-in-time basis.

4. Work Visualization: Scrum uses a visual board called a Scrum board or Kanban board to track the progress of work items through different stages of the sprint. Kanban also uses a Kanban board, but it focuses more on visualizing the flow of work and limiting work in progress (WIP) to optimize throughput.

5. Flexibility: Scrum is more prescriptive and provides a defined set of rules and ceremonies. It is less flexible in terms of adapting to changes during a sprint. Kanban, on the other hand, is more flexible and allows for continuous improvement and adaptation as it does not have fixed iterations.

6. Estimation: Scrum typically uses story points or other estimation techniques to estimate the effort required for each user story. Kanban, on the other hand, does not require estimation. It focuses more on flow efficiency and cycle time rather than effort estimation.

In summary, Scrum is more suitable for projects with fixed iterations and a focus on project management, while Kanban is more suitable for continuous flow and optimizing workflow. The choice between Scrum and Kanban depends on the specific needs and characteristics of the project or team.