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Scrum or Kanban Board: Which is a Better Choice for a More Effective Project Plan?

What are the three main characteristics of a good project plan? Transparency, consistency and documentation. Every stakeholder should know the project status and progress, which can be achieved through effective collaboration software. Consistency is desired so that the deliverables are of high quality, fulfilling the expectations of the stakeholders. Documentation ensures that everyone has easy and quick access to critical information at any time. Centralized depositories can be maintained through a good online project management software.

As good as the plan may be, every project doesn’t always go according to the plan. And this is where the concept of agile methodologies comes in. It allows you to deal with potential delays and shifts. Popular project management methodologies provide a sound framework on which you can base your planning. Obviously, each approach comes with its own pros and cons, but they provide a way to visualize the plan.

Scrum and Kanban are two agile methodologies that break down large and complex projects into small, easy to understand and easy to manage chunks.

The Scrum Board

The Scrum concept is based on short time periods of work, often referred to as sprints, which last for around 2 to 4 weeks. During this period, the project owner is responsible for ensuring everything is on track; the scrum master is responsible for all processes and ensures that best practices are being followed, whereas the project team is responsible for working their way through these short ‘bursts’.

A study claims that planning sprints through the collaboration software can save 70% of time spent on planning and can increase project visibility.

The Scrum approach helps in avoiding problems and rectifying mistakes. Changes are taken care of because every sprint is only of a short period. Plus, development can be modified at any instance because the processes are flexible.

The Kanban Board

While Scrum is completely based on time, the Kanban methodology is based on a to-do list, offering a workload centric approach for managing project deliverables without burdening any team member. The system aims to enhance existing organizational processes, but doesn’t completely change them.

The Kanban approach involves setting up a chalkboard or whiteboard either physically or virtually. The board is divided into specific areas such as Work In Progress, In Review, Being Validated and Completed. Each deliverable is placed under an appropriate area and is moved across the board until it has been completed.

This approach prevents work from being stuck and ensures that everything reaches completion. Tasks and workload are easily visible throughout the project duration.

Whatever project you may be working, you’re bound to face change at one time or another. Embracing agile PM methods and a quality online project management software is the first and foremost step towards optimizing collaboration, refining processes and increasing flexibility.