We are probably already aware of the phrases Agile and Scrum, regardless of our level of expertise in software and project development and management.
Agile and Scrum are two popular software development frameworks often used interchangeably, but they have significant differences that are important to understand.
In this article, we will learn what agile is, its benefits along with Scrum, the components that make up the Scrum methodology, and its benefits. We will list the difference between Agile and Scrum, the frequently asked questions on these topics, and a conclusion at the end.
Agile is a method of project management and software development that is iterative in nature, enabling teams to provide value to their clients quickly and with minimal challenges. The Agile Manifesto outlines the values and principles of the Agile software development methodology. It identifies four fundamental values and 12 principles that should be used by software developers to guide their work.
As stated by the Agile Manifesto, the four core values of Agile software development are
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change by following a plan
Agile Benefits
Agile has made software projects more successful at meeting user, customer, and business needs. It helps teams to be more flexible and responsive to change, to deliver working software faster, and to improve collaboration and communication among team members.
What is the Scrum methodology?
Scrum is a well-known Agile framework that directs the development of a product while emphasizing value and strong progress visibility. Scrum is an Agile framework that enables people and teams to deliver value incrementally collaboratively. Scrum is a popular project management framework that helps teams structure and manages their work through a set of values, principles, and practices. Here are some essential things to know about Scrum.
Scrum Roles
Scrum has three roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Development Team.
The Product Owner is in charge of maintaining the Product Backlog, which is a prioritized and ordered list of all the products needed to improve the product. The Product Owner is responsible for ordering and prioritizing the backlog items, placing high-priority items at the top, and ensuring that all backlog items are organized, have appropriate details, and are ready for any upcoming sprint planning.
The team should follow the scrum framework and work effectively, which is ensured by the Scrum Master.
It is the duty of the Development Team to deliver a product increment that can be released at the completion of every sprint.
Scrum Artifacts
Scrum has three artifacts: the Product Backlog, the Sprint Backlog, and the Increment.
The team's task list or backlog consists of a prioritized set of features or requirements to be worked on, known as the Product Backlog.
The Sprint Backlog is a list of tasks that the Scrum Team has committed to completing during the current sprint, as per the Scrum Guide. It is composed of the Sprint Goal, which explains why the team is working on the selected Product Backlog items, and the items themselves, which explain what the team will be working on during the sprint.
The Increment is the sum of all the completed items from previous sprints.
Scrum Events
Scrum has four events: Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective.
Sprint Planning is a meeting where the team plans the work for the upcoming sprint.
The Daily Scrum is a short meeting where the team members discuss their progress and plan their work for the day.
The meeting where the team showcases their sprint work to stakeholders and answers questions is called the Sprint Review, a crucial Scrum ceremony.
During the Sprint Retrospective, the team reviews the previous sprint and works together to identify areas that can be improved upon.
Scrum Benefits
Thanks to Scrum, software projects are now more successful at satisfying user, customer, and business needs. It enables teams to provide working software quickly, be more adaptable and change-responsive, and enhance teamwork and communication.
Now let us move to the next section of the blog to learn more about the difference between Agile and Scrum.
Difference between Agile and Scrum
In this blog section, we will compare the two methodologies we learned in detail until now. Now it's time to discuss the difference between Agile and Scrum.
Agile
Scrum
Agile is a philosophy about how to deliver software successfully to a customer.
Scrum is a proven methodology for software development teams to follow.
The Agile methodology delivers the software regularly for feedback.
Scrum delivers the software after each sprint.
The development and testing processes in Agile are characterized by continuous iteration.
Scrum is aimed at delivering business value in the shortest possible time.
Agile is highly suitable for medium or large projects.
Scrum is used in projects that call for rapid change in requirements.
Agile does not provide an implementation framework.
Scrum provides an implementation framework.
The project head takes care of all the tasks in the agile method.
The entire team addresses the problems as there is no team leader.
It is important to maintain simplicity in both design and execution.
Design and execution can be innovative and experimental.
Agile is more flexible than Scrum in terms of its structure and processes.
Scrum is more prescriptive and structured.
These were some points for the difference between agile and scrum. Now we will move on to some FAQS!
While Agile is a project management approach, Scrum is a specific methodology that operates under its broader umbrella. Although there are certain shared principles between Agile and Scrum, the latter possesses distinctive elements that set it apart from the former.
What do you discuss in the daily scrum?
The daily Scrum, led by the Scrum Master, is restricted to 15 minutes and gives the team a chance to gather each day and exchange updates on the progress of sprint backlog items. Each team member is given the opportunity to discuss their advancements or any problems they are facing during this meeting.
What are some Agile methodology frameworks used, and how do they compare to Scrum?
Agile methodology frameworks, such as Kanban, Lean, XP, and Crystal, differ from Scrum regarding their project management approach, team roles, and meeting structures. For example, Kanban emphasizes continuous delivery, Lean emphasizes maximizing customer value, and XP emphasizes coding and testing. Crystal is designed to adapt to the project's unique characteristics.
Conclusion
Now that we have approached the end of this blog, let us see what we have discussed so far. This blog has seen the basics of Agile and Scrum methodologies. We discussed their principles and the essential components which make them up. Then, in the end, we saw the difference between Agile and Scrum.
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