Agile or Scrum - Which One is Better?

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August 3, 2020 Business

Project management can feel daunting because it has tons of unfamiliar roles and terminologies, especially if you are beginning to explore this world. Choosing the right methodology for project management is vital as it guides you and your teams’ effort and usher every project to completion.

There are various methodologies to select, and each has a unique approach suitable for every project type. Two of the most popular and often combined methods are Agile & Scrum. With the similarities of both procedures, it’s forgivable that they are always mistaken for one; however, these two are distinct concepts.

Understanding the difference, similarities, advantages, and setbacks of these two procedures can help you decide which one is better to use for your next project. There will always be a comparison of Agile and Scrum when it comes to project management, but knowing what one is about can set which philosophy works perfectly for you and your development team.

So let’s begin?

The Difference Between Scrum and Agile

Superficially, it’s easy to notice why Scrum and Agile are frequently confused with, they both depend on client interaction, iterative procedures, and collaborative decision-making.

The main difference between them is that although Agile is more of a project management credo that utilizes a core set of principles and values. On the other hand, Scrum is a particular Agile philosophy that is used to expedite a project.

Keeping in mind that while Scrum is an Agile methodology, Agile doesn’t mean Scrum—there are plenty of procedures that take the Agile manner when dealing with specific project management.

Why Agile Method is the Best

Agile methodology is a project procedure or structure that takes a repeated approach towards project completion. The PMI (Project Management Institute) believes the primary goal of Agile approach is to build early, quantifiable return of investments through a defined, iterative deliverance of the product specialities.

The iterative approach of Agile allows continuous client involvement to ensure that every expectation is met and enables the development team to adapt to every change all around the process.

Agile is your guiding orientation of how you approach projects. The principles and values can be applied to multiple, different, and specific methodologies. Plenty of project management procedures implements Agile philosophy, including Scrum, Kaban, and XP (Extreme Programming).

Agile Benefits

Why Is Scrum the most Popular Agile Method?

Scrum is the most widely used Agile framework due to its simple, high-performance, and proven effective results. It’s a particular methodology that shows how one should manage projects efficiently.

Scrum provides the procedure on how to manage and identify the workloads, team members that will perform the task, how will you execute the process, and the target time frame to complete the project. All these define Scrum Master’s responsibilities.

Scrum is categorized into small phrases (sprints) while the project is in progress. During planning, the development team identifies the small parts of the project scope that needs completion within upcoming sprints. This is usually within the two to four weeks of the project’s duration.

By the end of these sprints, the project is ready for deliverance. The sprints finalize with retrospective and review of the lessons learned during the procedure. It’s an iterative procedure until the whole project is completed.

Scrum allows clients interaction and feedback until the project has been wrapped up. That way, the client realizes the value of the project throughout the process, rather than just waiting for completion. If there are changes, the team can work on it to provide the best and most efficient end-result.

Scrum Benefits

It provides more transparency and development status is visible.
It increases team accountability.
It allows easy adjustments on sprints and improves team adaptability to meet specific revisions.
It’s an active process that ensures the use of money and time.
It accepts insights from stakeholders and customers to improve the product.
Contributions of team members are visible during daily scrum meetings.

Which One Is Better: Agile or Scrum

Understanding the critical difference of both Agile and Scrum can help you decide which methodology is best for your project. The question must not be of which one is better or not, and it’s about finding the right approach to a specific project you and your team is working on.

If Agile is your choice, then you have to think which Agile procedure must be used? Is it Scrum or other various existing methods?

Since Agile is built under context software development, it’s useful in this area. Agile is not practical for projects that require strict development and scopes. Agile’s guiding principle is widely used in different kinds of projects.

Scrum is the most excellent Agile methodology which tackles specific goals and needs. It’s suitable for projects that don’t have crystal-clear requirements, may change, or needs frequent testing.

Conclusion

It’s vital to understand that the key to successful project management is not about choosing the perfect methodology alone, but you must execute that procedure most skillfully.

With an expert understanding of the methodology you have chosen, be it Agile or Scrum, you can decide to employ its conjunction to the critical development skills needed to develop and complete your projects effectively.