In the world of project management, two methodologies that are often mentioned are Scrum and Agile. While they may sound similar, they are not interchangeable. In this article, we shall decode the difference between the two terms with examples.
TLDR: Scrum is a subset of the Agile methodology, which means that it follows the principles and values of Agile, but it has its own distinct process. Understanding the difference between Scrum and Agile is essential for any team looking to adopt these methodologies.
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What is Agile Methodology?
Agile is a project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility and adaptability in the face of changing requirements. Instead of a rigid and linear process, Agile is iterative and incremental. Agile emphasizes collaboration, customer satisfaction, and working software as the primary measures of progress.
In Agile, teams work in short sprints, usually two to four weeks, to deliver a working product incrementally. Agile is popular in software development, but it is also used in other industries such as marketing, finance, and healthcare.
What is Scrum Methodology?
Scrum, on the other hand, is a framework that is used to implement Agile. Scrum is focused on delivering working software incrementally and iteratively, just like Agile, but it has a specific set of roles, events, and artifacts that must be followed.
Scrum is a lightweight framework that is based on the principles of transparency, inspection, and adaptation. In Scrum, the team is self-organized and cross-functional, and it works in short sprints to deliver a working increment of the product. Scrum is widely used in software development, but it can also be applied to other projects such as marketing campaigns, event planning, and education.
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Agile Vs Scrum: Comparisons
While Scrum and Agile share many similarities, there are some differences between them that are worth noting. Here are some of the differences between the two;
1. Prescription:
Scrum is more structured and prescriptive than Agile, providing a defined set of roles, events, and artifacts for each sprint. Let’s see more.
Agile:
- Emphasizes flexibility and adaptability
- Is iterative and incremental
- Emphasizes collaboration, customer satisfaction, and working software as primary measures of progress
- Is more flexible and adaptable to the team’s needs
- Does not have a defined process
Scrum:
- Is a framework used to implement Agile
- Is focused on delivering working software incrementally and iteratively
- Has a specific set of roles, events, and artifacts that must be followed
- Is more prescriptive than Agile
- Has a defined process for each sprint, including a planning meeting, daily stand-up meetings, a review meeting, and a retrospective meeting
2. Roles:
Another difference between Scrum and Agile is the focus on roles. Here are the comparisons between the two.
Agile:
- No specific roles
- The team is self-organized and cross-functional
Scrum:
- Has three main roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team
- The Product Owner is responsible for defining and prioritizing the product backlog
- Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that the team follows the Scrum process
- Development Team is responsible for delivering the working increment of the product
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Examples and Elaboration
To provide a practical illustration of the differences between Scrum and Agile, let’s consider the scenario of a software development project. So here is what happens under each methodology.
Agile:
- Collaborates with the customer to ensure that the product meets their needs
- Focuses on delivering working software as the primary measure of progress
Scrum:
- Follows the Scrum process, which includes a planning meeting, daily stand-up meetings, a review meeting, and a retrospective meeting
- Works in short sprints
- The Product Owner defines and prioritizes the product backlog
- Scrum Master ensures that the team follows the Scrum process
- Development Team delivers the working increment of the product
Conclusion
In conclusion, Scrum and Agile are two methodologies that share many similarities but also have distinct differences. Agile is a project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility and adaptability, while Scrum is a framework that is used to implement Agile. We believe with this excerpt, you have gained an understanding of the two most common interchangeable terms.