Difference Between Agile and Scrum
Project management is very important for any organization to achieve its goals smoothly, so this importance increases the value of project management professionals. Assume you want to be a part of project management but are new to the field. In that case, you will hear many new terminologies because project managers have to fulfill many roles and responsibilities in their daily life.
A few of the responsibilities of project managers are:
- creating all necessary ancillary and project plans.
- identifying and managing the risks associated with the project they are dealing with.
- ensuring that the project is within their constraints, and the list goes on.
Before understanding it in-depth, it is important to know and choose from many project management methodologies to guide your endeavors and push your project for effective completion.
Even though there are many different methodologies, there are two very common and very important methodologies in project management: Agile and Scrum. Because of their similarities, people often think they are similar, so here I am today to make you understand the differences between agile and scrum. So, let’s get started!!
Agile
Agile project management is a framework that adopts an iterative approach to complete the project. An iterative approach is nothing but breaking the project into small pieces and repeating the necessary steps until the project is completed. An iterative approach is important because it simplifies the project and will repeat necessary steps until told otherwise. As a result, algorithms are simpler and quicker to design because they do not have to include lots of steps that are not needed.
In the agile methodology, development, and testing happen concurrently. Unlike various software development methodologies, agile encourages face-to-face communication and teamwork. Stakeholders, managers, developers, and clients work together to complete the project in an agile methodology.
Scrum
Scrum is nothing but an agile methodology designed to be suitable for developing products in a susceptible environment.
The delivery cycle in scrum is called a sprint, and it usually lasts between one and four weeks. It involves incremental work that builds on what has come before. Most scrum teams consist of a scrum master and a product owner, and they usually are small, typically varying from three to nine people. Consistent communication with team members and stakeholders allows feedback to be received and changes to be made.
There is no doubt that scrum is the most widely used Agile methodology. According to the 2020 State of Agile report, 78 percent of Agile users use Scrum or a Scrum hybrid. Scrumban and Scrum/XP are common hybrid Scrum methodologies.
Before going into the differences, let me first tell you a few similarities between Agile and Scrum.
- Both agile and scrum are short-term development cycles.
- They are good at adopting the changes.
- Both focus on collaboration, focus, and communication.
Key differences between Agile and Scrum
| Agile | Scrum |
| Agile is a development methodology known as an iterative and incremental approach. | Scrum is an agile methodology implementation. In this scenario, incremental builds are delivered every two to three weeks. |
| In agile project management, all the issues and tasks are taken care of by the project head. | Any issue or task is taken care of by the entire team. |
| In comparison to Scrum, it is more rigid. As a result, frequent changes are not possible. | Scrum’s greatest advantage is its flexibility since it can react quickly to changes. |
| Agile methods require frequent deliverables to the end-user for their feedback. | The client receives a build after each sprint so that they can provide feedback. |
| Each step of development, such as requirements, analysis, and design, is continuously monitored during the development lifecycle. | At the end of every sprint, the functionality is demonstrated. This allows for regular feedback in advance of the next sprint. |
| Agile can require a lot of up-front development processes and organizational transformation. | No major changes are needed while implementing the scrum process. |
| In the agile methodology, the most prioritized task is to satisfy the customers by continuously delivering the relevant software. | A Scrum-based process is the foundation of empirical process control. |
| One-on-one communication is preferable, and tactics like these should be employed to get as close to this aim as feasible. | The Scrum methodology doesn’t need any one-on-one communication; the team completely focuses on delivering the maximum business value from the starting of the project to the end. |
Final thoughts
So, we can conclude from the preceding discussion that both Agile and Scrum are based on the same idea of offering a flawless experience to the customer during the software development cycle, but which one is best for the project we are working on depends on the type of project, budget, time, and feasibility. Both cannot be substituted. However, Agile is chosen for a more aggressive approach than Scrum. No, they are not comparable; their distinctions distinguish them. If you want to get a better understanding of Agile and Scrum, check out InfosecTrain for more information.
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