Agile vs. Scrum: Similarities and Differences [2022]
The approach to handling projects that are the result of different years, or with different approaches is referred to as Agile. The Agile approach is generally less structured and prioritized, whereas Scrum has “sprints” and a top-level plan to do specific things.
The following similarities and differences can help to understand the concepts of Agile vs. Scrum.
- What Is Agile Methodology?
- What Is Scrum Methodology?
- Agile vs. Scrum: The Differences
- Agile vs. Scrum: The Similarities
- Agile vs. Scrum: The Verdict
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Agile Methodology?
The agile methodology describes a group of collaborative development methods that are developed in response to the automation needs of the software development industry.
In many ways, Agile is similar to software development methods, such as Waterfall, where constraints and the need for strict planning and design are central.
But, as the agile movement emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it found a niche in guiding software teams through the uncertainties and “evolutionary nature” of software development. In some ways, Agile is much more than a method, it is a culture.
Many members of the Agile community are invested in creating a development culture where understanding and sharing information and feedback are key to moving through the process of developing software.
The agile methodology seeks to replace a top-down, command-and-control, and bureaucratic system of management with an approach where the teams and individuals involved are largely self-organizing and trusted by the organization to take ownership of their work and fix problems as they arise.
What Is Agile Project Management?
Agile project management, to put it simply, is a project philosophy or methodology that employs an iterative approach to project completion. The Agile strategy, according to the Project Management Institute (PMI), aims to provide early, quantifiable ROI through the specified, iterative delivery of product features. Agile methodologies are iterative, thus constant client participation is essential to make sure that expectations are matched and to provide the project manager flexibility to respond to changes as they arise.
What Is Scrum Methodology?
The Scrum Methodology (sometimes referred to as Waterfall, Lean, Kanban, Extreme Programming, or XP) was first formalized by Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber in 1983.
The Scrum Methodology describes a daily task sequence that allows for a logical sequence of development activities to occur, like scrum meetings, planning work in sprints, and the use of daily standups to coordinate and synchronize the work.
The Scrum methodologies call for developers to work in teams to cross-design, build, and update software as an iterative process similar to evolutionary software development. As the name implies, the basic unit of work is a “sprint” that is composed of multiple small, incremental, and continual activities, each one building on the previous one.
The team is typically comprised of a scrum master, a scrum team, and several contributors who participate in the daily planning sessions, as well as the sprint planning session.
What Is Scrum Project Management?
In Scrum project management, the product owner, Scrum master, and other cross-functional team members make up the project team under the direction of the project manager. The product owner is in charge of increasing the product’s value, while the scrum master makes sure that the project team adheres to the Scrum approach. Short project work periods, known as “sprints,” are a defining feature of the Scrum process. During sprint planning, which typically lasts two to four weeks, the project team selects a small portion of the scope to be finished during the following sprint.
Agile vs. Scrum: The Differences
| AGILE | SCRUM |
| Agile is a philosophical approach with a set of principles to manage projects. | Scrum is a project management methodology that uses existing principles. |
| The software development process uses Agile, which is a continuous iteration of development and testing. | A scrum is an agile approach that focuses on providing a business with values as quickly as possible. |
| The members of various cross-functional teams collaborate and communicate in person as part of Agile. | Daily stand-up meetings are where Scrum cooperation happens. |
| Agile is better suited for smaller teams and individuals who want a clearer design and execution. | Scrum is better suited for those who need to generate results as soon as feasible, since it is a more strict approach with less room for adjustment. |
| In the Agile methodology, all tasks are managed by the project manager. | Since there is no designated team leader, all members manage any issues that arise. |
| Agile might necessitate significant organizational and up-front development process changes. | While implementing the Scrum process, not many adjustments were required. |
| With the Agile approach, the lifetime of each development phase, including requirements, analysis, and design is continuously monitored. | At the conclusion of each sprint, the functionality is shown so the next sprint may be prepared with regular input. |
Agile vs. Scrum: The Similarities
Agile and Scrum are both distinct in nature, but there are certain similarities between them. Some of the similarities are as follows:
- Scrum and Agile share the same broad objectives and goals, since Scrum is a component of Agile. The Scrum approach only provides a more focused means of attaining the objective. They both focus on fostering a flexible atmosphere and having collaborative iterations.
- Both Agile and Scrum provide a smooth transition and a quicker project delivery.
- Scrum has methods that are comparable to Agile, although Agile and Scrum may not have all of the same aspects.
- Agile and Scrum both rely on producing functional software on a regular basis while accepting change and getting ongoing feedback.
- Scrum is one of the frameworks that evolved from Agile.
Agile vs. Scrum: The Verdict
With many IT teams continually switching over to a more Agile development process, it’s important to know the similarities and differences between the two. The two methodologies essentially work the same way, while also offering their own benefits. Though they were developed to help software development, they can be applied to other projects, too, and the process has become more popular and widespread over the years.
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- Scrum Project Management – What You Should Know in 2022
- Kanban vs Scrum: Project Management Methodologies and Their Differences [2022]
- What is a Scrum Board? – A Deep Dive [2022]
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a Agile vs. Scrum meeting?
Scrum meeting is a daily meeting between the product owner and the development team. Agile meetings happen when the development team meets weekly without the product owner. Scrum meetings are like Agile meetings, just as stand-ups.
2. Who is a Scrum product owner?
A Scrum product owner is in charge of optimizing the value of the product through requirement collecting, user story design, needs analysis, backlog development and prioritization, estimation, and negotiation with the development team.
3. Who is an Agile certified practitioner?
A person who has successfully completed an Agile certification course and earned certification from an Agile certification body is known as an Agile certified practitioner. Agile doesn’t require certification to be practiced. An agile practitioner is defined in part by more criteria than just the certification process.
Simon Calder
Chris “Simon” Calder was working as a Project Manager in IT for one of Los Angeles’ most prestigious cultural institutions, LACMA. He taught himself to use Microsoft Project from a giant textbook and hated every moment of it. Online learning was in its infancy then, but he spotted an opportunity and made an online MS Project course - the rest, as they say, is history!