Scrum Board vs Kanban Board: Differences You Need to Know

At any point, did it happen that your team is working hard, and tasks are lined up, but things still feel a bit unorganised? If so, this is where choosing between a Scrum Board vs Kanban Board can really help. These boards are more than just a way to track work, and they help shape how your team plans, works, and delivers results. Picking the right board can bring clarity and make teamwork much smoother.

Looking at a Scrum Board vs Kanban Board is like comparing two different work styles. Scrum is all about short, focused timeframes with clear goals. Kanban lets tasks move smoothly, one step at a time. This blog will talk about the strengths of each board to help your team stay productive and deliver better outcomes.

Table of Contents

1) What are Boards?

2) Difference Between Scrum Board and Kanban Board

  a) Backlog Management

  b) Prioritisation

  c) Deciding on Tasks

  d) Task Responsibility

  e) Urgencies

  f) Limits on What Is in Progress

  g) Board Updates

  h) Product Owner's Editing Rights

  i) Reports

  j) Board Owners

3) Conclusion

What are Boards?

Boards are visual tools that show tasks and their progress through different stages, such as "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done." They help teams stay organised by making work easy to follow immediately. With a board, team members can quickly see what needs to be done, what is currently being worked on, and what is already finished. This helps everyone stay on the same page and reduces confusion.

There are two main types of boards: Scrum Boards and Kanban Boards. Scrum Boards are used when teams work in short cycles called sprints, usually lasting one to four weeks. Tasks are planned at the start of the sprint and reviewed at the end. Kanban Boards don’t have set time limits.

Workflows continuously, and new tasks are added as needed. These boards may also limit how many tasks can be worked on at once to help the team stay focused. Both types help improve teamwork, transparency, and delivery speed.

Difference Between Scrum Board and Kanban Board

Scrum and Kanban Boards help teams manage tasks, but they follow different methods. Scrum Boards work in fixed sprints, while Kanban Boards allow ongoing work. Below are the main differences between the two:

1) Backlog Management

Scrum Boards have a clear, separate backlog managed by the team and Product Owner before each sprint starts. Kanban Boards often treat the board itself as the task list, where items are added and moved as work progresses.

2) Prioritisation

In Scrum, tasks are chosen and prioritised during sprint planning and remain unchanged for that sprint. In Kanban, priorities are flexible and can be adjusted at any time, allowing teams to react quickly to new needs.

3) Deciding on Tasks

Scrum teams select tasks together before a sprint begins and commit to finishing them. Kanban teams pull tasks from the backlog as they are ready to work, based on availability and the task’s urgency or importance.

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4) Task Responsibility

In Scrum, responsibilities are assigned during sprint planning, with team members committing to specific work. In Kanban, tasks are not assigned in advance; team members pick them up when ready, depending on skill and availability.

5) Urgencies

Scrum usually holds off urgent tasks until the next sprint unless agreed upon by the team. In Kanban, high-priority or urgent items can be added immediately to the board, giving teams more flexibility in real-time.

6) Limits on What is in Progress

Kanban sets clear “Work-in-progress" (WIP) limits to avoid overloading the team and to maintain flow. Scrum does not usually have formal limits during a sprint, since tasks are already selected and locked in during planning.

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7) Board Updates

Scrum Boards are updated daily during stand-up meetings and reset after each sprint ends. Kanban Boards are updated continuously and reflect real-time progress, without needing a full reset between cycles.

8) Product Owner's Editing Rights

In Scrum, the Product Owner controls the backlog but does not usually update the task board directly. In Kanban, the board is more open, and any team member with access can update tasks to reflect progress.

9) Reports

Scrum generates sprint-specific reports like burndown charts to show progress and remaining work. Kanban provides charts such as cumulative flow and cycle time to track task movement and efficiency across time.

10) Board Owners

Scrum Boards are often managed by the Scrum Master or shared by the team for the duration of a sprint. Kanban Boards are generally team-owned and updated by anyone involved to keep the workflow moving.

11) Resetting Periods

Scrum Boards are cleared and restarted at the end of every sprint to begin a new cycle. Kanban Boards continue without resetting, allowing teams to maintain a constant flow of work without fixed periods.

Conclusion

In essence, Scrum Board vs Kanban Board are both effective for managing projects, but each serves different purposes. If your team thrives on structure, go for Scrum. Need flexibility? Kanban’s continuous flow might be the answer. Evaluate your goals, test both approaches, and find what drives your team’s success.

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