If you run a start-up, you know how important it is to deliver value to your customers fast and consistently. But how do you measure and improve the performance of your start-up using agile methods like Scrum or Kanban? In this article, we'll compare these two popular frameworks and show you how to apply them to your start-up context.
Scrum is an agile framework that organizes work into short iterations called sprints, usually lasting one to four weeks. Each sprint has a goal, a backlog of tasks, and a team of cross-functional members who collaborate and self-organize to complete the work. At the end of each sprint, the team delivers a potentially shippable product increment and reviews it with the stakeholders. The team also holds a retrospective meeting to reflect on what went well and what to improve.
Kanban is another agile framework that focuses on visualizing and optimizing the flow of work. Unlike Scrum, Kanban does not prescribe fixed time-boxes or roles. Instead, it uses a board with columns that represent different stages of the work process, such as to-do, in progress, and done. The team limits the number of tasks in each column to avoid bottlenecks and waste. The team also monitors metrics such as cycle time, throughput, and lead time to measure and improve the efficiency of the work.
I was introduced to Kanban's when studying at Toyota University. I find it very easy for people just being introduced to it to use quickly. There is a Kanban app built right into Microsoft Teams I like. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-a-kanban-board-to-teams-3cf84256-c2b8-4108-83fa-f4e93d1ffa57
Both Scrum and Kanban have their advantages and disadvantages for start-ups. Scrum can help you deliver value quickly, align your team around a common goal, and adapt to changing customer needs. However, Scrum can also be rigid, demanding, and disruptive for some start-ups, especially if they have a lot of uncertainty or dependencies in their work. Kanban can offer more flexibility, transparency, and continuous improvement for start-ups. But it can also lack direction and collaboration for some start-ups, especially if they have a complex or competitive product.
The best way to choose between Scrum and Kanban is to consider your start-up's goals and challenges. For example, if you have a clear vision, stable team, and well-defined product, you might benefit from Scrum's structure and discipline. If you have a vague idea, a dynamic team, and a rapidly evolving product, you might prefer Kanban's openness and responsiveness. You can also experiment with both frameworks and see what works best for you and your customers.
Agile principles are not prescriptive. A hybrid approach that incorporates more than one agile approach may be best at a startup or for 0 to 1 products. Product or engineering leaders may opt to combine Kanban and Scrum in ways that are best suited to their teams, cadence and goals and, over time, make adjustments to the approach as the product evolves.
Práticas ágeis, combinadas as métricas, ajudam as equipes a ter foco e prioridades de tarefas, saber o que fazer, como fazer e fundamental. Tanto o scrum como o Kanban, podem ser aplicados à equipes diversas, diferente do que o mercado imagina n?o utiliza-se essas ferramentas somente na área de tecnologia. Fala-se muito em Agilidade, equipes ágeis na teoria porém na hora da prática empresas ainda tem receio da aplica??o da mesma.
In my experience, the most important decision you'll make is to choose one. Either methodology if followed "religiously" leads to rapid improvement. I think the single most important principle in either method is the desire to get better. The average person has a difficult time self-admitting to mistakes or worse taking negative feedback from peers. As a manager, my main objective is creating an environment that doesn't focus on blame but rather a common mission and pursuit of increased performance. If mistakes are punished, good luck getting people to be honest in a retrospective. The most effective teams can talk openly about obstacles and the best managers do their best to remove them in a careful, expeditious manner.
If you decide to use Scrum for your start-up, it is important to define and track some key indicators of performance and quality. These can include customer satisfaction, business value, product quality, and team performance. To measure customer satisfaction, use surveys, reviews, feedback sessions, or net promoter score (NPS). Metrics such as revenue, profit, growth, retention, or market share can help measure business value. You can evaluate product quality with metrics like functionality, reliability, security, or performance. Useful metrics for team performance include productivity, efficiency, or quality. Review these indicators regularly — preferably at the end of each sprint — to inform your decisions.
If you choose to use Kanban, key indicators of performance and quality can include customer satisfaction, business value, flow efficiency, and process quality. The same metrics listed above can help you measure customer satisfaction and business value. You can measure flow efficiency with metrics such as cycle time, throughput, lead time, or work in progress (WIP). And you can use defect rate, error rate, or rework rate to measure process quality. Continuously monitor these indicators, preferably on your Kanban board, to identify and eliminate any waste or variability in your work flow.
Whether you use Scrum or Kanban, always strive to improve your performance and quality. To do this, align your work with customer needs and expectations using feedback loops, user testing, market research, or customer interviews. Additionally, prioritize your work based on value and urgency using techniques such as MoSCoW, Kano model, or value stream mapping. You can also optimize your work process based on data and insights with tools such as burndown charts, cumulative flow diagrams, or control charts. Implement best practices for work quality by using methods such as code reviews, testing, debugging, or documentation. Finally, learn from your mistakes and successes by utilizing retrospectives, root cause analysis, or kaizen to identify and implement improvements.