The Scrum framework or Agile software development?
How do you choose between the Scrum framework and an Agile approach to software development?
The answer is simple: You don't.
How to do Agile and Scrum together
Agile and Scrum are not competing concepts. In fact, to implement the Scrum methodology properly, you must approach it with an Agile mindset. To do Scrum right, product development teams must be Agile.
But what exactly does it mean to be Agile?
What is Agile software development?
Agile is simply a philosophy about how software development should be done.
Agile's founding document, the Agile Manifesto, puts forth a set of 12 principles and four foundational values for software developers to follow. The values are as follows:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
- Working software over comprehensive documentation.
- Responding to change over following a plan.
Agile was conceived largely as a rebuke of the more rigid Waterfall framework that was popular at the time of the Manifesto's signing. It emphasizes that clients must be flexible with timelines and deliverables as development teams remain amenable to change.
What is the Scrum framework?
The Agile Manifesto describes what it means to be an Agile developer, but it doesn't prescribe any steps to take or procedures to follow. That's where the Scrum framework comes in.
Scrum is simply an approach teams can take when they need guidance on how to develop products in an Agile manner.
How Scrum complements Agile
At the heart of Scrum is an iterative and incremental process that sees teams repeat the following four steps, ad infinitum, until product development is complete. Scrum's four iterative steps, all of which are said to happen within the scope of a sprint, are as follows:
- A sprint planning at the start of the sprint, where work is never planned for more than a month at a time, and in fact, shorter schedules are preferred.
- A daily scrum where developers can quickly discuss progress toward their sprint goal.
- A sprint review to show clients and stakeholders what increments of work the team completed during the sprint.
- A sprint retrospective where the development team talks about how to improve their process in the next sprint.
When to use Agile vs. Scrum
Agile and Scrum are not competing methodologies. In fact, the two depend upon each other. If you want to do Scrum right, your team needs to be agile; if you want to develop products in an Agile manner, one of the best approaches to achieve that agility is Scrum.
Darcy DeClute is a technical trainer and Agile coach who helps organizations apply Scrum-based principles to adopt a modern DevOps stack. She is a certified Professional Scrum Master, Professional Scrum Developer and Professional Scrum Product Owner as well as author of Scrum Master Certification Guide.