Did you know that 67% of projects fail outright, and that of those that succeed businesses reported an estimated 11% in wasted resources? What could you accomplish if you could improve productivity by 11% and complete more of your projects on time and under budget?
To do this you need to choose the right project management methodology for your team. Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start because you’re in the right place. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the lean methodology vs scrum and how they can work for your team’s next project.
What Is Lean Methodology?
Just as the agile method is more of a philosophy rather than a strict process, so too is the lean methodology. Because of this, lean has translated well across many different industries and business models.
The lean method evolved out of the manufacturing process and focuses on eliminating waste within your production process. This method works best in businesses that produce similar or the same product continuously such as manufacturing products or the publishing model.
The premise behind lean is to eliminate waste both in your processes and in the product you create. You can start by identifying where your processes can improve and then working to continually improve until you eliminate all waste. As you get started you should consult a lean methodology guide to help you plan your processes.
What Is Scrum?
Another agile method that many teams successfully use to create quality products quickly is the scrum method. This method is based on working in small teams throughout a pre-defined sprint, usually around four weeks. During this time the team will meet daily to discuss progress and define their next steps.
The Scrum method is a great tool for projects that are singular in nature rather than continual as you’ll find in the lean process. With each sprint you run, you’ll assess your progress and make adjustments accordingly. You can also check out the official scrum guide to see how the creators of scrum suggest you implement their philosophies.
Key Lean Methodology vs Scrum Differences
Both the lean and scrum methodologies focus on improvement and team collaboration. These systems move away from the traditional waterfall method that focuses on creating an ultimate plan before starting the process and following through until completion. Instead, both lean and scrum empower your team to start quickly and iterate their processes until they succeed.
To see the key differences between these two methods, let’s look at their frameworks and how they tackle timelines, outcomes, and management styles:
Lean
- Eliminates waste
- Repeatable processes
- Improves processes
- Reduces costs
- Focuses on continuous processes
Scrum
- User centered-products
- Sprint-driven rather than continual processes
- Works in incremental phases
- Develops new solutions
As you can see both solutions provide a great method for achieving your outcome goals albeit through different methods and processes. Choose the best one based on what your overall outcomes goals are and whether you create user-centered products or use a repeatable manufacturing or development process.
Choose the Best Process for Your Team
Both lean and scrum offer solutions to teams working towards increasing productivity while delivering a quality product. The differences between lean methodology vs scrum center around the way you create your product and your timeline used so choose accordingly as you create your own method for success.
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