If you are new to the web & software development trade you might feel overwhelmed by the term of project management & the different methodologies. Scrum and agile methodology are the two most common terms you will hear about project management. But what are scrum & agile? Are they different? We will have a full discussion about scrum and agile methodology in this blog.

What is Project Management 

Before we dive into the scrum & agile process we need to understand the core which is project management. Project management is the use of procedures, methods, expertise, information, and experience to achieve specified project goals within agreed-upon boundaries. It contains final deliverables that must be completed within a specific budget and timeline.

Project management entails the collaboration and implementation of an organization ordered to complete a specified job, event, or obligation. It might be a one-time project or a continuous process, with resources such as employees, funds, technology, and intellectual property

A fundamental distinction between project management and management is that project management has a final output and a fixed timeframe, whereas management is a continuous activity. As a result, a project professional must possess a diverse set of talents, including technical abilities, as well as people management abilities and commercial acumen.

Types of Project Management 

There are different types of project management methods but all aim to do one thing which is the completion of a project. But different types of project management accomplish the project differently. Here are seven types of project management: 

1. WaterFall
Waterfall project management is one of the oldest & traditional methods of project management. This usually works in waves with each step depending on another. So the 1st must be completed before anyone could start the 2nd step.

2. Agile
It is a more flexible and speedier alternative to the outmoded waterfall methodology. Agile is a concept or philosophy that is applied to different forms of project management, rather than a specific project management technique. Working in smaller pieces, or sprints, allows projects to pivot as required.

3. Scrum
Scrum is part of the agile method. It’s quick, tiny in size, and can turn on a dime. Scrum is all about utilizing sprints to complete projects in tiny chunks, use of a month. Scrum is ideal for small teams who want to develop fast.

4. Kanban
It is also another approach to agile project management. Kanban is all about organization, as opposed to Scrum, which is all about time-based parts. Kanban does this by focusing on the number of tasks that go into every process and how they may be simplified, decreased, and so on. This is an excellent model for people who have a consistent factory-like output.

5. Lean
The lean approach of project management is focused on customer experience. While managing projects there are sometimes lots of processes that help to streamline the overall work but it’s not mandatory. Lean project management aims to trim these extra processes so that all efforts can be put into the customer experience.

6. Six Sigma
Six sigma is just more like the lean process but it takes the lean approach to the next level. When the lean approach does not provide satisfactory results six sigma is implemented. It tries to enhance quality by lowering the number of mistakes in a process by identifying what isn’t functioning and then eliminating it.

7. PMI/PMBOK
PMI stands for Project Management Institute which is a non for profit organization. PMI introduced PMBOK which stands for Project Management Body of Knowledge. This is nothing but a guideline for how a project should be managed.

There are more types of project management methodologies but these seven are the most common and widely used ones. As we are focusing on Agile & Scrum now we will discuss more on these two types. 

What is Agile Methodology

It is a mentality influenced by the ideals and principles of the Agile Manifesto. These beliefs and concepts guide how to generate and respond to change, as well as how to cope with ambiguity.

Agile is an iterative method of project management and software development that enables teams to provide value to clients more quickly and with fewer difficulties. An agile team provides work in tiny, yet consumable, increments rather than staking all on a dramatic launch. Continuous evaluation of requirements, plans, and results provides teams with a natural mechanism for adapting swiftly to innovation.

This Agile methodology follows four principles which are: 

1.Individuals and relationships are valued more than techniques and systems
2. Working software trumps over extensive documentation.
3. Customer involvement is given more preference over contract negotiations
4. Adjusting to change by being flexible with the plan

Now we will dig deeper into how Agile works. Though different teams will execute agile methods differently, there will always be five steps which makes this amazing process tic. 

1. Requirement Analysis: This stage entails meeting with the customer and noting all of the specifics and functionality that they would want to see in their solution.

2. Precise Estimation: Now the functions will be grouped by user stories or modules. Time will be given to each module depending on how much time is needed for one feature.

3. Priority list: With an ongoing conversation with the client a list will be created based on the client’s priority. The features will be implemented 1st which are desired by the client.

4. Implementation: Now that you know the client’s goal and have the main narrative list in place, you can begin providing value to the client. You begin at the top with the most latest task and work down to the least relevant task. You solicit feedback from your customers after each delivery.

5. Plan Update: As you begin providing the product to the customer, he will make certain modifications. You can add such modifications to your list. You will reprioritize the list of things if necessary.

There’s a chance you’re not fast enough and won’t be able to finish the assignment on time. In such a situation, you will always offer the most critical and high-priority features. Work order is defined using the prioritized list.

What is Scrum

Scrum is nothing more than a subset of Agile Methodology. There are different approaches to it & Scrum is one of them. Scrum is a method for managing research and development and other types of software development work.

It is most suited for use when a cross-functional project is planned on a development venture with a large amount of work that can be divided into more than one 1 to 4 weeks cycle.

Scrum is empirical in the sense that it allows teams to form a hypothesis about how they believe something should function, test it out, reflect on the experience, and make the necessary modifications.

Scrum is designed in such a manner that teams may adopt methods from other frameworks where they make it work in the context of the team.

Just like the Agile method where it’s all about the values for the clients in the scrum, values are shared among the people who are working on the project. Here are few values which make scrum tic:

1. Committed: Team members make a personal commitment to accomplishing team objectives.
2. Resilience: Members of the team do the right thing and work hard to solve difficult challenges.
3. Concentration: Focus on the sprint’s task as well as the team’s goals.
4. Open-minded: Teams and stakeholders are straightforward about all of the work and problems that the team faces.
5. Trust: Team members value each other’s ability to be capable and self-sufficient.

One of the important practices of Scrum is a sprint. The Sprint is either one month or shorter timeframe in which the team creates a deliverable update. Sprints have few fixed features.

A sprint produces a steady time frame throughout a development project. A new Sprint begins soon after the preceding Sprint concludes. Sprint’s beginning and finish dates are set.

Difference between Scrum and Agile methodology

On the outside, it’s simple to understand why Agile and Scrum are frequently misunderstood, as they both rely on an iterative method, regular client engagement, and effective communication. The primary distinction between Agile and Scrum is that, while Agile is a project management concept that employs a sense of values or ideas.

On the other hand, Scrum is the process by which agile is implemented. You can also say that Scum is a type of Agile methodology. Here are few main differences between scrum and agile: 

Agile is a project management technique that aims to satisfy customers by providing shippable products on a frequent basis. Scrum is one of several Agile implementation methods. It is appropriate for projects with constantly changing needs.