Agile vs Scrum: What's It All About?

by The Scalers Offshore Development Teams In India

Programming languages and development technologies form the backbone of software engineering. Apart from the engineers who wield them, of course. But alongside them are working methodologies, some of which have proved so effective that non-software organizations and teams have implemented their ideas.

Let's have a look at two of the most famous: Agile vs Scrum.

What is Agile?

Agile is noted for its iterative approach using incremental steps. As opposed to methodologies that use periods of intensive planning at the kick-off of a project, Agile makes allowance for requirement changes and encourages feedback from end-users. In Agile, the project's leadership promotes accountable teamwork and face-to-face communication. And, product stakeholders on the business side work together with developers to align the product with customer expectations and strategic objectives. There are also the famous 'twelve principles of Agile' which can be found online, for a more in-depth view of how its creators and innovators see the methodology.

What is Scrum?

Again, one of the most famous methodologies, Scrum is actually a derivative of Agile. They aren't really competing for methodologies, though Scrum follows a more structured methodology. Though like Agile, it's iterative and can be used to handle complex development projects. Its primary aim is customer value, and it uses fixed-length, two-week periods known as sprints in order to deliver it. Sprints involve stakeholders and engineers meeting to share progress and offer feedback at each increment.

Agile vs Scrum: Conclusion

There you have it: Agile could perhaps be best described as a continual method of development and testing whereas Scrum is an Agile process to focus on delivering value in the quickest time possible. They complement one another, and of course, the latter couldn't exist without the former. Hopefully, this quick summary has helped you to decide which methodology to implement for your next project.