
Agile Development Frameworks – Part 8
Comparison of the Frameworks
Here are some of the characteristics of the frameworks we mentioned. There are more options out there, but one of these should surely fit your set-up.
Crystal Clear
This is a good framework for a small team that does not have to deliver very critical projects. It is not one of the most widely used options, but is well documented and a good choice for smaller companies who want to focus on their development team and keep them happy, while delivering adequate releases that the business can use.
Lean
Lean is a good choice if lean manufacturing has been adopted in your organisation or in your business unit. Concepts such as the “5 whys” (root cause analysis) and the “7 wastes” are familiar in your environment, and, while Lean for Agile is not quite the same as Lean Manufacturing, it will be easy to integrate into the business. In companies where control is still important, Lean focuses more on controls and process than Scrum, which is looser and less disciplined. For large projects and larger companies, Lean is probably the better solution. The focus is on added value to the customer, if there is no value-added, don’t do it, a fundamental of business process in general.
Scrum
Scrum is a very flexible and fluid framework, maybe too much so. The focus is on breaking down the whole into its smallest parts and developing in small initiatives, the sprints. The agility of Scrum is reflected in two accepted beliefs:-
- requirements will change mid-stream, and should be factored in during the project (but only between sprints).
- the project is not completely understood at the start and that deeper learning will occur as the project progresses.
This allows Scrum projects to keep in alignment with the business needs and start delivering features as soon as possible. It also creates risk where understanding of the overall project is imperfect, which can lead to rework. It is recommended that “test-driven development” is adopted within the scrum method to keep quality levels high. (Lean expects test-driven development because of its origins in the motor industry).
Scrum work is also delivered according to a predetermined priority. Work artefacts are stored and prioritised in the Product Backlog. There are also roles and “ceremonies” (meetings) that are specific to Scrum, such as the Product Owner and stand-up meetings. Scrum can work for very large projects, but need experienced Product Owners and Scrum Masters to see the project through.
Kanban
Kanban is very similar to Scrum in many aspects, but there are some clear differences in work organisation. Kanban is less prescribed, there are no specific roles and work is not prioritised. The Kanban board shows the whole project, unlike the Scrum board, which shows only the latest sprint. Probably the most critical difference is that a change request can be applied at any time, not like Scrum, where changes cannot be applied during a sprint. Kanban is probably best adopted by teams that have some agile experience, or are used to working in a Lean environment.
Recommended Implementation
Agile is democratic. Depending on the volume of projects you complete in a year, you could benchmark a Scrum project against a Kanban project for instance, and see which is the better fit. This is not your decision, it will be a vote by your team members.
It is also recommended that the viability of some of the outputs be considered, especially the quality of documentation. While the emphasis is on producing code rather than descriptions of code, insufficient relevant documentation can be a major problem when defects need correcting or an upgrade or enhancement is required. Scrum has some very useful prescriptions, like Burndown charts and Retrospective meetings. Evaluate whether you are getting the same value from your Agile framework. You can always adopt from other practices, once you have understood your preferred choice.
59 Seconds Training Video
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Master of Agile – Agile Scrum Tester With 59 Seconds Agile (Video Training Course)
Introductory Offer: Free Course
Master of Agile – Agile Scrum Tester With 59 Seconds Agile (Video Training Course)
What is this course?
This ‘Master of Agile – Agile Scrum Tester With 59 Seconds Agile (Video Training Course)’ provides an in-depth understanding of the Agile Scrum Tester roles and responsibilities
You will explore the Agile Scrum project life-cycle, including how an Agile User Story is created, to how we know when it is ‘done’
This course is aimed at those with or without prior knowledge and experience of the Agile values and principles
During this course you will learn the tools needed to succeed as an Agile Scrum Tester
What will you learn?
You will gain an in-depth understanding of the Agile Scrum Tester roles and responsibilities, and you will be able to
- Fully understand the role of the Agile Scrum Tester
- Understand the roles involved in an Agile project
- Create an effective Product Backlog
- Effectively participate in Scrum Meetings such as the Daily Stand-up, Sprint Review and Retrospective
- Identify the roles involves in the Scrum Team
- Fully understand the role of the Agile Scrum Developer
- Understand the roles involved in an Agile project
- Create an effective Product Backlog
- Effectively participate in Scrum Meetings such as the Daily Stand-up, Sprint Review and Retrospective
- Identify the roles involves in the Scrum Team

What topics are covered within this course
You will cover the following topics during this course:
- An Introduction to Agile Project Management (Tester)
- The 12 Agile Principles (Tester)
- Introduction to Scrum (Tester)
- Scrum Projects (Tester)
- Scrum Project Roles (Tester)
- Quality in Agile (Tester)
- Acceptance Criteria and the Prioritised Product Backlog (Tester)
- Quality Management in Scrum (Tester)
- Epics and Personas (Tester)
- Planning in Scrum (Tester)
- Scrum Boards (Tester)
- User Stories (Tester)
- The Daily Scrum (Tester)
- The Product Backlog (Tester)
- Review and Retrospective (Tester)
- Validating a Sprint (Tester)
Our Book Recommendations
We found these books great for finding out more information on Agile Scrum: