The Origins of Scrum and Kanban: A History of Two Agile Methodologies
Scrum: From Inspiration to Agile Development
Origins
Scrum has its roots in the 1990s, when Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber sought a way to address the challenges of software development, which was often plagued by delays, constant changes, and a lack of clarity. They were directly inspired by the 1986 article "The New New Product Development Game" by Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka, published in the Harvard Business Review. This article described how companies like Honda and Canon used small, cross-functional, self-organizing teams to develop innovative products quickly, comparing them to a rugby team moving forward together toward the goal (hence the name "Scrum").
Scrum was also nurtured by the intellectual climate of the time, which included ideas such as:
Iterative Development: Promoted by figures like Barry Boehm, who advocated for building software in short cycles to gather constant feedback.
Team Management: Concepts from management theorists like Peter Drucker on the importance of autonomy and responsibility for "knowledge workers."
In 1995, Sutherland and Schwaber formalized Scrum as a framework. Its consolidation came in 2001, when they were two of the 17 signatories of the Agile Manifesto, a document that defined the key values of the movement: customer collaboration, adaptability, and frequent delivery of value. This manifesto was instrumental in Scrum's rapid gain in popularity.
Implementation in Software Development
Scrum was specifically designed for software, where projects are often complex and requirements are subject to change. Its structure includes:
Sprints: Short cycles (usually 1 to 4 weeks) to deliver functional product increments.
Roles: The Product Owner (defines business priorities), the Scrum Master (facilitates the process and removes impediments), and the Development Team (executes the work).
Events: Meetings such as the Daily Scrum, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective to maintain communication and continuous improvement.
Companies like Microsoft and Google adopted Scrum to manage technology projects, making it an industry standard in software for its ability to adapt to change and deliver results predictably.
Expansion into Other Corporate Areas
Although born in software development, Scrum's principles—iteration, self-organization, and a focus on value—made it useful in many other contexts. Today, it is used in:
Education: To plan curricula or student projects in short cycles.
Healthcare: By medical teams developing new treatments or implementing technologies.
Manufacturing: To design innovative products with iterative prototypes.
For example, in a marketing firm, Scrum could be used to launch an advertising campaign, breaking the work into Sprints and adjusting the strategy based on market feedback. Its adaptability has made it a valuable tool far beyond technology.
Kanban: From the Factory to Knowledge Work
Origins
Kanban comes from the Japanese manufacturing industry, specifically from Toyota in the 1950s. Taiichi Ohno, a Toyota engineer, developed it as part of the Toyota Production System (TPS) to optimize manufacturing in a post-war Japan with scarce resources. Ohno was inspired by the replenishment model of American supermarkets, where shelves are restocked only after customers empty them. He applied this idea to production: parts were manufactured only when needed, using kanban cards (Japanese for "visual card" or "signal") to indicate what to produce and when.
This "pull system" drastically reduced waste (unnecessary inventory), improved efficiency, and allowed the factory to respond quickly to changes in demand. Toyota's success led Kanban to spread to other factories as a fundamental pillar of lean thinking.
Implementation in Software Development
In the mid-2000s, David J. Anderson pioneered the adaptation of Kanban to software development and IT work. He observed that technology teams faced problems like work overload and bottlenecks, similar to those in factories. Anderson proposed a method based on four key principles:
Visualize the Workflow: Use a Kanban board to display the workflow and the status of each task.
Limit Work in Progress (WIP): Restrict the amount of active work to prevent overload and improve focus.
Manage Flow: Measure and optimize how tasks move through the process.
Continuous Improvement: Use data and team feedback to adjust and evolve the process.
Anderson formalized his method in the book Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business, published in 2010. Unlike Scrum, Kanban does not prescribe fixed roles or ceremonies, making it highly flexible and easy to adopt in teams with existing workflows.
Expansion into Other Corporate Areas
Kanban's simplicity and visual approach facilitated its expansion beyond software. Areas like marketing, human resources, and operations adopted it to:
Marketing: Manage content flow, from idea to publication.
Human Resources: Track hiring processes on visual boards.
Operations: Coordinate administrative workflows and service requests.
For example, a human resources team could use a Kanban board to visualize candidates in stages like "CV Received," "Interview," and "Offer," limiting WIP to focus on a manageable number of candidates at a time. This flexibility has made Kanban an almost universal tool in agile companies.
Similarities and Conclusion
Both Scrum and Kanban share a DNA based on agile and lean principles:
Eliminate Waste: Scrum does this by prioritizing the most valuable work; Kanban by optimizing flow and reducing wait times.
Improve Efficiency: Scrum through focused work cycles (Sprints); Kanban by limiting Work in Progress (WIP).
Customer Focus: Both aim to deliver value frequently and continuously, adapting to changes in customer needs.
Scrum was born to solve the complexity of software development and expanded thanks to its clear structure. Kanban, originating from manufacturing efficiency, arrived in knowledge work due to its simplicity and flexibility. Today, both are essential frameworks in organizations seeking agility, from tech startups to large corporations in industries as diverse as healthcare, education, and finance.
References
Takeuchi, H., & Nonaka, I. (1986). The New New Product Development Game. Harvard Business Review.
Beck, K., et al. (2001). Manifesto for Agile Software Development. Agile Alliance. https://agilemanifesto.org
Schwaber, K., & Sutherland, J. The Scrum Guide. Scrum.org. (This is a living document that is updated periodically). https://scrumguides.org
Anderson, D. J. (2010). Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business. Blue Hole Press.
Ohno, T. (1988). Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production. Productivity Press.
