When you work on lots of WordPress projects at a time, keeping track of everything can quickly get messy. Without a proper system, you are sure to face troubles in communication and deadline management, which can turn small mistakes into big problems overnight.
This is where Agile boards come in. They give you a visual way to manage your workflow and make sure the whole team is on the same page. Two of the most popular Agile boards are Kanban and Scrum. Both help organize tasks, but they work in different ways.
No matter what WordPress project you are working with, choosing the right board can have a big impact on delivery speed and project quality. In this post, we'll cover a detailed discussion on Kanban Board vs Scrum Board. By the end, we hope you will know which Agile board will fit your workflow best.
So, let's get into the article – Kanban Board vs Scrum Board.
What Is the Kanban Board?
A Kanban board is a visual tool that helps teams manage their work in a simple and organized way. It uses columns to represent different stages of a workflow, such as To Do, In Progress, and Done. Tasks are placed on cards and moved across the board as work progresses.
This gives everyone a clear picture of what needs to be done, what is being worked on, and what has already been completed. The main goal of a Kanban board is to keep the workflow smooth and avoid bottlenecks. By limiting the number of tasks in progress at once, you can ensure that you focus on finishing tasks before starting new ones.
Explore Gantt Chart vs Kanban Board.
What Is the Scrum Board?
The Scrum board also comes with columns. The board is divided into columns like To Do, In Progress, Testing, and Done. But it's more spring-focused. A sprint is a short and fixed time period (1-4 weeks) where a team works to complete a planned set of tasks.
Tasks, written on cards, are moved from one column to another as the sprint goes on. This makes it easy to see how much progress has been made and what still needs attention. This board is useful when you are committed to launching any product, feature, or else within a fixed time period.
Kanban Board vs Scrum Board: Key Differences Explained
Kanban and Scrum boards both help teams manage work visually. But they follow very different approaches. While Kanban focuses on continuous improvement and steady workflow, Scrum is built around short, structured sprints. Let’s go through the most important factors that set them apart.
1. Approach to Work (Framework)
The Kanban board follows a lean and continuous approach. Work items are added to the board and pulled into progress based on team capacity. There are no strict timeboxes, and tasks flow freely from one stage to another. This makes it useful for ongoing WordPress projects where new requests, bug fixes, or updates come in regularly.
The Scrum board takes an iterative approach. Work is divided into fixed sprints, usually lasting 1–4 weeks. The team commits to a certain set of tasks at the start of each sprint, and the focus is on completing them before the sprint ends. This is helpful for WordPress projects with defined milestones.
Learn how to manage a cross functional team.
2. Workflow Style
In a Kanban board, the workflow is fluid and pull-based. Team members can pull tasks into the board whenever needed to work on them. This reduces overload and helps maintain a steady pace. As a result, new tasks and client requests can be added at any time without disrupting ongoing work.
In a Scrum board, the workflow is fixed and push-based. Tasks are pushed into the sprint log, and the team must finish them within the sprint. So, it leaves little room for on-the-fly tasks. Team members must complete the tasks in advance that are already listed in the running sprint.
3. Team Roles and Responsibilities
Kanban does not require predefined roles. Anyone on the team can list tasks on the board whenever they become available. It keeps the team flexible and avoids unnecessary role-based restrictions. This works well for small WordPress teams where the same person may handle multiple responsibilities like development, design, and content updates.
Scrum has clear roles. Some of its well-known roles are Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developer. The Scrum Master guides the team and makes sure the process runs smoothly. The Product Owner manages the task list (backlog) and decides what is most important.
The Development Team works on the tasks and delivers the results. These clear roles make it easier for big teams to stay organized.
Learn how to master time management as a project manager.
4. Flexibility and Adaptability
Kanban is very flexible because you can add, remove, or change tasks at any time. This makes it perfect for WordPress projects where unexpected work often comes up. For example, a client may suddenly ask you to fix a plugin issue, update a design, or add a new feature. With Kanban, you can take care of these requests without breaking the flow of your other tasks.
Scrum is not that flexible because once a sprint begins, the task list is fixed. Any new work must wait until the next sprint planning session. This rule may feel strict, but it helps the team stay focused on finishing the planned tasks.
5. Delivery Cycle
Delivery is continuous in Kanban. Work gets completed as soon as tasks move to the Done column. This means WordPress updates, bug fixes, or content uploads can be delivered quickly and regularly. Continuous delivery is perfect for projects that require fast turnaround times.
In Scrum, delivery happens at the end of each sprint. All completed tasks are reviewed and often released together. This batch-style delivery is useful for major releases, like launching a site redesign or releasing a new plugin version. It creates a sense of accomplishment but may delay urgent tasks.
6. Tracking and Measurement
In Kanban, performance is tracked through cycle time (how long a task takes to move across the board) and throughput (how many tasks are finished over time). These metrics can help you find bottlenecks and improve efficiency.
In Scrum, teams track progress using velocity (how much work is completed in each sprint) and burndown charts (tasks left to finish in a sprint). These metrics measure how consistently the team delivers against planned goals.
Check this guide on how to deliver the project faster.
7. Scalability
Kanban scales naturally as more tasks and people are added. Since it doesn’t require strict roles or ceremonies, it works for both small WordPress teams and larger ones. However, scaling without discipline can lead to clutter if the board is not well-maintained.
Scrum has defined methods for scaling, such as Scrum of Scrums or frameworks like SAFe. This makes it better for big organizations or agencies managing multiple WordPress projects at once. The structured approach ensures teams stay aligned across larger goals.
8. Tools and Setup
Kanban boards can be as simple as sticky notes on a wall or digital tools like Trello, Jira, or ClickUp. They are lightweight and easy to set up, making them a good fit for small WordPress teams or freelancers managing client projects.
Scrum boards are often set up in more advanced tools like Jira, Monday.com, or Azure DevOps. They include sprint backlogs, burndown charts, and reporting features. While this can be powerful, it requires more setup and discipline.
Explore the best Kanban Boards for project management.
Kanban Board vs Scrum Board: A Snapshot at a Glance
We'll summarize the above discussion in the table below, covering the key highlights. Hope this will help you get a quick idea about the differences between the Kanban board and Scrum board at a glance. Keep reading!
| Features | Kanban Board | Scrum Board |
| Approach to work | Lean and continuous | Iterative |
| Workflow style | Can pull new tasks any time | Little room for on-the-fly tasks |
| Team roles and responsibilities | Does not require predefined roles | Clear roles – Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developer |
| Flexibility and adaptability | Extremely flexible | Less flexible |
| Delivery cycle | Coninuous | Happens at the end of each sprint |
| Tracking and measurement | Cycle time and throughput | Velocity and burndown charts |
| Scalability | Scales naturally | Defined methods for scaling |
| Tools and setup | Easy to set up | Complex, requiring more disciplines and conditions |
Kanban Board vs Scrum Board: Use Cases
Choosing the right Agile board depends on the type of project you are handling. Kanban and Scrum each work best in different scenarios. Understanding their use cases will help WordPress teams manage tasks efficiently, meet deadlines, and keep clients happy.
When to Use a Kanban Board in WordPress Project Management
Kanban boards are ideal for projects where tasks come in randomly or need ongoing attention. For WordPress, this includes:
- Fixing bugs and updating plugins regularly
- Handling client requests or small feature additions
- Maintaining content updates on blogs or eCommerce sites
- Continuous improvement of an existing website
The strength of Kanban is its flexibility. Tasks can be added or reprioritized anytime without disturbing other work. This makes it perfect for teams that need to respond quickly to changing requirements.
When to Use a Scrum Board in WordPress Project Management
Scrum boards are best for projects with a clear goal and a fixed deadline. For WordPress, this includes:
- Launching a new website or redesigning an existing one
- Releasing a new plugin or feature in a set timeline
- Migrating a site or implementing major updates
- Planning marketing campaigns or content sprints
Scrum works well when work needs to be completed in structured timeframes (sprints). It ensures the team stays focused and delivers all tasks planned for that sprint without interruptions.
Looking for a Kanban Board? Use WP Project Manager
WP Project Manager is a powerful WordPress plugin. It offers all the essential features one needs to create, organize, and track projects efficiently. The plugin is ideal for almost all types of users, like businesses, agencies, individuals, and freelancers.
The plugin has a feature-rich Kanban board by which you can visually organize and track tasks in real time. You can create unlimited custom Kanban boards if you have to manage too many projects. You can drag and drop tasks across stages (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
You can also create new tasks directly on the board and monitor progress at a glance. This functionality simplifies task prioritization, enhances team collaboration, and ensures no task falls through the cracks. This makes it ideal for dynamic WordPress environments.
In addition to the Kanban Board, the plugin has many other exciting features that will surely convince you to try the plugin. Take a look at them below.
Key Features of WP Project Manager
Kanban Board: Visualize workflows with customizable boards and drag-and-drop task management. You can track task stages instantly for efficient WordPress project oversight.
Gantt Chart: View task dependencies and project timelines through interactive horizontal bar graphs. It's easy to adjust start and end dates to optimize project scheduling. Check how to use the Gantt Chart.
Interactive Task Calendar: Track daily, weekly, or monthly project progress with drag-and-drop functionality. Filter tasks by user or project for better organization.
Time Tracker: Monitor time spent on tasks with start, stop, and pause features. Simplifies payment calculations for hourly-based WordPress work.
Milestone Tracking: Set and monitor project milestones to mark key phases and deadlines. You can assign tasks and discussions to track progress effectively.
Advanced Reports with Insights: Generate reports on overdue tasks, user activities, and milestones. This provides data-driven insights for better project decisions.
WooCommerce Integration: Automatically create projects and tasks from WooCommerce orders. This simplifies eCommerce project management with role-based access.
Invoice System: Generate and format invoices automatically for client billing. Integrates with Stripe for seamless payment processing.
Frontend Compatibility: Manage projects from the site’s frontend, ideal for client-facing workflows. This enhances accessibility without requiring backend access.
Slack Integration: Receive instant notifications on Slack for task updates and comments. It improves real-time team communication for remote WordPress teams.
GitHub & Bitbucket Integration: Sync issues from GitHub and Bitbucket to task lists. Speeds up developer workflows for WordPress coding projects.
Ending Notes!
Kanban and Scrum both offer effective ways to manage tasks, but each has its strengths. Kanban is perfect for projects with unpredictable tasks and ongoing updates, while Scrum works best for structured projects with clear deadlines and goals.
While using Kanban, focus on limiting work in progress, updating the board regularly, and continuously improving your workflow. In Scrum, clearly define sprint goals, hold regular stand-ups, and review completed work at the end of each sprint.
If you want an easy way to implement Kanban for your WordPress projects, tools like WP Project Manager could be the best choice. It lets you create Kanban boards, track tasks, set priorities, and collaborate with your team all in one place.