The table below compares the Scrum and Kanban frameworks, highlighting key structural differences and the tester's role within each.
The table will have four columns: "Stage", "Scrum", "Kanban", and "Role of "Tester". Rows include aspects like project structure, work planning, and the tester's role (e.g., dedicated testing phase vs. continuous testing throughout).
| STAGE | SCRUM | KANBAN | ROLE OF TESTER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning | - Product Backlog refinement: Testers participate in defining acceptance criteria for user stories. - Sprint Planning: Testers estimate testing effort and collaborate on the Sprint Backlog. | Ongoing process: Testers collaborate with the team to understand upcoming features and provide input on testability. | Testers help define what "done" means for a user story from a quality perspective. |
| Development | Development team works on the Sprint Backlog. | Work items continuously move through the Kanban board. | Testers actively participate in development discussions to understand implementation details. They design and execute test cases based on acceptance criteria. |
| Review & Retrospective (Scrum) | Team showcases completed work from the Sprint in a Sprint Review. Testers provide feedback on the quality of the delivered increment. | Daily Stand-up Meetings | Testers report progress on testing tasks and identify any blockers. |
| Testing (implicit in Scrum) | No dedicated testing stage. Testing happens throughout the Sprint. | Testing happens throughout the workflow. Testers collaborate with developers to fix bugs promptly. | Testers execute test cases and identify and report bugs. They collaborate with developers to ensure quality throughout the process. |
| Release (Scrum) | Potentially shippable product increment at the end of the Sprint. | Continuous Delivery | Continuously deliver work items to production as they are completed and tested. |
| Improvement | Sprint Retrospective: The team reflects on the Sprint and identifies areas for improvement, including testing practices. | Continuous Improvement: Testers participate in Kanban board optimization and identify ways to improve testing efficiency. | Testers suggest improvements to testing tools, processes, and communication. |
Key Differences:
- Scrum has a fixed-length Sprint cycle, while Kanban is continuous.
- Scrum has dedicated review and retrospective ceremonies, while Kanban uses daily stand-up meetings for continuous improvement.
- Testing in Scrum is integrated throughout the Sprint, while Kanban testing is continuous throughout the workflow.
In both frameworks, testers play a crucial role in ensuring software quality throughout the development process.