Introduction Scrum / Disciplined Agile

First, a brief overview of the two frameworks is provided in order to better understand the following chapters. This introduction shows the central principles of Scrum and DA.

• Scrum supports teams in developing complex projects step by step. Scrum uses the defined roles of the Scrum Master, the Product Owner and the development team. Sprints, daily stand-ups and retrospectives are used for the processes within Scrum. The focus here is on collaboration and transparency. 
  
• Disciplined Agile is a flexible and scalable approach that combines agile, lean and traditional methods. The most important component of DA is the toolkit, which provides teams with practices and processes to choose from. In addition, the goal of DA is to achieve agility not only at the team level, but throughout the entire organization.
  

Differences

Although Scrum and DA have many similar agile principles, they differ significantly in their approach and application. Scrum offers a clearly defined framework, while DA is characterized by flexibility and the ability to adapt to specific contexts. The differences between these two frameworks are now illustrated using five characteristics. 

Flexibility: Scrum provides a fixed framework with clearly defined processes and roles that is easy to implement. DA focuses on flexibility and enables teams to adapt practices and methods from a toolkit to their needs. This makes DA more flexible than Scrum. 


Scaling: Scrum focuses primarily on individual teams and uses additional frameworks such as SAFe or Nexus to scale agility to larger organizations. DA is designed so that it can be used seamlessly at both team and organizational level. 


Roles: Scrum defines these three roles: the Scrum Master, the Product Owner and the Development Team. DA offers a greater variety of roles, as these can be individually adapted to the requirements from a toolkit. 


Processes: Scrum has defined processes such as sprints, daily stand-ups and retrospectives that are strictly followed. DA allows teams to choose from different processes and practices and adapt them individually. As a result, DA is particularly well suited to dynamic and rapidly changing processes. 


Area of application: Due to its simple and focused approach, Scrum is mainly used by smaller teams in software development. As DA has a broader structure, it can be used in IT, but also in other departments of an organization. DA is ideally suited to organizations and teams that require greater adaptability. 

When is which approach suitable?

The choice between Scrum and DA depends on several factors. On the one hand, the complexity of the project must be taken into account, as well as the structure of the organization and the specific requirements of the team. 


Scrum is the better option if teams are already working in a structured environment. Especially for projects that focus on software development and in teams that are already working agile or want to start with agile processes. For rapid implementation, it is ideal if the framework defines clear roles and processes. Scrum is also ideal for smaller organizations or departments that want to make small changes to their existing structure. 


Disciplined Agile on the other hand, proves its worth in more complex organizations and projects that have specific requirements for flexibility and adaptability. DA works particularly well in environments where teams work across different locations and departments. DA's scalable approach makes it ideal for companies that want to introduce or optimize agility at different levels. Another advantage is the ability to combine traditional and modern methods and incorporate them into the working model. 

Conclusion

Basically, you can say that Scrum and Disciplined Agile are two frameworks that are based on the same principles but cover different needs and requirements. Scrum is characterized by its simplicity and clear structure, which makes it ideal for small teams and projects with stable requirements. DA, on the other hand, impresses with its flexibility and scalability. In addition, it is not only effective at team level, but can also be used in other areas. Ultimately, there is no "right" or "wrong", the decision depends on the individual starting situation.