Are you interested in implementing Agile but aren’t sure where to get started? 

While there is no single “right” way to implement Agile, there are many established Agile frameworks and approaches that teams can use and then adapt to their needs—all with the goal of continuous improvement.

In this guide, you’ll get an overview of different Agile frameworks and established methods, discover the potential benefits and challenges of the most-used frameworks, and learn how to choose which approach is best for your team.

Agile frameworks—also called Agile approaches or Agile methods depending on which one you are referencing—are lightweight structures that guide teams as they implement the values found in the Agile Manifesto. These aren’t the prescriptive, rigid methodologies of the past—they were designed to be flexible and adapt to each team's unique needs.

You can think of these frameworks as “starter kits.” They provide a structured way to introduce teams to Agile principles and offer support while individuals are developing an Agile mindset. While frameworks are designed to be adaptable, teams often benefit from using these foundational practices longer than they might expect. Moving on too quickly can create challenges before the team has fully established the discipline and understanding needed to adapt the framework effectively.

Popular types of Agile frameworks 

Teams can choose from a variety of Agile frameworks, each with its own benefits and challenges. Some popular Agile frameworks include:

• Scrum
• Kanban
• Scrumban
• Extreme Programming
• Lean Software Development (LSD) 
• Feature-Driven Development (FDD) 
• Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)
• Crystal methods

There are also frameworks designed to help teams practice Agile at scale, such as the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS), and Disciplined Agile.

This guide will provide more explanation for a few of the most common team-level Agile frameworks and methods.

According to the 17th State of Agile Report, 63% of Agile practitioners use the Scrum framework, making it the most popular team-level framework.

A Scrum team should have no more than 10 members, and those team members include: 

• A Scrum master who is accountable for ensuring each team member understands and applies the values, principles, and practices of Agile.
• A product owner who develops and communicates the product goal. They manage and help order the product backlog, ensuring that the team has a steady flow of valuable work.
• Additional team members, typically developers if Scrum is implemented on a software development team, who determine how the work will be done. They are accountable for understanding, selecting, and executing work elements from the backlog.

The Scrum team completes work in sprints, each sprint set at a consistent duration, typically two to four weeks. During each sprint, team members work on tasks, and they continuously gather and incorporate feedback from stakeholders.

As a way to manage work and align on goals, Scrum involves events such as sprint planning, the daily Scrum, sprint reviews, and sprint retrospectives.

Scrum events, like the daily Scrum (known more generally within Agile practices as a daily standup), are a way for team members to align on action items and review potential blockers. Easily facilitate these events with customizable templates in Lucidspark.

Benefits of using the Scrum framework

There’s a reason why 63% of teams following Agile principles have implemented the Scrum framework. Scrum teams can experience the following benefits:

• Scrum focuses on transparency and clear goals. Large projects or initiatives are broken down into smaller, more manageable elements, which makes it easier for team members to see how their daily work supports larger goals.
• Scrum allows teams to be more iterative and responsive to change. 
• Teams are able to increase their communication and alignment through daily standups
• Scrum makes it easier for teams to identify and eliminate bottlenecks or other impediments without interrupting their overall workflow.

Potential challenges of using the Scrum framework

So why might other teams decide that Scrum isn’t the best fit? Take a look at these potential challenges:

• Many new teams see Scrum as unyielding—they feel pressure to complete everything that they committed to within the sprint. But the timebox of a sprint is intended to support a sustainable pace. It is meant to create focus rather than enforcing strict deadlines.
• Scrum may not work well for teams who can’t predict their tasks or workload ahead of time, such as a team responding to frequent customer support tickets. While Scrum can handle changing priorities between sprints, teams whose workflow requires more frequent shifts will find other Agile approaches more suitable.

Remember that every Agile framework or method will come with its own challenges. Determine which elements are most important to help in your team’s specific situation and keep those top of mind as you search for the right approach.

Kanban is a visual management method for optimizing continuous process improvement. A Kanban board is a tool that teams use to visualize and manage their workflow. Some teams use physical Kanban boards, but virtual Kanban boards are widely popular and effective as well.

Using a Kanban board in Lucid helps your team visually manage workflow and improve efficiency. Try this template to get started.

The Kanban method helps teams manage the flow of work, limit work in progress, and visualize the work. It increases team alignment by clearly showing what’s being worked on, what’s been completed, and what’s next. It also improves communication and helps teams identify and address bottlenecks. 

Benefits of using the Kanban method

There are many reasons why teams would implement the Kanban method:

• Kanban is easy for many teams to understand and start using right away.
• Kanban allows team members to focus on a few tasks at a time, which can reduce stress, improve productivity, and make work more efficient.
• Kanban fosters continuous improvement through gradual changes and enhancements over time.

Potential challenges of using the Kanban method

Like every Agile framework, the Kanban method presents some potential downsides:

• The Kanban method requires investment from every team member—and a continuous prioritization and reprioritization of work—in order to work. Each person needs to maintain their tasks on the Kanban board and update it as work is completed.
• It can be difficult to establish timelines and predict exactly when large projects or initiatives can be completed as Kanban doesn’t impose set deadlines or timeboxes.
• While often seen as an advantage, the flexibility of the Kanban method can create challenges for teams who are used to a more structured approach.

Scrumban is essentially a melding of practices from Scrum and Kanban. Many Agile teams today practice the Scrumban framework because they like the structure of Scrum events and the flow and efficiency of managing workflows with Kanban. 

Typically, Scrumban teams use Scrum events that support their goals—such as sprint planning and retrospectives—while using Kanban boards or other visualization tools to manage their workflow and prioritize tasks in real time.

Benefits of using the Scrumban framework

With so many benefits available through the Scrum framework and Kanban method, it’s no surprise that teams stand to gain many advantages through Scrumban: 

• Scrumban is a great stepping stone for teams to begin practicing continuous improvement.
• Scrumban is an especially versatile and flexible framework because it allows teams to combine the parts of Scrum and Kanban that work for them into a personalized set of practices.
• This methodology helps teams identify bottlenecks and see where people may become overburdened with tasks.
• Scrumban helps reduce lead time, so teams can deliver work more predictably.

Potential challenges of using the Scrumban framework

The potential downsides to Scrumban include the following: 

• Burnup and burndown charts, tools that teams commonly use in Scrum, aren’t always applicable because Scrumban does not use timeboxed sprints.
• Without set sprint timelines (in other words, start and end dates), Scrumban can make it more difficult for teams to predict precisely how long a project or initiative may take.
• Scrumban’s flexibility may also make it more challenging for teams to avoid multitasking if work-in-process limits aren’t enforced.

Extreme Programming, or XP, emphasizes technical excellence through disciplined software development practices. This Agile methodology takes beneficial engineering practices to their logical extreme. While XP originated in software development, its core practices—such as pair work, rapid feedback, and continuous learning—have inspired teams in design, research, and other creative disciplines. 

Software engineers using XP engage in test-driven development, pair programming, continuous integration, and small releases all while working closely with customers. Engineering teams leverage that collaboration to continually improve the product.

Benefits of using Extreme Programming

Teams using XP can expect the following advantages:

• XP uses disciplined coding practices that can prevent software from becoming difficult to change over time and, therefore, reduce costs related to change.
• Extreme Programming practices improve software quality and proactively prevent bugs.
• The continuous customer collaboration in XP results in software that more precisely meets customer needs, increasing customer satisfaction.
• These practices can reduce burnout, as Extreme Programming encourages people to work at a sustainable pace.

Potential challenges of using Extreme Programming

What are some potential concerns for those considering XP? Note these challenges:

• The engineering practices in XP are specifically designed for software development teams, so this methodology can be challenging for other types of teams to adapt and implement.
• Extreme Programming promotes a lot of face-to-face interaction, which is challenging for distributed teams or teams that aren’t able to meet with their customers as often.
• Engineering practices like test-driven development and pair programming have a learning curve and require consistent discipline to maintain.
• XP’s focus on close collaboration becomes less effective as teams grow in size.

There are a variety of Agile frameworks, approaches, and methodologies, and as you have read, each of them offers potential benefits and challenges.

So how does your team even know where to start with choosing one?

While Agile can be practiced by any team in any industry, the framework you choose depends on your team’s needs. For example, engineering teams that are having issues with bugs and code quality often choose Extreme Programming. Marketing teams often practice Scrumban because Kanban’s visual workflow management combined with select Scrum events help them balance planned work with incoming requests.

Here are some more tips on how your team can choose which Agile approach to begin with: 

Tip #1: Make sure your leaders are invested

Before you adopt an Agile framework or approach, make sure your leaders are invested. A cultural transformation is required for Agile to be successful, and often the biggest shift needed is support from leadership.

Tip #2: Identify what needs to be improved

Identifying what needs to be improved in your workflow can help teams choose where to begin. Do you need to improve code quality? Extreme Programming may be for you. Would daily standups and sprint retrospectives be helpful for your team to align on work tasks? Scrum may be a good place to start.

Tip #3: Implement one framework at a time

It’s important to start with one framework or approach and see how it works for your team before you experiment with others. Agile is a lot like learning a sport—you have to start with the basics and train your muscles before you can elevate your skill set.

Tip #4: Remember you can adapt the framework to your needs

Remember, once you adopt an approach, you can always adapt it. Agile frameworks aren’t like magic spells that you have to follow exactly or they won’t work. They were designed as lightweight guidelines, so focus less on the rules and more on what will work best for your team.

Tip #5: Invest in the right tools to help your team

Part of adopting an Agile approach is investing in the right tools to support your team. A visual collaboration platform helps many teams implement Agile, thanks to customizable Kanban templates, Scrum event templates, and facilitation tools that improve team alignment and streamline documentation. No matter which framework you choose, use visual collaboration to help your team thrive with Agile.

Agile frameworks and approaches are a great way for teams to be introduced to the Agile mindset and start practicing continuous improvement. Lucid has templates and facilitation tools that support a variety of Agile frameworks, so no matter which you choose for your team, you can use Lucid to help visualize your workflow, facilitate Agile events, and prioritize high-value principles.