Difference Between V Model vs Scrum: Here is an article for all those who are confused between the differences of V Model vs Scrum. For some people, it’s obvious but there are still others who do not get it.
Here is a quick table that summarizes the differences between V Model vs Scrum.
Scrum in a few words
Scrum is a project management methodology used to manage complex projects. It was designed by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland in the year 1993 at the OOPSLA conference in Portland. In Scrum, we have different roles, events, and artifacts like Product Owner, Development Team, Sprint(s), Daily Standup Meetings, etc.
Scrum itself doesn’t say anything about how much time should be taken for each activity or what can be the frequency of the meetings. This is all up to team members based on their own pace of work.
V model in a few words
V model was developed by the IBM research center and it is an extension of the waterfall model. It is used to manage projects where requirements are well known from the beginning but still, there can be some changes in requirements during the development process.
In the V model, we have different terms like Iteration, SRS, etc. In both Scrum and V models, the Project Manager acts as a coordinator or facilitator between team members, also providing support to project management activities like initiation, planning, tracking and controlling, etc.
Why is it important to know the Difference Between V Model vs Scrum?
Knowledge of Scrum and V Model is very important for managers, team members, and project stakeholders. In this fast-paced world where there are many new methodologies being introduced every day, it’s really hard to know the exact difference between methods like Scrum vs V models.
If you use the wrong methodology or model for your project, then there can be big losses resulting in cost overruns, missed schedules, or the delivery of low-quality products. There are plenty of companies who have adopted some of the elements from both Scrum and V-model but not fully leveraging the power offered by both these methodologies/models together.
So, which model to use?
Well, that’s really up to you and your team members or company but here is a simple table of differences between Scrum vs V models:
Scrum
- Emphasis is on working software and project management activities.
- Developers should be self-organizing and cross functional.
- Daily standup meetings are mandatory.
- Starts with requirements gathering but ends with the deployment of software to end users (delivering working products)
- Progress is monitored and controlled using burn-down charts or velocity.
V Model
- Traditional model where requirements are gathered and then it moves into development stage followed by testing.
- Progress is monitored and controlled using Gantt charts or a physical model.
- The team members are not forced to be self-organizing, cross functional, the project manager takes care of that.
- Daily standup meetings are not mandatory.
- Started with requirements gathering but ends with deployment of software to end users.
Pros & Cons of Agile Model and V Model
It’s obvious that both methodologies/models have their own pros and cons, it depends on you as a project manager to decide which model or methodology fits your needs or requirements.
In case you are thinking about choosing SCRUM but are not sure, then here is a list of reasons for choosing SCRUM:
- SCRUM focuses on delivering working products to users, so it is great for you if your project goal is to deliver working software and minimum requirements are well defined.
- SCRUM’s core value is being adaptive. SCRUM is great for you if your project is subject to change.
- SCRUM doesn’t require a fixed team, the team members can be changed according to the requirement and the work load. It doesn’t matter if you have a new person joining your project or someone leaves your project or if you have a part-time person, SCRUM will handle it.
- Daily standup meetings are mandatory in SCRUM. If your project has multiple team members or stakeholders, Daily standup meetings can help you in getting daily updates and improvements.
- SCRUM focuses on small deliverables, which can be completed in a short time and give you quick wins. It helps you to achieve continuous integration and frequent deployment.
Now if you are thinking to choose a V model but are not sure, then here is the list of reasons for choosing a V model:
- You have a fixed size team with specific skills and you are not allowed to change the team members.
- Your project is not subject to change and you need a large team with specific skills.
- You don’t want to go through daily standup meetings.
- Large project, lots of requirements V model is for you!
- You already use V-model and don’t want to change.
So there you have it, if you are having a hard time deciding which model is best for your team, then consider the above points and decide which model fits your project better.
