Analyzing the Trade-Off between Traditional and Agile Software Development - A Cost/Risk Perspective

Digitalization heralds a new era of enterprise IT. It challenges CIOs to find a balance between renovating legacy IT and seizing the opportunities of digital technologies to keep up with competitors and start-ups. This requires organizations to operate two software development modes simultaneously: the traditional and the agile mode. Despite substantial research on both modes, little is known about whether to implement distinct software development projects traditionally or agile. As a first step to addressing this gap, we propose a quantitative decision model that compares the cost and risk profiles of both modes associated with the implementation of a distinct project. The decision model integrates qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the project in focus and of the traditional and the agile mode. As for evaluation, we implemented the decision model as a software prototype and validated its behavior using sample projects as well as a sensitivity analysis

A practical approach to goal modelling for time-constrained projects

Goal modelling is a well known rigorous method for analysing problem rationale and developing requirements. Under the pressures typical of time-constrained projects its benefits are not accessible. This is because of the effort and time needed to create the graph and because reading the results can be difficult owing to the effects of crosscutting concerns. Here we introduce an adaptation of KAOS to meet the needs of rapid turn around and clarity. The main aim is to help the stakeholders gain an insight into the larger issues that might be overlooked if they make a premature start into implementation. The method emphasises the use of obstacles, accepts under-refined goals and has new methods for managing crosscutting concerns and strategic decision making. It is expected to be of value to agile as well as traditional processes

Analyzing the concept of technical debt in the context of agile software development: A systematic literature review

Technical debt (TD) is a metaphor that is used to communicate the consequences of poor software development practices to non-technical stakeholders. In recent years, it has gained significant attention in agile software development (ASD). The purpose of this study is to analyze and synthesize the state of the art of TD, and its causes, consequences, and management strategies in the context of ASD. Using a systematic literature review (SLR), 38 primary studies, out of 346 studies, were identified and analyzed. We found five research areas of interest related to the literature of TD in ASD. Among those areas, managing TD in ASD received the highest attention, followed by architecture in ASD and its relationship with TD. In addition, eight categories regarding the causes and five categories regarding the consequences of incurring TD in ASD were identified. Focus on quick delivery and architectural and design issues were the most popular causes of incurring TD in ASD. Reduced productivity, system degradation and increased maintenance cost were identified as significant consequences of incurring TD in ASD. Additionally, we found 12 strategies for managing TD in the context of ASD, out of which refactoring and enhancing the visibility of TD were the most significant. The results of this study provide a structured synthesis of TD and its management in the context of ASD as well as potential research areas for further investigation

People in the E-Business: New Challenges, New Solutions

[Excerpt] Human Resource Planning Society’s (HRPS) annual State of the Art/Practice (SOTA/P) study has become an integral contributor to HRPS’s mission of providing leading edge thinking to its members. Past efforts conducted in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 have focused on identifying the issues on the horizon that will have a significant impact on the field of Human Resources (HR). This year, in a divergence from past practice, the SOTA/P effort aimed at developing a deeper understanding of one critical issue having a profound impact on organizations and HR, the rise of e-business. The rise of e-business has been both rapid and dramatic. One estimate puts the rate of adoption of the internet at 4,000 new users each hour (eMarketer, 1999) resulting in the expectation of 250 million people on line by the end of 2000, and 350 million by 2005 (Nua, 1999). E-commerce is expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2003, and of that, 87 percent will go to the business to business (B2B) and 13 percent to the business to consumer (B2C) segments, respectively (Plumely, 2000)

Agile Supply Demand Networks Approach to Optimize Inventory and Reduce Lead Time

This thesis work is application of the ASDN (Agile Supply Demand Networks) software to improvement toy logistics network. The researcher worked as a development engineer with ASDN software and tasks were design an example of complex toy supply demand networks, improvement the toy logistics network, optimize inventory value level, through integrated retailers, distributors, manufacturers and suppliers to reduce the lead time to customers and inventory holding cost. The research problem is How to use ASDN software to analyze and optimize current toy industrial logistics network? In order to resolve this research problem, there have four objectives will be discussed in the present study. The first objective is study agile supply chain management, demand supply chain management, demand response strategies and inventory models in order to increase basic understanding ASDN software. The second objective is study the definition and function modules of ASDN software in order to understanding application of ASDN tool. The third objective is use ASDN tool to design a complex toy supply demand networks and explain related inventory models calculation. The fourth objective is use ASDN tool to create graph interface to analysis the complex toy supply demand networks, and optimize the analysis results.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

Aligning flexibility with uncertainty in software development arrangements through a contractual typology

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify a typology of procurement contracts in the context of software development projects that allows firms to align design flexibility with design uncertainty at the project level. The theoretical lenses of contract theory and software engineering are used to explain why the five archetypes in the proposed typology provide gradually increasing levels of design flexibility and to develop hypotheses about the associations between design flexibility and a set of project cost dimensions. Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses are tested with objective contractual data from 270 software development contracts entered into by a leading international bank over a period of three years. Findings Data analysis confirms the existence of the proposed typology and shows that design flexibility is negatively associated with control and positively associated with coordination, trust, duration and price. Research limitations/implications Although the findings are based on the contracting practices of a single, albeit sophisticated, organization, they shed light on the ability of firms to align flexibility with uncertainty at the onset of new projects by taking advantage of nuanced contractual mechanisms to produce a broader set of contractual archetypes. Originality/value This paper is the first in the outsourcing literature to analyze a nuanced contractual typology in software development projects through the perspectives of both contract theory and software engineering

Volume II Acquisition Research Creating Synergy for Informed Change, Thursday 19th Annual Acquisition Research Proceedings

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