Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 18th International Conference, XP 2017, Cologne, Germany, May 22-26, 2017, Proceedings

agile software development; lean development; scrum; project management; software developmen

Software development in startup companies: A systematic mapping study

Context: Software startups are newly created companies with no operating history and fast in producing cutting-edge technologies. These companies develop software under highly uncertain conditions, tackling fast-growing markets under severe lack of resources. Therefore, software startups present an unique combination of characteristics which pose several challenges to software development activities. Objective: This study aims to structure and analyze the literature on software development in startup companies, determining thereby the potential for technology transfer and identifying software development work practices reported by practitioners and researchers. Method: We conducted a systematic mapping study, developing a classification schema, ranking the selected primary studies according their rigor and relevance, and analyzing reported software development work practices in startups. Results: A total of 43 primary studies were identified and mapped, synthesizing the available evidence on software development in startups. Only 16 studies are entirely dedicated to software development in startups, of which 10 result in a weak contribution (advice and implications (6); lesson learned (3); tool (1)). Nineteen studies focus on managerial and organizational factors. Moreover, only 9 studies exhibit high scientific rigor and relevance. From the reviewed primary studies, 213 software engineering work practices were extracted, categorized and analyzed. Conclusion: This mapping study provides the first systematic exploration of the state-of-art on software startup research. The existing body of knowledge is limited to a few high quality studies. Furthermore, the results indicate that software engineering work practices are chosen opportunistically, adapted and configured to provide value under the constrains imposed by the startup context

Agile adoption best practices in Canadian banking

This thesis examines agile software development adoption challenges in large Canadian banks. Canadian banks have adopted agile methods with varying success. The aim of the thesis is to develop an agile adoption framework, using a mixed methods research approach. Research on agile adoptions in financial firms and other regulated industries was reviewed. The result was a list of best practice and challenges that firms experience in their agile transformations. These factors, along with data gathered from interviews, surveys and observations were triangulated to produce a list of best practices. The research used mixed methods, treating the Canadian banking industry as a single case. Qualitative data were elicited through interviews and observation. Additional data was collected through an internet based survey. Chain referral sampling was used to increase the sample size. The population sampled consisted of executives responsible for agile adoptions, agile coaches and project managers involved in banking agile projects. Seven participants were interviewed and twenty seven completed surveys were received. A pilot study was conducted to test the methodology and research instruments prior to the main study. The data was analyzed using the framework method to synthesize the best practices from the literature with the primary data. The result of the research is a set of best practices and a framework for agile adoption in banking. A validation study of the framework was conducted and indicated it was suitable for banking. The analysis concluded that agile practices and adoption strategies used in non-bank industries, with some exceptions, were equally applicable to large banks. The analysis also demonstrated that a phased adoption framework was well suited to the banking culture for facilitating an agile transformation rather than a holistic companywide adoption. The theoretical contribution of this research is the identification of agile best practices and challenges experienced by practitioners within the Canadian banking industry. It is one of the first academic studies to be conducted on agile adoption in Canadian banks and contributes knowledge to the literature on agile adoptions. The practical application of the research is the proposed framework which provides a disciplined foundational roadmap for leaders initiating agile transformations in their own banks

An empirical study on the implementation of agile project management methods in organizations

Context: In an increasingly complex global environment, there is a necessity for organizations to understand the concept of agile and rationale for adopting agile. . However, it is also important that organizations realize whether their adoption of Agile methods and the different approaches (Crusaders, Dabblers and Tailors) align with their original motivations. The alignment between agile approaches and original motivation is crucial as this relationship identifies potential challenges and areas of improvement in the Implementation process; In addition, the link between agile approaches and motivation t also provides greater clarity to how adjustment of approaches could align better with organizational goals and motivations, resulting in in better outcomes. Objective: This research Identified the motivations for the Adoption of Agile to develop software by organizations. Explored the Agile implementation approaches. Evaluated any differences in the level of importance of each identified motivation. Identified any relationships that exist between the motivations and the Agile implementation approaches and established a theoretical framework that informs future Implementations of Agile methods by organizations in the delivery of software (Addressed in Chapter 5.4) Method: The study employed a mixed-method approach to identify the motivations of Agile; the relationships between the motivations of Agile ( Enhance software quality, Improve Engineering discipline, Accelerate time to market, Increase Productivity, Reduce Cost, Enhance ability to manage changing priorities, Improve alignment between IT and business objectives, Enhance culture and boost morale, Reduce risk and Improve Project visibility) and three implementation approaches (Crusaders, Dabblers and Tailors). The research used data triangulation by collating data from literature, questionnaires, and Interviews. Results: The results indicated that the motivations found in this research were similar to by previous researchers with regards to the type of adoption approaches. However, the research project also identified additional factors driving the Implementation of Agile by organizations. A correlation was found between the Senior Management Buy-in and the Level of Agile Knowledge or experience within an organization. An emergent categorization of the motivations for adopting agile was also found. These were Organizational motivations, People motivations, and Process motivations. The analysis of the level of importance of these motivations established that process motivations were the most important of the three categories. It was also established that the implementation approaches used by organizations could be categorized into three the Dabbler, Tailor, and Crusader approaches, and some of the motivations identified influenced the use of these approaches. Conclusion: This study concludes by presenting a novel framework for agile adoption (Tyough Quadrant for Agile Adoption). This framework highlights the patterns and trends of Agile adoption motivations and the corresponding adoption approaches. The framework provides future adopters with valuable insights to guide their adoption of Agile and the alignment with their implementation approaches

Characterizing industry-academia collaborations in software engineering: evidence from 101 projects

Research collaboration between industry and academia supports improvement and innovation in industry and helps ensure the industrial relevance of academic research. However, many researchers and practitioners in the community believe that the level of joint industry-academia collaboration (IAC) projects in Software Engineering (SE) research is relatively low, creating a barrier between research and practice. The goal of the empirical study reported in this paper is to explore and characterize the state of IAC with respect to industrial needs, developed solutions, impacts of the projects and also a set of challenges, patterns and anti-patterns identified by a recent Systematic Literature Review (SLR) study. To address the above goal, we conducted an opinion survey among researchers and practitioners with respect to their experience in IAC. Our dataset includes 101 data points from IAC projects conducted in 21 different countries. Our findings include: (1) the most popular topics of the IAC projects, in the dataset, are: software testing, quality, process, and project managements; (2) over 90% of IAC projects result in at least one publication; (3) almost 50% of IACs are initiated by industry, busting the myth that industry tends to avoid IACs; and (4) 61% of the IAC projects report having a positive impact on their industrial context, while 31% report no noticeable impacts or were “not sure”. To improve this situation, we present evidence-based recommendations to increase the success of IAC projects, such as the importance of testing pilot solutions before using them in industry. This study aims to contribute to the body of evidence in the area of IAC, and benefit researchers and practitioners. Using the data and evidence presented in this paper, they can conduct more successful IAC projects in SE by being aware of the challenges and how to overcome them, by applying best practices (patterns), and by preventing anti-patterns.The authors would like to thank the researchers and practitioners who participated in this survey. João M. Fernandes was supported by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) within the Project Scope UID/CEC/00319/2013. Dietmar Pfahl was supported by the institutional research grant IUT20-55 of the Estonian Research Council. Andrea Arcuri was supported by the Research Council of Norway (grant agreement No 274385). Mika Mäntylä was partially supported by Academy of Finland grant and ITEA3 / TEKES grant

Design, Design Thinking and Innovation: The Electrolux Professional Practices Assessment

The design thinking label assumed a plurality of minings since its first adoption in the design discipline and its subsequent developments in the management realm. Over its long journey, its different interpretations polarised the academic and practitioner audience eliciting appreciation and critiques. Today, the term coexists in different meanings. Still, both parties seem to agree on the positive impact of design thinking practices on organisations. Electrolux Professional is not an exception. Since the first adoption of the concept, the design department started to expand its influence, arriving to play a strategic role in the organisation’s innovation dynamics. The literature suggests a correlation between design thinking practices and innovation, but what are their real implications and impacts on the company’s innovation infrastructure? This research exploited the Electrolux Professional collaboration to investigate the design thinking practices in context. Firstly, it proposes a historical transdisciplinary interpretation of design thinking. Secondly, it focuses on the Electrolux Professional case, inquiring about its innovation ecosystem, the design department and the implication design thinking had. Thirdly, it describes the development of a multi-level framework and a correlated tool to explore the practices and perceived impacts. Finally, the framework was used to assess the design thinking practices in Electrolux Professional and develop three models summarising the primary characteristic of the design thinking practices. The last part aims to evaluate the design thinking impact on Electrolux Professional’s innovation system. Still, it is not concluded yet. The strategy is defined, and the monitoring system is being implemented, but data have not been collected yet. On the academic side, this study strived to reconnect design thinking with the design discipline, giving the designers and managers new evidence of its impact on innovation. On the practice side, the framework and the evaluation strategy aim to offer practitioners valuable tools to manage and leverage design and design thinking in the organisational innovation discussion.The design thinking label assumed a plurality of minings since its first adoption in the design discipline and its subsequent developments in the management realm. Over its long journey, its different interpretations polarised the academic and practitioner audience eliciting appreciation and critiques. Today, the term coexists in different meanings. Still, both parties seem to agree on the positive impact of design thinking practices on organisations. Electrolux Professional is not an exception. Since the first adoption of the concept, the design department started to expand its influence, arriving to play a strategic role in the organisation’s innovation dynamics. The literature suggests a correlation between design thinking practices and innovation, but what are their real implications and impacts on the company’s innovation infrastructure? This research exploited the Electrolux Professional collaboration to investigate the design thinking practices in context. Firstly, it proposes a historical transdisciplinary interpretation of design thinking. Secondly, it focuses on the Electrolux Professional case, inquiring about its innovation ecosystem, the design department and the implication design thinking had. Thirdly, it describes the development of a multi-level framework and a correlated tool to explore the practices and perceived impacts. Finally, the framework was used to assess the design thinking practices in Electrolux Professional and develop three models summarising the primary characteristic of the design thinking practices. The last part aims to evaluate the design thinking impact on Electrolux Professional’s innovation system. Still, it is not concluded yet. The strategy is defined, and the monitoring system is being implemented, but data have not been collected yet. On the academic side, this study strived to reconnect design thinking with the design discipline, giving the designers and managers new evidence of its impact on innovation. On the practice side, the framework and the evaluation strategy aim to offer practitioners valuable tools to manage and leverage design and design thinking in the organisational innovation discussion

How Social Media Changes User-Centred Design - Cumulative and Strategic User Involvement with Respect to Developer–User Social Distance

The aim of user-centred, participatory, and lead-user design approaches is to raise the quality of products and services through methods that aid developers in user involvement. In the lite-rature, the design context is often assumed to be 'one-off projects', which limits the applicabi-lity of the guidelines for further service design after market launch. Other challenges concern-ing social media include ambiguities in the role of informal engagement, the abstraction pro-cesses between millions of users and working user categories, and criteria for involving users. This study investigated user involvement strategies and practices in the construction of a so-cial media service. The research questions were (1) how do users' actions in and around social media shape its design after market launch, (2) how do social media developers' user involve-ment practices evolve over time, and (3) how does user categorisation change with social me-dia? This thesis adopted an exploratory case study approach and the data was collected during 2003–2010. While the study is grounded in usability research and human–computer interac-tion, the theoretical and methodological framework leaned on science and technology studies. The site of investigation was one of the world's largest social game and online communities for teenagers, Habbo Hotel, operated by Sulake Corporation. The data was gathered from devel-opers and users through a multi-method approach, using traditional qualitative and quantita-tive methods as well as online data sources. While this study offers unique insight into the in-teraction between a particular social media company and its users, the implications go beyond the studied target group and games to social media in general. The key findings demonstrate how collaboration and feedback loops between developers and users change over time. In particular, this study highlights the effects of changes in the target group, the broad variety of applied user involvement methods, rhythms in development, and users' contributions after market launch. The author developed two concepts, 'developer–user social distance' and 'content creation capacity', to help designers and researchers communicate previously neglected dimensions of user involvement. Results from analysis of the accumula-tion of user knowledge in the development organisation criticise assumptions in the literature on when and how designers categorise users as well as the functions of these user categories in the design process. The results further suggest that guidelines and other advice on user involve-ment should be uncoupled from the assumption of stable and orderly project phases. This case contributes to user-centred design guidelines, process guidance for user involvement, and re-search on social media development and developer–user collaboration.Genom att inkludera användare i designprocessen kan systemutvecklare höja kvaliteten på produkter och tjänster. I de främsta metoderna på området, användarcentrerad och deltagande design samt engagemang av "lead-users", utgår man ofta ifrån att designprocessen gäller enskilda projekt, vilket begränsar tillämpningen av metoderna för fortsatt tjänstedesign efter marknadslansering. Vidare utmaningar inom sociala media är oklarheter kring informellt engagemang, praktiska abstraktioner av miljoner användare samt kriterier för användarmedverkan. I denna studie undersöktes strategier för användarmedverkan och praxis i konstruktionen av sociala media. Frågeställningen var (1) hur användares aktiviteter i och kring sociala media formar dess design efter marknadslansering, (2) hur användarmedverkan utvecklas över tid och (3) hur användarkategorisering förändras i och med sociala media. Avhandlingen är en undersökande fallstudie och materialet sammanställdes under 2003-2010. Medan studien är förankrad i forskningsområdet människa–datorinteraktion och begreppet användbarhet, utgår den teoretiska referensramen också från samhällsvetenskapliga teknik- och vetenskapsstudier. Platsen för undersökningen var en av världens största sociala spel och mötesplats på nätet för tonåringar, Habbo Hotel, som drivs av Sulake Corporation. Uppgifterna samlades in från utvecklare och användare genom olika metodansatser. Både traditionella kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder samt källor på nätet användes. Trots att fallstudien ger en unik insyn i interaktionen mellan ett specifikt företag och dess användare inom sociala media, går implikationerna längre än till den undersökta målgruppen och spel, dvs. till sociala media i allmänhet. De viktigaste resultaten påvisar hur samarbete och feedback mellan utvecklare och användare förändras över tid. I synnerhet belyses effekterna av förändringar i målgruppen, bredden i tillämpningen av metoder för användarmedverkan, rytmer i utvecklingsprocessen samt användarnas insatser. Författaren utvecklade två begrepp, "socialt avstånd mellan utvecklare och användare" och "kapacitet att skapa innehåll", för att hjälpa utvecklare och forskare att kommunicera tidigare försummade dimensioner inom användarmedverkan. Resultaten från analysen av hur kunskapen om användare byggs upp kritiserar ogrundade premisser gällande när och hur utvecklare kategoriserar användarna samt användarkategoriernas funktion i designprocessen. Resultaten påvisar också att riktlinjer och rekommendationer om användarmedverkan bör utvecklas utan premisser om stabila och välordnade projektfaser. Denna fallstudie bidrar till riktlinjer inom användarcentrerad design, processvägledning för användarmedverkan, forskning om utveckling av sociala media och samarbete mellan utvecklare och användare