ScrumBut as an Indicator of Process Debt

Peer reviewe

Uncovering Situations of Cargo Cult Behavior in Agile Software Development Method Use

Misinterpretations and faulty use of Software Development Method (SDM) practices and principles are identified pitfalls in Software Development (SD). Previous research indicates cases with method adoption and use failures; one reason could be the SDM Cargo Cult (CC) behavior, where SD organizations claim to be agile but not doing agile. Previous research has suggested the SDM CC framework as an analytical tool. The aim of this paper is to refine the SDM CC framework and empirically test this version of the framework. We use data from an ethnographical study on three SD teams’ Daily Scrum Meetings (DSM). The empirical material was collected through observations, interviews, and the organization’s business documents. We uncovered twelve CC situations in the SD teams’ use of the DSM practice, structured into seven categories of SDM deviations: bringing irrelevant information, canceling meetings, disturbing the team, receiving unclear information, bringing new requirements, problem-solving, and task distribution

Cargo Cults in Information Systems Development: a Definition and an Analytical Framework

Organizations today adopt agile information systems development methods (ISDM), but many do not succeed with the adoption process and in achieving desired results. Systems developers sometimes fail in efficient use of ISDM, often due to a lack of understanding the fundamental intentions of the chosen method. In many cases organizations simply imitate the behavior of others without really understanding why. This conceptual paper defines this phenomenon as an ISDM cargo cult behavior and proposes an analytical framework to identify such situations. The concept of cargo cults originally comes from the field of social anthropology and has been used to explain irrational, ritualistic imitation of certain behavior. By defining and introducing the concept in the field of information systems development we provide a diagnostic tool to better understand one of the reasons why ISDM adoption sometimes fail

“We use Scrum, but …”: Agile modifications and project success

While the Agile-Scrum (scrum) framework has specific guidelines, these guidelines are often adapted by practitioners. This research aims to understand how scrum changes in practice and how these changes impact various aspects of project success. Through interviews with representatives from 11 organizations who use scrum for software development, we found variability in the application of the guidelines, namely, that only a small number of guidelines are systematically followed, and that some guidelines are rarely followed consistently. Examining these method deviations and mapping them to specific dimensions of project success, four patterns emerged. Further, we uncovered practices that are often followed but were not part of the original Scrum guidelines, including how organizations scale scrum projects. These insights into how scrum is used in practice can help industry professionals determine how to best adapt scrum. They also serve as a promising agenda for research on the application of the scrum framework in industry

CompliancePal: A Tool for Supporting Practical Agile and Regulatory-Compliant Development of Medical Software

As digital transformation affects more and more industries, the increased role of software and the skills required to develop software trigger a ripple effect. Entire industries, where regulations and government standards play an important role (e.g. health care, avionics, etc.), have used long development cycles that relied on detailed up-front planning before advancing to any detailed decision. In contrast to this mindset, agile software development has proven to deliver results that satisfy customers needs faster than traditional waterfall methodologies. The lack of detailed upfront planning and fast delivery cycles have led to situations where the use of agile became synonymous with lack of documentation and poor quality, and hence the perception that the approach is not suitable for regulated systems. In this experience paper we describe the implementation of a service that integrates medical device software compliance specific activities such as architectural design and limited risk management into the daily agile practices of a software development team.Peer reviewe

Fatores críticos para aplicação do Scrum em projetos de desenvolvimento de software

TCC(graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro Tecnológico. Engenharia de ProduçãoDiante do cenário de crescimento exponencial do setor de tecnologia nas últimas décadas e a complexidade inerente à criação de produtos de software, as metodologias ágeis de gerenciamento de projetos vêm ganhando cada vez mais popularidade, e entre estas, o método Scrum se destaca indisputavelmente como o framework ágil mais utilizado no mundo. Entretanto, apesar de sua popularidade e seus benefícios comprovados em eficiência e qualidade, as práticas e processos pregados na teoria e em especial pelo Guia Scrum, são raramente seguidos conforme as definições claras dos autores do método, os quais não caracterizam aplicações incompletas do framework como Scrum. Desta forma, estes desvios comuns da prática ideal do método ocorrem à medida que as empresas apresentam dificuldades em adequar o Scrum aos seus contextos e optam assim por adaptações nos processos relacionados ao framework. Neste contexto, este trabalho busca demonstrar os principais pontos críticos e impeditivos relacionados à aplicação do Scrum em empresas de desenvolvimento de software, descrevendo as principais causas de sucesso e fracasso do método, e investigando a aplicação em projetos reais, levantando a percepção dos gestores e times Scrum acerca do método e analisando cronologicamente sua implementação em uma empresa desenvolvedora de software. O levantamento das percepções de colaboradores do setor foi realizado através de entrevistas, e a análise dos times Scrum foi efetuada através de uma pesquisa-ação, onde o autor participou ativamente nas escolhas realizadas pela empresa em estudo. Por fim, foi possível elencar diversos anti-padrões do Scrum praticados nos projetos abordados pelo trabalho e identificar suas causas, garantindo uma melhor compreensão das escolhas que fomentam a tendência de desvirtuamento do Scrum.In face of the exponential technology industry growth in the last decades and the complexity inherent in the development of software products, agile methods of project management have been gaining even more popularity, and among those, the Scrum method stands out undisputedly as the most used agile framework worldwide. However, in spite of its popularity and proved benefits in efficiency and quality, the practices and processes preached in theory and in special the Scrum Guide, are rarely followed according to the clear definitions made by the method’s authors, who do not consider incomplete applications of the framework as Scrum. In this way, these common deviations of the ideal way of practice of the method occur as companies show difficulties in adapting Scrum to their contexts and thus opt for adaptions in the framework related processes. With this in mind, this paper seeks to demonstrate critical issues and blocks related to Scrum execution in software development companies, describing the main causes of success and failure of the method, and investigating the implementation in real projects, identifying the perception of managers and Scrum teams on the method and chronologically analyzing its adoption in a software development organization. The gathering of the industry’s workers perceptions was made through interviews, and the Scrum teams analysis executed as an action research, where the author actively took part in the decisions made by the company under study. Lastly, it was possible to list several Scrum anti-patterns practiced in the projects covered in this paper and also identify their causes, assuring a better comprehension on the choices that instigate the tendency to distort Scrum

Software Development with Scrum: A Bibliometric Analysis and Profile

Introduction of the Scrum approach into software engineering has changed the way software is being developed. The Scrum approach emphasizes the active end-user involvement, embracing of change, and /iterative delivery of products. Our study showed that Scrum has different variants or is used in combination with different methods. Some tools not normally used in the conventional software approaches, like gamification, content analysis and grounded theory are also employed. However, Scrum like other software development approach focuses on improvement of software process, software quality, business value, performance, usability and efficiency and at the same time to reduce cost, risk and uncertainty. Contrary to some conventional approaches it also strives to boost soft factors like agility, trust, motivation, responsibility and transparency. The bibliometric synthetic scoping study revealed seven main research themes concerned with the Scrum research

Journey towards agility: Three decades of research on agile information systems development

After more than 15 years since the Agile Manifesto and extensive research on agile information systems developmentfor nearly three decades, a comprehensive body of knowledge is available and is constantly growing.Agile information systems developmentis considered an effective way for managing information systems developmentprojects in environments characterized by rapidly changing requirements. This study aims to shed light on the existing knowledge on agile information systems developmentby applying a structured literature review and computer aided analysis consisting of distinct text mining techniques. We analyzed a sample of 775papers and provide results from articles among the Senior Scholars’ Basket, selected information systems conferences,and selected journalsfrom management and computer science. Based on our approach, we are able to (1) evaluate key articles and journals, (2) analyze the development of agile information systems developmentresearch in the last three decades and, most importantly, (3) identify research foci of the past as well asgaps in our knowledge on agile information systems development for further research