Applying Agile Lean to Global Software Development

Although challenges of Global Software Development (GSD) are well known in the industry, practitioners and the organizations look for ways to improve results and overcome challenges. Companies have tried to implement many workable solutions possible to solve issues like poor communication, lack of trust, low morale and many other such issues prevalent in the distributed setting. With the success of agile, the methodology gained interest in leveraging its benefits to alleviate some of these challenges. Similarly, lean was also implemented in distributed software development to resolve issues. While each methodology provided some improvement in the results achieved in global software development, many issues persisted and the desired growth/results were not received. Recent years have seen an increased interest of applying a combination of agile and lean software development paradigms to resolve current industry issues in the area and meet the needs of rapid changing environment. This study aims to study the current practices of the combination of agile lean existing in the industry and how it can be utilized in the global software development. The study focuses on challenges faced to implement agile lean and successful sustainable implementation of agile lean in an environment of global software development

Laajamittainen muutos kohti ketteryyttä ja Leaniä kansainvälisesti hajautetussa organisaatiossa - tapaustutkimus Ericsson

The interest in adopting Agile and Lean in large and geographically distributed organizations is increasing constantly. Organizations are seeking alternative ways of working to improve their ability to operate in a fast-paced market. However, several problems may emerge when Agile practices and Lean principles are adopted in a traditional organization. Despite the increasing interest, there are not much research on how Agile and Lean are implemented in large-scale and distributed organizations. Hence, the main goal of this thesis is to follow how a large, globally distributed and continuously growing product development organization at Ericsson adopted Agile practices and Lean principles. The research approach of this study was a qualitative single case study. Three sources of data were used to analyze the case organization. The results of this thesis encompass a set of challenges and success factors emerged from the transformation within the case organization. Additionally, the results illustrate the phases the organization has undergone during the transformation. During the transformation, the organization has introduced several changes including building a common backlog, implementing Agile practices at the team level, and building an active Agile and Lean mindset. However, the organization has faced several challenges which have been mainly related to lack of a process definition, weakly defined roles and responsibilities, lack of training and coaching, and change resistance. The success factors include, among others, setting up a new leadership team and an organization culture that empowers individuals.Kiinnostus ketterien ja Lean-menetelmien käyttöönottoon suurissa ja kansainvälisesti hajautetuissa organisaatioissa on tasaisessa kasvussa. Yritykset ovat etsimässä vaihtoehtoisia tapoja työskennellä, jotta ne voisivat parantaa kykyään toimia nopeasti muuttuvilla markkinoilla. Monia ongelmia kuitenkin esiintyy kun ketteriä käytäntöjä ja Lean periaatteita otetaan käyttöön perinteisissä yrityksissä. Kasvavasta kiinnostuksesta huolimatta, ketterien ja Lean-menetelmien käyttöönottoa suurenmittakaavan hajautetuissa organisaatioissa ei ole paljon tutkittu. Tästä syystä tämän työn tarkoituksena on seurata miten suuri, kansainvälisesti hajautettu ja kasvava tuotekehitysorganisaatio Ericssonilla ottaa käyttöön ketterät käytännöt ja Lean-periaatteet. Lähestymistapa tutkimukselle on kvalitatiivinen, yksittäinen tapaustutkimus. Esimerkkiorganisaation tutkimiseen on käytetty kolmea erillistä tietolähdettä. Työn tulokset sisältävät joukon haasteita ja menestystekijöitä, jotka esiintyivät muutoksen aikana esimerkkiorganisaatiossa. Tulokset esittävät myös vaiheet, jotka esimerkkiorganisaatio on käynyt läpi muutoksen aikana. Organisaatio on tehnyt monia muutoksia prosessin aikana, muun muassa ottanut käyttöön organisaation laajuisen kehitysjonon ja ketterät käytännöt tiimitasolla, sekä rakentanut aktiivista ajattelutapaa tukemaan ketteryyttä ja Lean’ä. Kaikesta huolimatta organisaatio on kohdannut huomattavia haasteita, jotka liittyvät pääasiassa puutteellisesti määriteltyyn prosessiin, heikosti määriteltyihin rooleihin ja vastuualueisiin, vähäiseen harjoitteluun ja koulutukseen, sekä muutosvastarintaan. Uusi johtajatiimi sekä yksilöitä kannustava organisaatiokulttuuri ovat osa muutoksen menestystekijöitä

Challenges and Success Factors of Scaled Agile Adoption – A South African Perspective

Agile methods and Agile scaling frameworks have become a solution for software-developing organizations striving to improve the success of software projects. Agile methods were developed for small projects, but due to their benefits, even large software-developing organizations have adopted them to scale their software projects. This quantitative study was undertaken to deepen the researchers’ understanding of the critical success factors and challenges of Scaled Agile from the South African perspective. A simple random sampling method was used. Data was collected with the use of an online structured questionnaire and the response rate was 70%. The results reveal that customer satisfaction remains at the epicenter of adopting Scaled Agile methods. Lack of top management support remains the major challenge in adopting Scaled Agile. The results reveal some notable changes when it comes to the most adopted Agile scaling framework

Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming – Workshops

This open access book constitutes papers from the 5 research workshops, the poster presentations, as well as two panel discussions which were presented at XP 2021, the 22nd International Conference on Agile Software Development, which was held online during June 14-18, 2021. XP is the premier agile software development conference combining research and practice. It is a unique forum where agile researchers, practitioners, thought leaders, coaches, and trainers get together to present and discuss their most recent innovations, research results, experiences, concerns, challenges, and trends. XP conferences provide an informal environment to learn and trigger discussions and welcome both people new to agile and seasoned agile practitioners. The 18 papers included in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from overall 37 submissions. They stem from the following workshops: 3rd International Workshop on Agile Transformation 9th International Workshop on Large-Scale Agile Development 1st International Workshop on Agile Sustainability 4th International Workshop on Software-Intensive Business 2nd International Workshop on Agility with Microservices Programmin

The future of software development methods

Most of the software development methods in use today are founded on concepts that emerged in the early decades of the software industry – the systems development life cycle, object orientation, agile and lean methods, open source, software product lines, software patterns – the list goes on. However there are several disruptive elements present in the current software landscape – software ecosystems, servitization, the Internet of Things, parallel processing, cognitive computing, quantum computing – that pose significant challenges in terms of the software development methods that might be appropriate. We suggest that these disruptive elements highlight the need to create new software development methods more appropriate to the needs of the current development environment

Mergers and acquisitions: integration models of acquired systems integration services firms, Ericsson case

A large literature in M&A studies the problem of integration models considering the economical and financial aspects, the value creation, the synergies, the cultural considerations, integration steps and plans to allow firms to make decisions that are optimal for the acquirer. An important result from this literature is that there are integration archetypes to meet the majority of possible integration realities and that there isn’t a right or wrong model but rather a need for alignment between acquirer and acquired firm considering the various parts of each firm. Careful considerations of the criteria such as the organizational structure, the policies or the directives to meet the designed strategy are required to achieve the highest value. The author objectives in this paper are to investigate whether or not there is an optimal model to meet the Ericsson case, for acquisitions in the Systems Integration business. The insights of the M&A literature have allowed the developing of a framework to conduct a thorough analysis on what is behind the decisions of managerial choices and the reality which managers have to face while facing decision on how to conduct an integration process. The significance of specificities of business object of the acquired services companies, being value generated by assets of knowledge, skill and abilities raise the implication of the intangible aspects and relationships of behaviors in the organizations. The paper covers the specific case of Ericsson, derives a relationship between culture, strategy, structure and corporate renewal, reviews the options considered and provides a recommendation of for the appropriateness of the integration model to be followed.Uma grande parte da literatura disponível sobre fusões e aquisições endereçam o problema da integração com enfoque económico-financeiro, sobre aspectos relacionados com a criação de valor, sinergias, impacto do choque de culturas das organizações, bem como recomendações sobre as etapas necessárias para assegurar que as decisões reflictam estes aspectos. Uma das conclusões dos autores é a de que existem vários modelos possíveis, já identificados, para a maioria dos processos de integração e de que, não existe um modelo errado ou o mais certo para cada cenário. Todavia para qualquer um dos modelos seleccionados deverá existir um processo com actividades e critérios relevantes para que se considerem as importantes considerações e pré requisitos das diversas áreas a integrar entre a empresa adquirente e a adquirida sejam bem sucedidas. Nestes critérios estão considerados a estrutura organizacional, a politica ou as directivas definidas para alcançar a estratégia definida. Os objectivos do autor nesta dissertação são os de investigar se existe ou qual o modelo de integração mais adequado para o caso das aquisições de empresas de serviços da área de integração de sistemas da empresa Ericsson. As perspectivas da literatura revista, permitiram ao autor desenvolver um processo e analisar sobre como são tomadas as decisões e quais as opções e situações com que os gestores se debatem quando envolvidos num processo de integração. A especificidade e significância do objecto de estudo deste caso, sendo as amostras empresas de serviços e cujo valor é gerado por activos de conhecimento e habilidades, aumentam a necessidade de avaliar os impactos das relações, estruturas e comportamentos das organizações. Esta dissertação endereça a realidade do caso Ericsson e deriva uma relação entre cultura, estratégia, rejuvenescimento das organizações e impactos sobre a decisão, revê as opções tomadas e propõe recomendações sobre qual o modelo de integração mais adequado

Modelling lean and green supply chain

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia IndustrialThe success of an organization depends on the effective control of its supply chain. It is important to recognize new opportunities for organization and its supply chain. In the last few years the approach to lean, agile, resilient and green supply chain paradigms has been addressed in the scientific literature. Research in this field shows that the integration of these concepts revealed some contradictions among so many paradigms. This thesis is mainly focused on the lean and green approaches. Thirteen different management frameworks, embodied in awards, standards and tools were studied to understand if they could contribute for the modelling process of a lean and green approach. The study reveals a number of categories that are common in most management frameworks, providing adequate conditions for a lean and green supply chain transformation. A conceptual framework for the evaluation of a lean and green organization`s supply chain was proposed. The framework considers six key criteria, namely, leadership, people, strategic planning, stakeholders, processes and results. It was proposed an assessment method considering a criteria score for each criterion. The purpose is to understand how lean and green supply chain can be compatible, using principles, practices, techniques or tools (i.e. elements) that support both, a lean and a green approach, in all key criteria. A case study in the automotive upstream supply chain was performed to understand more deeply if the elements proposed for the conceptual framework could be implemented in a real-scenario. Based on the conceptual framework and the case study, a roadmap to achieve a lean-green transformation is presented. The proposed roadmap revealed its contribution to the understanding on how and when an organization`s supply chain should apply the lean and green elements. This study is relevant to practice, as it may assist managers in the adoption of a lean and green supply chain approach, giving insights for the implementation of a hybrid supply chain.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - (PhD fellowship: SFRH/BD/60969/2009); Project entitled "Lean, agile, resilient and green supply chain management" (LARG_SCM) which facilitated the development of case study and make possible the submission of papers at several International Meetings and Conference

Implementing Fast Feedback Response in Agile Software Development

Nopean vasteen saaminen ohjelmiston oikean toiminnallisuuden varmistamiseksi on tärkeää ketterässä ohjelmistokehityksessä. Perinteiset testimetodit alustavien testituloksien saamiseksi on ollut käyttää simuloituja ympäristöjä ja testityökaluja. Nämä metodit voivat olla hitaita, eivätkä ne aina paljasta ongelmia, joita voi esiintyä, kun ohjelmisto integroidaan kohdelaitteistoon. Tässä tutkielmassa selvitetään voidaanko luoda nopean testivasteen prosessi, ohjelmiston oikean toiminnallisuuden varmistamiseksi, käyttämällä alustavassa testauksessa kohdelaitteistoa. Käyttämällä nopean testivasteen prosessia jatkuvan integraation ympäristössä, mahdollistetaan tehokkaammat vianetsintä- ja vianmääritysmenetelmät. Nämä metodit voivat johtaa edullisempiin ohjelmistokehityskustannuksiin, sekä tehokkaampiin ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmiin. Tässä tutkimuksessa kehitetään nopean testivasteen prosessi Ericsson Mobile Media Gateway:n kehitysympäristöön. Testiprosessin soveltuvuutta Ericssonin jatkuvan integraation ympäristöön tutkitaan analysoimaalla testiprosessin suorituskykyä ympäristössä. Tässä tutkielmassa verrataan myös ketterien ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmien tehokkuutta vesiputsousmallin ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmiin, käyttäen esimerkkinä Ericsson Mobile Media Gateway:n kehitysorganisaatiota. Johtopäätöksenä, nopean testivasteen prosessin alustava validointi viittaa siihen, että prosessi soveltuisi toteutettavaksi Ericssonin kehitysympäristöön. Tämän testimetodologian käytön mahdollisuuttaa suositellaan tutkittavaksi myös muissa ketterän ohjelmistokehityksen projekteissa. Vahvoja indikaatioita saatiin siitä, että ketterät ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmät ovat tehokkaampia Ericsson Mobile Media Gateway:n kehitystyössä, kuin aikaisemmin käytetyt vesiputousmallin kehitysmenetelmät.Receiving rapid feedback on software functionality in the agile software development methods is important. Traditionally, the test methods for measuring software functionality are based on simulated test tools and test environments. These methods can be time-consuming and do not always reveal problems that may arise when the software is integrated into the target hardware. In the scope of this research, a study is conducted whether a time efficient fast feedback response test process can be created to ensure the software functionality in target hardware level in initial testing. Thus, making more efficient troubleshooting and fault finding possible by using a fast feedback test in a continuous integration environment. These methods can lead to decreased software development costs and increased software development efficiency. In this study, a fast feedback test process is created for the software development environment of the Ericsson Mobile Media Gateway. The feasibility of the test process is determined by analyzing the performance of the test process in the development environment. A study on the efficiency of the agile software development methods compared to the waterfall development methods is also conducted by using the Ericsson Mobile Media Gateway development organization as an example. In conclusion, the initial testing of the fast feedback test indicates that it could be applied to the Ericsson development environment. It is recommended to examine the possibility to use this fast feedback test methodology also in other agile software development projects. There are strong indications that the agile software development methods at Ericsson Mobile Media Gateway development organization are more effective than the previous waterfall development methods