A Framework of Challenges and Key Factors for Applying Agile Methods for the Development and Customisation of Software Products in Distributed Projects

Abstract

Organisational and cultural boundaries are two of the main aspects of the software development process for distributed customers. Many organisations use traditional approaches such as the waterfall model to develop and customise software products for different customers. Agile software development, however, has departed from traditional approaches, and a great deal of research has been conducted on adopting agile software development for either distributed or collocated projects. However, little research has discussed the agile development approach across organisational boundaries between developers who use an agile software development approach and their customers. The purpose of this paper was to introduce agile software development to those organisations which create and customise software products for different distributed customers and to study the potential impact of introducing agile development across those organisational boundaries. We proposed a framework for developing and customising software across organisational boundaries. This would ultimately address and accommodate key factors in software development and customisation across organisational boundaries using an agile development approach. This research will help the development society and serve as a guide for project managers, developers, stakeholders, and users to understand agile software development and the impact of adopting an agile approach across organisational and cultural boundaries in their projects.