Identification and Prioritization of Agile Requirements Change Management Success Factors in the Domain of Global Software Development

Tahir Kamal,Abdu Gumaei,Ahmed Alsanad,Qinghua Zhang,Muhammad Azeem Akbar,Muhammad Shafiq

doi:10.1109/access.2020.2976723

Abstract

The economic and strategic gains motivated the majority of software firms to adopt global software development (GSD). The adoption of GSD is not straightforward. The geographical distance between the GSD teams causes the various problems for the implementation of agile software development activities, particularly, that related to requirements change management in agile (ARCM). The objective of this study is to explore the success factors of ARCM in GSD context and prioritized them based on their significance. The study comprised of two steps: (1) identify the success factors of ARCM using systematic mapping study (SMS) and validate them with industry practitioners using questionnaire survey approach; (2) prioritize the identified success factors by applying the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach. A total of 21 success factors that are significant for ARCM process were identified using SMS and questionnaire survey study. The results of AHP shows that allocation of resources at overseas sites, 3C's (communication, coordination and control), geographically distributed change control board (CCB), RCM process improvement expertise and continuous top management support are the highest priority success factors of ARCM process in the context of GSD. The findings assist the practitioners to address the most priority success factors in order to successfully implement the ARCM activities in the domain of GSD.

Highlights

In Agile software development process, focus should be given on practitioners activities, development with complex documentation, development tools and process, customer collaboration with contract cooperation, and various changes over the respondent in pursuing a plan [1]
OF systematic mapping study (SMS) By applying the step by step instructions of SMS approach, a total of 21 success factors have been identified that are critical for success and progression of agile requirements change management (ARCM) programs in global software development (GSD) context
Gill et al [45] explored the importance of the Trust building among the team members of ARCM, especially when it conducted in GSD environment

Summary

Introduction

In Agile software development process, focus should be given on practitioners activities, development with complex documentation, development tools and process, customer collaboration with contract cooperation, and various changes over the respondent in pursuing a plan [1]. Minhas and Zulfiqar [21] developed a change management model that address the commencement of change, assessment of change and the procedure of RCM. ‘‘initiate’’, ‘‘validate’’, ‘‘implement’’, ‘‘verify’’, ‘‘update’’ and ‘‘release’’ In this model there is no way to deal with large organization and for distributed development paradigm. Ince’s [26] has been developed a model to deal with basic RCM activities to manage the claimed changes. This model comprises of five key phases i.e. Ince’s model contains almost all RCM aspects it fails to cover the verification phase of implemented changes [27]. The above discussed models and frameworks help to implement the requested changes in context of in-house development [24], [27]–[29]

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Conclusion