Linking Testing Activities with Success in Agile Development of Physical Products

Abstract

Agile development methods are becoming increasingly important for mechanical engineering and the development of physical products. A key element of agile development and an integral part of the product development process is testing. This paper investigates the link between testing activities and success in agile product development. An observational study was conducted with 355 students grouped into 72 teams. Each team developed a physical product in a 12-week project. The project structure incorporated several aspects of the agile method Scrum. At the end of the project, the performance of each team’s product was evaluated with a performance score. During the project, the participants documented their invested time in development activities. To validate the result of the self-assessment, the usage of the mechatronic equipment of the individual teams was logged electronically for methodological triangulation. Statistical analysis was carried out using multiple regression models. The results show that time invested early in the project and testing activities throughout the project were statistically significant predictors of success. Furthermore, the results highlight the variety of performed testing activities and show that testing beyond the activities within Verification and Validation were performed until the very end of the project. The study results underline the importance of testing and support essential concepts discussed in the literature with quantitative empirical evidence.