Agile Implementation Research Articles

Investigation of critical barriers for achieving agility in the manufacturing systems – AHP

In the era of globalization and competitive market, the Indian manufacturing organizations necessitate to excel in terms of quality, cost, safety, and delivery to become more approachable to customer needs, give a wide product range and get to operational excellence. However, the implementation of quality initiatives in manufacturing organizations can be a significant challenge due to the presence of many obstacles. In this research work survey of 119 manufacturing systems that was done, the contribution of these organizations played a significant role in measuring various barriers in achieving agility. The purpose of this survey focuses on the essential part of different organizational capabilities, such as technological. This study aims to overcome the barriers encountered during the implementation of agility in manufacturing organizations. From the analysis and expert judgment, 13 barriers were identified. The outcomes of this study will facilitate researchers, consultants, policymakers, and decision-makers to implement agility.

КОНЦЕПЦИЯ AGILE: ВОЗМОЖНОСТИ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ В ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОМ УПРАВЛЕНИИ (ОБЗОР ПУБЛИКАЦИЙ)

The article provides an overview of publications on Agile methodology. In the literature Agile is generally understood to mean agile software development with regular feedback, ability to respond promptly to various changes and adjust the initial vision of the project at almost any moment. The paper reviews the values and basic principles of Agile, provides comparative characteristics of agile and traditional approaches to software development, describes the most popular Agile methods (Scrum, Kanban, Scrumban, eXtreme Programming (XP), Lean development). The review established that Agile is not only considered in terms of software development but also the project management approach. In addition, there are practices of implementing Agile in public administration. However, the authors point to IT project management problems in the public sector. Challenges relate to serious deficiencies in public procurement of software. The authors conclude that it is recommended to apply «Agile contracts» in public procurement. The Charter for the Agile Nations establishes a commitment to a more agile approach to legal regulation and will facilitate the implementation of Agile in public administration. Based on conducted analysis of publications the inference was made that Agile can also be viewed from a personnel management perspective. It has been suggested that implementation of Agile methodology to human resources management is a promising area and emerging trend of Agile development.

DevOps Enabled Agile: Combining Agile and DevOps Methodologies for Software Development

The Agile and DevOps software development methodologies have made revolutionary advancements in software engineering. These methodologies vastly improve software quality and also speed up the process of developing software products. However, several limitations have been discovered in the practical implementation of Agile and DevOps, including the lack of collaboration between the development, testing and delivery sectors of different software projects and high skill requirements. This paper presents a solution to bridge the existing gaps between Agile and DevOps methodologies by integrating DevOps principles into Agile to devise a hybrid DevOps Enabled Agile for software development. This study includes the development of a small-scale, experimental pilot project to demonstrate how software development teams can combine the advantages of Agile and DevOps methodologies to fulfill the gaps and provide further improvements to the speed and quality of software development process while maintaining feasible skill requirements.

Modeling and measuring attributes influencing Agile implementation in an enterprise using structural equation modeling

Modeling and measuring attributes influencing Agile implementation in an enterprise using structural equation modeling

The assessment of the ISO GPS system implementation with a GPS maturity model

For more than twenty years, the international system for the geometrical tolerancing of components has been reformed. With the aim for a non-verbal specification and verification of components, the ISO system for Geometrical Product Specification and Verification (ISO GPS system) has emerged. Due to the necessary extensive specification language, which additionally contains mathematical descriptions, references, 3D specifications, defaults, rules for manufacturing and measurement etc., the ISO GPS system has now reached a complexity, which cannot easily be understood and decoded by the different engineers and departments in the companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises as well as handicraft businesses. This makes an application in the entrepreneurial practice almost impossible. A structure and guidelines for the application are currently missing. Furthermore, there is a lack of requirements and a general approach for a necessary multi-layered training of specialists like engineers or machine workers as well as managers. There are also no generally accepted standards for the application of the ISO GPS system in companies. Often, small businesses, as contractors to large companies, have to deal with the challenges due to ISO GPS conform specifications. This problem has recently been amplified by the rapid progress of digitization and the increased use of 3D data including PMIs or application of 3D model-based definitions.For this reason, an implementation strategy for an integrated GPS system for small and medium-sized enterprises has been developed as part of a current research project at the Chemnitz University of Technology. To overcome the difficulties caused by the complexity of the ISO GPS system, an agile training concept based on GPS competencies, a roadmap for the integration process, and a GPS maturity model for the assessment of the process have been developed. Fundamental results of the research project with focus on the development of the GPS maturity model for a transparent agile implementation process are presented in this paper.

Modelling and measuring attributes influencing agile implementation in an enterprise using structural equation modelling

Modelling and measuring attributes influencing agile implementation in an enterprise using structural equation modelling

Examining the transition to agile practices with information technology projects: Agile teams and their experience of accountability

Proponents of the agile approach to project management describe this new way of working as more efficient, more productive, liberating, and one in which the team has greater control. We examine the experience of implementing agile practices within project management through nine agile teams in the financial services sector. Using grounded theory analysis of data from semi-structured interviews, several thematic categories emerge including accountability, team-based perceptions of their place in the organization, human factors in agile teams, and technical factors with the implementation of agile practice. As a result of these findings, we propose a framework describing how IT project teams experience accountability arrangements when transitioning into agile practices. The accountability experience is a result of the fit between the teams’ perception of how they are viewed as agile teams in their organizations, their experience of technical practices of agile implementation, and their experience of interaction and exchanges in their teams. We conclude with a call towards recognizing the dissonance between different expectations of accountability and a call for further empirical research into this phenomenon.

The role of competitive environment and strategy in the supply chain's agility, adaptability and alignment capabilities

PurposeThis paper analyses the way that the industry's competitive environment and the company's strategy influence the implementation of the supply chain's (SC’s) triple-A capabilities (agility, adaptability and alignment). Two competitive environment variables are analysed: competitive intensity of the industry and complexity of the SC. Two opposing competitive strategies are also considered: cost and differentiation.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses have been tested using data gathered via a questionnaire given to 277 Spanish manufacturing companies, and structural equation modelling has been used for the analysis.FindingsThe results show that competitive intensity is the most influential factor followed by business strategy. SC complexity does not seem to affect agility. Moreover, although the competitive environment variables affect the business strategy, the latter has no mediating effects between the competitive environment and SC agility, adaptability and alignment capabilities.Originality/valueThis study presents new insights into the environmental and strategic drivers linked to the implementation of SC agility, adaptability and alignment capabilities and offers guidelines to managers involved in SC management.

Enhancing research informatics core user satisfaction through agile practices.

ObjectiveThe Huntsman Cancer Institute Research Informatics Shared Resource (RISR), a software and database development core facility, sought to address a lack of published operational best practices for research informatics cores. It aimed to use those insights to enhance effectiveness after an increase in team size from 20 to 31 full-time equivalents coincided with a reduction in user satisfaction.Materials and MethodsRISR migrated from a water-scrum-fall model of software development to agile software development practices, which emphasize iteration and collaboration. RISR’s agile implementation emphasizes the product owner role, which is responsible for user engagement and may be particularly valuable in software development that requires close engagement with users like in science.ResultsAll RISR’s software development teams implemented agile practices in early 2020. All project teams are led by a product owner who serves as the voice of the user on the development team. Annual user survey scores for service quality and turnaround time recorded 9 months after implementation increased by 17% and 11%, respectively.DiscussionRISR is illustrative of the increasing size of research informatics cores and the need to identify best practices for maintaining high effectiveness. Agile practices may address concerns about the fit of software engineering practices in science. The study had one time point after implementing agile practices and one site, limiting its generalizability.ConclusionsAgile software development may substantially increase a research informatics core facility’s effectiveness and should be studied further as a potential best practice for how such cores are operated.

A systematic review of the literature on supply chain agility

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to critically examine the scholarly articles associated with the diverse aspects of supply chain agility (SCA). The review highlights research insights, existing gaps and future research directions that can help academicians and practitioners gain a comprehensive understanding of SCA.Design/methodology/approachThe present study has adopted author co-citation analysis as the research methodology, with a view to thoroughly investigating the good-quality articles related to SCA that have been published over a period of 22 years (1999-2020). In this study, 126 research papers on SCA – featuring diverse aspects of agility – from various reputed journals have been examined, analysed and assimilated.FindingsThe salient findings of this research are, namely, agility is different from other similar concepts, such as flexibility, leanness, adaptability and resilience; of the 13 dimensions of agility discussed in the literature, the prominent ones are quickness, responsiveness, competency and flexibility; literature related to SCA can be categorised as related to modelling the enablers, agility assessment, agility implementation, leagility and agility maximisation. This research proposes a more practical definition and framework for SCA. The probable areas for future research are, namely, impediments to agility, effective approaches to agility assessment, cost-benefit trade-offs to be considered whilst implementing agility, empirical research to validate the framework and SCA in the domain of healthcare and disaster relief supply chains.Practical implicationsThis paper provides substantial insights to practitioners who primarily focus on measuring and implementing agility in the supply chain. The findings of this study will help the supply chain manager gain a better idea about how to become competitive in today’s dynamic and turbulent business environment.Originality/valueThe originality of this study is in: comprehensively identifying the various issues related to SCA, such as related concepts, definitions, dimensions and different categories of studies covered in literature, proposing a new definition and framework for SCA and identifying potential areas for future research, to provide deeper insights into the subject and highlight areas for future research.

ASSESSMENT OF BIM USE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION

The construction companies have achieved different levels of BIM use and in some developed countries, it is very advanced. Traditionally, the use of BIM has been evaluated by maturity models; however, it does not provide an integral evaluation of BIM use. BIM Use Assessment (BUA) was proposed as a tool to satisfy this need, it is based on the evaluation of several states that compose necessary characteristics to perform each BIM use successfully. BUA was applied to measure projects that have BIM advanced use in Colombia, Chile, and Spain. However, there is none an integral evaluation in the early stages of BIM use. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the incipient BIM use. Accordingly, 23 private Ecuadorian projects, were evaluated using BUA. As expected, the analyzed projects have lower levels than the other projects evaluated by BUA. The high percentage of projects were at the levels that require the appropriate use of 3D models, and the collaboration issues were common deficiencies. This research results could be used in the development of strategies to reduce mistakes; thus, leading to an agile BIM implementation.

The change process to agile public relations

Despite agility’s increased importance for public relations, the change process from traditional, hierarchically structured public relations to a dynamic agile entity has not yet been comprehensively investigated. This article tackles the research desideratum by discussing this change process from a structuration-theoretical perspective. The subsequent empirical analyses via two qualitative studies from the field of corporate communications focus on the perspective of consultants. These experts support the communication management in this change process with their expertise and neutrality, which the public relations departments themselves lack. Thus, consultants are key contacts for an explorative analysis of the change process toward more agility. In the first study, 39 consultants were interviewed about the change processes that they have guided in order to transform public relations into an agile department. The subsequent case study focuses on an internationally active medical technology manufacturer and analyzes their experience with consulting throughout the agile change process in their public relations department. The results show that the concept of recursiveness is central to the successful implementation of agility in public relations. Expressed in the language of structuration theory, consultants aim to develop rules and resources as modalities that describe an agile structure and then translate them directly into actions. These modalities are continuously developed via sprints, a dynamic process that results in the constant adaptation of the agile structures until the desired result is achieved. The results illustrate the advantages of a neutral, outside authority for the implementation of such a change process.

Managing non‐functional requirements in agile software development

Non-functional requirements define qualities of the software system that ensure effectiveness while embedding any constraints and restrictions on the design. A challenge rises with agile implementation in handling non-function requirements in regulated environments. Thus, a practitioner's perceptions of agile method tailoring are described in relation to inter-team boundaries and non-functional requirements. The research comprises 18 practitioner interviews from two multinational agile software development companies. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using an approach informed by grounded theory and information flow models were used to compare and contrast interactions of processes. It was discovered that one of the case study companies managed non-functional requirements as artefacts in their agile methodology, while the other company reverts to conventional plan-based software development practices of documentation, timeline estimations, and safety critical requirements. This research creates a detailed comparison of these contrasting approaches. The main contribution of this study is a set of proposed recommendations to deal with non-functional requirements in a regulated environment using agile techniques. The introduction of two new artefacts, Documentation Work Item and Safety Critical Work Item, is recommended and it is accompanied with an illustrative example, to transform the handling of documentation and safety critical requirements in a more agile way.

Agile, waterfall and iterative approach in information technology projects

The aim of this paper is to analyse the Agile methods implementation capability within software projects as a more viable alternative to the waterfall model and determine the key factors that guarantee the continuous delivery of software to market at the right and agreed quality level. Two Agile implementation methods were considered: Scrum and Kanban, which were evaluated based on factors like predictability, practicability and complexity. The conclusions show the selected methodologies advantages and disadvantages, and project key attributes can be used to choose the suitable methodology for a project. Regarding the Agile implementation methods, the most straightforward and predictable one was proven to be Scrum. This framework supports frequent delivery of software products that can address complex problems and adapt to the rapid market changes.

Agile Supply Chain in Manufacturing and Service Industry: Bibliometric and Content Analysis

The agile supply chain is focused on speed, responsiveness, cost efficiency, flexibility and an increase in the productivity of goods and services. Since agile companies offer higher service levels with lower inventories, this field is receiving increasing attention over the last two decades in the manufacturing and service industry. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the literature on the agile supply chains in the manufacturing and service industry. It maps previous research in this field, across a gamut of journals, organizations and countries. The analysis demonstrates the evolution of agile supply chain research in the last few decades by employing various methodologies. Highly influential authors, organizations and keywords were analysed with the help of the multiple visualization tools. Important publications, citations and co-citation network clusters were formed. This article would be helpful for researchers and practitioners exploring or interested in this seeking research guidance. Future research could focus on the relationship between agile capabilities and the financial performance of the organizations. Researchers can focus on conducting the in-depth market research on agile implementation in construction management, aerospace and pharmaceutical industry.

A Three-Pronged View on Organizational Agility

The ability of organizations to sense and respond to changes—defined as organizational agility—is considered by senior executives among their top information technology (IT) concerns as an important ability for organizations on their quest toward sustained competitive advantage. However, every transformation toward agility also comes at a cost, requiring resource commitment and IT landscape changes. We present examples of successful and unsuccessful attempts at achieving agility while leveraging IT. Our presented cases focus on information systems development agility, customer agility, and entrepreneurial agility. Our findings suggest that agility is neither achieved easily, nor is a guarantor for success. Depending on the context and implementation of organizational agility, however, it can significantly improve process and product performance. We develop a three-pronged view consisting of a functional, temporal, and ambidextrous view to resolve these challenges. We end with three recommendations for practitioners that seek to shape their organization's journey toward agility.

Bugs in the Bed: Addressing the Contradictions of Embedded Science with Agile Implementation Research.

Implementation research often fails to have its intended impact on what programs actually do. Embedding research within target organizational systems represents an effective response to this problem. However, contradictions associated with the approach often prevent its application. We present case studies of the application of embedded implementation research in Bangladesh, Ghana, and Tanzania where initiatives to strengthen community-based health systems were conducted using the embedded science model. In 2 of the cases, implementation research standards that are typically embraced without question were abandoned to ensure pursuit of embedded science. In the third example, statistical rigor was sustained, but this feature of the design was inconsistent with embedded science. In general, rigorous statistical designs employ units of observation that are inconsistent with organizational units that managers can control. Structural contradictions impede host institution ownership of research processes and utilization of results. Moreover, principles of scientific protocol leadership are inconsistent with managerial leadership. These and other embedded implementation science attributes are reviewed together with contradictions that challenged their pursuit in each case. Based on strategies that were effectively applied to offsetting challenges, a process of merging research with management is proposed that is derived from computer science. Known as "agile science," this paradigm combines scientific rigor with management decision making. This agile embedded research approach is designed to sustain scientific rigor while optimizing the integration of learning into managerial decision making.

Green–agile practices as drivers for patient satisfaction – An empirical study

ABSTRACT Healthcare sector is emerging as a very dynamic and competitive sector where the service providers are in constant pursuit to differentiate and distinguish themselves from each other. Green and agile practices have been gaining importance over the years as an important aspect in the service sector. Although majority of the sectors were forerunners in green–agile implementation, the healthcare sector has been fast catching up, where agility and green practices show promises and lots of scope. There is a general absence of research focus involving the impact of green practices and agile practices in patient care delivery in the healthcare sector, let alone in Indian healthcare context. This paper aims at empirically investigating the antecedent consequence relationships between green and agile practices on patient satisfaction and aims at empirically validating the proposed linkages. The contribution of this paper lies in understanding whether green practices and agile practices’ implementation in Indian hospitals has any implication on patient perception and their understanding of satisfaction.

A case study on performance assessment framework for Agile processes

This research investigates the implementation of Agile by an SME in the gig economy, focusing on developing an evaluation framework for performance assessment of the deployment of Agile methods. We first conceptualised and proposed a performance framework with both tangible and intangible indicators. Then, we tested the applicability of the proposed framework through an in-depth case study. The findings suggest that the implementation of Agile tools and processes have an impact on the firms' performance monitored with a set of indicators. With the implementation of Agile, the firm's performance was enhanced with an increase in the number of projects won and an increase in turnover - two key tangible indicators. The intangible indicators, engagement and knowledge management, were also improved. Despite this, there are some concerns which firm should address.

KANBAN ЯК ОРГАНІЗАЦІЙНА ОСНОВА ВИРОБНИЦТВА ТЕХНОЛОГІЧНИХ ПРОДУКТІВ

The article presents the KANBAN methodology, its practical use in the production of technological products. KANBAN is a concept of lean production, the effectiveness of which is underlined by the fact that it is increasingly being used by companies from various industries. Traditional methodologies are inferior in popularity to new practices and methods. The usage of KANBAN in the production of technological products has many advantages. This methodology provides an opportunity to conduct very specific metrics, which in turn increases the efficiency of work and cooperation. KANBAN methodology can help in improving production in today’s competitive and changing business environments, organizing teams, and meeting customer needs. The article focuses on the principles and practices of KANBAN, which help teams, achieve their goals. KANBAN is one of the tools for implementing the philosophy of lean production, which uses the visualization of work processes, which in turn provides the opportunity for continuous improvement. Nowadays, KANBAN is used not only in the automotive industry but also in the industry of informational technologies. Many companies understand the flexibility of KANBAN, which allows making the implementation of this methodology more natural. The main components of KANBAN are managing, defining, and improving services inside the companies. It should be noted that the implementation of KANBAN would be different in each company because it depends on the size of organizations and the number of processes, which they provide. The business environment is very quick-changing because of trends and markets changing, the appearance of new products. Many companies understand the risk of loss of competitiveness and try to implement agile practices as soon as possible. In fact, the interactions between the organizational structures must also be considered because there would not be the visible result from agile implementation. KANBAN help in workflow optimizations, especially the amount of active work in the backlog. This methodology has an impact on teamwork, the communication process, and the building of strong leadership.