Agile Project Management Methodologies Research Articles

Panorama on the adoption and use of agile methods in Brazil

In the early 2000s, the Agile Manifesto was launched, over time many organizations have sought to use agile methods in projects, bringing to the discussion the issue of the scalability of these methods, considering the practical implications related to the organizational structure, culture, models governance, leadership, and shared management of projects. Brazil has stood out in the adoption and adopted the use of agile project management methodologies. In this context, this research aims to obtain an overview of the adoption and use of agile practices in Brazilian organizations, seeking to deepen the understanding of the methods, techniques and tools used in Brazil. To this end, a survey was carried out among practitioners of agile methods, resulting in 341 completed questionnaires, of which 199 were considered valid. The results indicate that agile practices have been institutionalized and become a current business practice. Regarding the adoption of agile practices in organizations, respondents reported, among other things, that perceived motivations were speed up the delivery of products, improve the ability to manage projects and better serve the clients, and increase productivity. Regarding the benefits perceived by organizations due to the adoption of agile methods, the greater ability to manage changes, shorter product delivery time, and better alignment between the project team and the clients were highlighted. When asked about the indicators used by managers to measure the success of their projects, customer satisfaction, delivery of products, and the creation of value for the business, among other, were highlighted.

Optimizing agile project management methodologies in high-tech software development

This review paper examines the challenges and limitations of traditional Agile methodologies in high-tech software development. It proposes enhancements to optimise efficiency and outcomes. Traditional Agile methodologies, such as Scrum and Kanban, have revolutionised software development practices but face scalability issues and struggle to adapt to rapid technological changes. To address these challenges, this paper proposes integrating DevOps practices, incorporating Lean principles, adopting hybrid Agile methodologies, and emphasising continuous feedback and iterative learning. These enhancements aim to streamline development processes, eliminate waste, tailor Agile practices to specific needs, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. The potential impact of these enhancements on improving efficiency and outcomes in high-tech software development projects is significant. However, further research and experimentation are needed to validate their effectiveness in real-world settings. Continuous improvement and adaptation are essential for organisations to stay competitive in the ever-evolving landscape of high-tech industries.

Research on the implementation degree of agile project management methodologies in Russian IT–companies

In the dynamic development context of the information technology sector, especially crucial for Russia at the moment, the adoption of agile project management methodologies becomes a necessary step for companies to effectively respond to changes, enhance product quality, and achieve market success while maintaining competitiveness. Therefore, the aim of this research is to assess the degree of implementation of agile project management methodologies in IT companies in Russia. The study was conducted through online surveys of practicing specialists in the field of managing innovative projects. Specialists were asked a general question about their application of agile methodologies, as well as four questions regarding specific aspects: requirements gathering, planning, communication with clients, and team communication. The article describes which aspects of agile project management methodologies are practiced by surveyed specialists. In conclusion, it is noted that employees tend to use hybrid project management approaches more frequently than pure agile methodologies. Agile principles are more commonly integrated into client communication and team communication, and less so in requirements gathering and planning.

A Model Proposal for Scaling the Productivity Increase in Agile Project Management Methodology

Project management in the software industry is the process of successfully planning, managing, and completing software development projects. Software projects can often be complex, constantly changing, and full of uncertainties, so project management is of particular importance in the software industry. There are two basic approaches to the execution of software projects. In the waterfall model, the project stages are operated in the determined order and after each stage is completed, the next stage is passed, while in the agile approach, the project is divided into small and priority parts, and the work processes are repeated at regular intervals and improvements are made depending on the feedback received. Recently, there has been a trend towards managing software projects with agile methodologies, as it provides flexibility and adaptability. However, there is no quantitative evaluation of the benefits of agile structuring both in the literature and in the sector, and this benefit is expressed with verbal expressions referring to the formation of a dynamic culture. For this reason, the productivity increase brought by the agile project approach cannot be measured and the benefit it provides cannot be scaled. In this study, a model that takes linguistic uncertainty into account is proposed to quantitatively scale the productivity increase provided by agile project structuring. The proposed model has been applied in a business where enterprise resource planning solutions have been developed and the effect of the transition from waterfall model to agile methodology on the productivity of the project has been investigated. Within the framework of the procedure proposed by the model, expert evaluations were taken in line with the determined quantitative and qualitative criteria, these criteria were listed with the fuzzy SWARA method, and the productivity increase provided by agile methodology was calculated using this information. The findings also allowed us to get an idea of the point of scaling the increase in productivity across the industry.

The nexus between success factors and adoption of Agile project management framework: A moderated perceived compatibility paradox from the Omani oil and gas industry

Recently, Agile project management has received significant academic and industry attention from due to its advantages, such as decreased costs and time, increased effectiveness, and adaptiveness towards challenging business environments. This study primarily aims to investigate the relationship between the success factors and Agile project management methodology adoption and examine the moderating effect of perceived compatibility. The technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework and technology acceptance theories (UTAUT, IDT, and TAM) were applied as the theoretical foundation of the current study. A survey questionnaire method was employed to achieve the study objectives, while quantitative primary data were gathered using a carefully designed methodological approach focusing on Omani oil and gas industry. The PLS-SEM technique and SmartPLS software were used for hypotheses testing and data analysis. Resultantly, readiness, technology utilization, organizational factors, and perceived compatibility were the significant factors that promoted Agile methodology adoption in the oil and gas industry. Perceived compatibility moderated the relationship between success factors and Agile methodology. The findings suggested that people, technology, and organizational factors facilitate the Agile methodology under the technology acceptance theories and frameworks. Relevant stakeholders should adopt the study outcomes to improve Agile methodology adoption.

PROSPECTS FOR THE USE OF AGILE METHODOLOGIES DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A ROUTE NETWORK PROJECT FOR TRANSPORT OPERATOR

The paper considers the features of Agile project management methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, and Lean manufacturing. The experience of their use in transport systems and technologies is studied. During the research, it was determined that these methodologies are often used for the organisation of freight transportation and logistics, and there is almost no information on their implementation in urban passenger transportation. The use of alternative methods for managing road transport enterprises and projects is essential as it will contribute to the effective organisation of passenger transportation and estimation of the rational fleet size, which, in turn, will improve the quality of service for passengers, reduce adverse transport monopoly effects, promote business development and create new jobs. This will allow people to access healthcare and educational services, save time and resources, and reduce travel costs. The paper proposes to combine the principles of the Scrum methodology and the cascade approach by the example of managing the project devoted to improving the route network of a public transport operator. A list of actions and processes necessary to reflect the project sprints is provided. The research results show that implementing the agile management principles will improve the quality of modelling and project development and positively influence the enterprise management culture.

An Intuitionistic Fuzzy Decision Support for Agile Project Selection Problem

In the early 1990s, organizations started to use information technology and software engineering, which encouraged the companies for employing project management methodologies to survive and then advance in competitive technologic environment. Use of project management methodologies provides efficient planning, budgeting and scheduling processes and high management quality for companies. A lot of different methodologies were developed and used to reach better ways of defining the project requirements, analyzing the problem, and implementing it in a systematic manner. In 2001, agile project management methodology came forward in response to cope with waterfall project methodology’s limitations that arise from unpredictability of technology evolution, customer requirements, and unstable business environments. In this study, intuitionistic fuzzy COPRAS method, which aims to obtain a solution relative to the ideal solution, is used to rank agile project alternatives and identify the best performing one among them. Intuitionistic fuzzy sets are used to deal with loss of information and hesitation in data that may occur in operations with fuzzy numbers. The application of the proposed intuitionistic fuzzy decision-making approach is illustrated by conducting a case study.

Optimizing inpatient bed management in a rural community-based hospital: a quality improvement initiative

BackgroundAppropriate use of available inpatient beds is an ongoing challenge for US hospitals. Historical capacity goals of 80% to 85% may no longer serve the intended purpose of maximizing the resources of space, staff, and equipment. Numerous variables affect the input, throughput, and output of a hospital. Some of these variables include patient demand, regulatory requirements, coordination of patient flow between various systems, coordination of processes such as bed management and patient transfers, and the diversity of departments (both inpatient and outpatient) in an organization.MethodsMayo Clinic Health System in the Southwest Minnesota region of the US, a community-based hospital system primarily serving patients in rural southwestern Minnesota and part of Iowa, consists of 2 postacute care and 3 critical access hospitals. Our inpatient bed usage rates had exceeded 85%, and patient transfers from the region to other hospitals in the state (including Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota) had increased. To address these quality gaps, we used a blend of Agile project management methodology, rapid Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, and a proactive approach to patient placement in the medical-surgical units as a quality improvement initiative.ResultsDuring 2 trial periods of the initiative, the main hub hospital (Mayo Clinic Health System hospital in Mankato) and other hospitals in the region increased inpatient bed usage while reducing total out-of-region transfers.ConclusionOur novel approach to proactively managing bed capacity in the hospital allowed the region’s only tertiary medical center to increase capacity for more complex and acute cases by optimizing the use of historically underused partner hospital beds.

An overview of agile project management methodologies and their impact on company performance

An overview of agile project management methodologies and their impact on company performance

Exploring the Implementation of Agile Project Management in the United States Construction Industry: Benefits, Challenges, and Success Factors

This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the implementation of agile project management methodologies in the construction industry in the United States. The research utilized a review of literature methodology to examine the benefits, challenges, and success factors associated with adopting agile practices in construction projects. By analyzing past studies and scholarly publications, a comprehensive understanding of the topic was achieved. The study highlighted several key benefits of agile project management in the construction industry. These benefits included improved adaptability to changing project requirements, increased client satisfaction through enhanced collaboration and continuous feedback, and greater project transparency and visibility. Additionally, agile methodologies were found to foster more effective risk management and improved project delivery timelines. Challenges encountered during the implementation of agile practices in the construction industry were also identified. These challenges encompassed resistance to change, inadequate stakeholder buy-in, difficulties in integrating Agile with traditional construction practices, and the need for skilled agile practitioners. Understanding these challenges can assist project managers and stakeholders in developing strategies to mitigate potential obstacles. By synthesizing the existing literature, this research provides valuable insights into the implementation of Agile project management in the United States construction industry. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the benefits, challenges, and success factors associated with agile practices, enabling construction professionals to make informed decisions and adopt effective strategies when implementing agile methodologies in their projects. Keywords: Agile project management, Implementation, Construction industry, Benefits, challenges, success factors, United States.

Practices Driving the Adoption of Agile Project Management Methodologies in the Design Stage of Building Construction Projects

The aim of this study is to identify practices that would enable building construction companies to adopt agile project management methodologies during the design stage of projects that use building information modelling (BIM) solutions in the designing process. Due to the benefits of agile project management methodologies, a considerable amount of research has been conducted regarding the adoption of this methodology for building construction projects. However, waterfall project management is still more widely used in the building construction industry than agile project management is. Several recent studies claim that firms could focus on adopting agile methodologies during the design stage of a building construction project because due to the advent of BIM software solutions, the design stage can be carried out in a manner such as a software development project. Since software development industry is experiencing a widespread adoption of agile methods, if the design stage of a building construction project can be carried out such as a software development project, then there is a possibility to drive agile adoption in the design stage. Based on this information, researchers found an architectural consultancy firm that has been using a BIM solution to adopt agile project management methodologies in the design stage. The authors carried out a systematic literature review and identified 10 possible practices that might drive the adoption of agile practices. Those practices were presented to the architectural consultancy firm to identify practices that they are using to successfully adopt agile methods. The findings suggest that maintaining a backlog, running sprints, engaging a cross-functional team, continuous integration, and iterative/incremental development of the design are practices that have enabled the firm to adopt agile methods. Practical and theoretical implications were derived from the findings, and suggestions for future research and limitations of the study are discussed in the discussion. Concluding remarks are provided in final section of the paper.

Critical incidence reporting about medical teaching.

Previous end-of-semester evaluation cycles at our medical school revealed critical incidents about medical teaching. In one instance, a lecturer had frightened students, and in another case, a learning video contained misogynist statements. However, incident information reached the office of the dean too late for appropriate measures. Critical teaching incidents can compromise students and lecturers personally and may adversely affect the medical training. Early identification and efficient resolution are required to protect personal integrity and wellbeing of all parties, to ensure teaching quality and to prevent future incidents. Although critical incident reporting systems (CIRS) are well established in healthcare systems to prevent patient harm, a personal approach of complained management is still common in the field of teaching. However, due to the large number of students and the broad range of issues that could arise, an appropriate processing appears not to be warranted. Emotional thresholds and confidentiality requirements may prevent students and lecturers to address complaints and concerns. Parties may fear social pressure, disadvantages in their studies or work, and reprisal. We set up a CIRS which was made available to students and lecturers after only 2 months of development and roll out of the associated IT project. To this end, we used an agile project management methodology based on the Scrum framework because of its simplicity, its potential of adaption and its ability to enhance team productivity.1 Development started with definition of needs regarding the CIRS, the so-called ‘product backlog’ by the ‘product owner’ represented by the Dean for medical education. Only minimum requirements of functionality were claimed for the time of launch. Subsequently, the ‘Scrum master’, in person the head of eHealth applications, called a meeting with the development team to prioritise activities and divide the project into ‘sprint cycles’ that should be completed within a two-month time-box. The development team consisted of the division head of student- and lecturer administration, the division head of quality development in medical education, and the university hospital healthcare risk manager. During the following Scrum process, frequent brief meetings were held to adjust prioritisation of tasks according to upcoming challenges and impediments and to functionalities achieved so far. CIRS for teaching was launched in due time. The CIRS application works on the learning management system of our medical school. Access is available for enrolled students and lecturers of the respective courses. Anonymity of submitters is ensured unless they agree to their identities being revealed. Incidences were categorised within a pre-defined drop-down menu. Categories included unacceptable behaviours of lecturers or students, no-show of the lecturer, poor teaching quality, irregularities during the exam, irregularities about allocation of resources, problems concerning use of digital teaching media, technical and organisational problems to enrol at the university hospital, no availability or cleanliness of course rooms, and miscellaneous. In addition, submitters can enter free text commentaries into a dialogue box. Each input will be sent immediately and directly to the responsible body and may be forwarded to the Dean for medical education depending on importance.

ПОПУЛЯРНІСТЬ МЕТОДОЛОГІЙ УПРАВЛІННЯ У СВІТОВІЙ ПРАКТИЦІ

ПОПУЛЯРНІСТЬ МЕТОДОЛОГІЙ УПРАВЛІННЯ У СВІТОВІЙ ПРАКТИЦІ

Scrum: A Systematic Literature Review

This study presents a Systematic Literature Review on an agile project management tool. The study offers a brief comparison between traditional and agile project management methodologies. Their respective concepts and characteristics are laid out to highlight and explain their main differences. The agile methods include quantitative and qualitative data, showing Scrum framework characteristics. This study highlights the importance of project management in function of its emergence as a response to problems encountered during improperly conducted projects. Furthermore, this study provides relevant information for professionals in the Industrial Engineering area and computer science. The results allowed us to conclude that Scrum is an agile framework for empirical-based project development; it was developed in the 1990s by Jeff Sutherland. It is a flexible and adaptable methodology. Scrum research peaked in 2020, and continues to be studied, mainly in the field of computer science. Finally, Brazil is well-positioned in third place for works published.

The Integration between Building Information Modelling and Scrumban. Case Study: FD3 Commercial Building in Damascus

Construction Project Management is one of the most significant processes that require meticulous organization and coordination to ensure the successful project implementation, meeting various criteria. Currently, the need for using modern technologies and methodologies became of utter necessity, in particular with the sophisticated advancements in technology and the emergence of the contemporary project management methodologies. This should be done to achieve the best results when implementing such projects Existing literature underscores the importance of Agile project management in projects. This is due to its effectiveness in achieving the project deliverables. Agile project management proved to reduce rework and provide assistance in dealing with possible changes that might have an influence on the project progress in the future. This is particularly evident in the current situation in Syria, where a company would take responsibility of the rework costs due to various unexpected uncertainties or risks, resulting in stopping the work on ongoing projects. Rework is considered of the most noticeable problems in the construction industry in Syria, and as a result, the industry is losing efficiency and effectiveness. All such hardships urged the need for more sophisticated methodologies and technologies, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), where BIM proved to be time-, quality-, and cost-effective. This study sheds the light on the application of the Scrumban methodology, the most recent Agile project management methodology, and its integration with the BIM environment in the execution phase in construction projects. This research was based on the experimental research methodology, in addition to exploring the existing literature to provide final results supported by previous experience and the application section to reach optimal recommendations to apply Scrumban in BIM-Based construction projects in Syria in the light of the current practices.

The use of traditional and agile Project Management methodologies in ICT

1. Albuquerque, F., Tones, A.S., Berssaneti, F.T. (2020). Lean product development and agile project management in the construction industry, 27(2), 135-151. Rege-Revista de Gestao. Google Scholar

Управление знаниями в проектах при использовании гибких методологий

With the introduction of agile project management methodologies, knowledge management plays an important role. This article examines the features of using knowledge management tools in companies with agile project management approach. The purpose of the work is to determine the most and least popular tools used in companies of various industry areas, the application features, as well as to make recommendations for the implementation of these tools. The work employs the methods as a survey and an interview.

The Project Win Game™: A Serious Game for Project Management Simulation

Agile project management methodology usage have grown widely in the last decade. Not all types of projects should apply agile methodologies, and the tasks that would typically be executed by a project manager are not (explicitly) addressed in agile methodologies. This paper describes The Project Win Game: a serious game for people to experience the differences in decision-making between traditional/waterfall and agile projects. The game engages an audience in complex decision-making and allows them to experience the effects of their decisions; this allows non-managers to learn project management responsibilities and translate that experience into knowledge. This paper describes the gamification of project management, the development of the game, and the lessons learned through single-player and competitive play. This paper would interest people that need to engage non-managers in management tasks and understand how a board game builds knowledge based on the experience of playing the game.

Applying a reproducible research approach to distance education

Objectives. Emerging as a response to the global threats presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the changing nature of problem-solving in the field of information technology associated with economic globalization, including possibilities of remote working, imposes new requirements on the competencies and skills of future professionals. This, in turn, requires adjustments to the higher education process. Agile project management methodologies such as Scrum, along with Infrastructure-as-Code approaches in information and telecommunication infrastructure management, and Documentation-as-Code approaches in documentation development, aim to present design, development, testing, and documentation as short cycle iterative processes to permit the rapid and transparent addition of new product value in discrete portions. Applied to the education sphere, this approach implies new knowledge and practical skills of students that can be easily and transparently measured in the process of mastering a discipline. The present paper aims to develop methods of applying modern software development techniques to training students of technical specialties.Methods. The use of reproducible research methods and agile design practices while organizing and managing practical tasks for students is proposed.Results. Contemporary tools used in software development based on Git hosting services (GitLab and GitHub) are presented alongside reproducible research paradigms in distance education using the R Markdown format by RStudio.Conclusions. In addition to increasing the involvement of students in the process of practical tasks, the proposed approach can be used to reduce the workload of teachers when checking and evaluating student working results.

Implementation of Management 3.0: its consistency and conditional factors

PurposeRapid changes in the business environment and the accelerating dynamics and increasing complexity shaping the functioning of organizations have given rise to modern concepts of people management. The Management 3.0 (M3.0) concept was developed based on agile project management concept; however, it can be implemented not only in projects, but also in the entire organization. It consists of six pillars such as: energizing people, empowering teams, aligning constraints, developing competencies, growing structure, and improving everything. The paper aims to present the relationships between the level of implementation of the above-presented pillars and such variables as the scope of use of agile project management methodologies, and project managers' (PMs) as well as HR practitioners' knowledge in this area.Design/methodology/approachMembers of PMI and IPMA representing 34 companies located in Poland took part in the research which was based on a CAWI method.FindingsResearch shows that the level of M3.0 implementation – in terms of its six pillars – is internally consistent but mostly on a “defined” level. No correlation was observed between the implementation of M3.0 and the frequency with which agile project management methodology is applied. On the other hand, there is a strong correlation between the level of PMs' knowledge and the implementation of some of the M3.0 pillars. HR specialists' knowledge in the field of M3.0 is not associated with organizational advances in the implementation of M3.0.Originality/valueAs the first research project in the area of M3.0, this study proposes practical implications as well as topics which require further empirical exploration.