How agile is agile enough? Toward a theory of agility in software development

Abstract

This paper outlines a theory of software development agility that draws upon a model of IT innovations. We examine how both exploration and exploitation impact software development agility. We propose a sequential model of teaming in which agility is driven by exploration versus exploitation needs and development agility is influenced by learning focus. Organizations need to balance multiple conflicting goals including speed, quality, cost, risk and innovative content. The value of the model is illustrated by probing how software organizations controlled their agility in Internet computing between the years 1997 and 2003. © 2005 by International Federation for Information Processing. All rights reserved.