Systematical validation of learning in agile software development environment

Abstract

This paper illustrates implications from four case studies in which Agile software development teams conducted iterative project retrospectives to improve and adapt their software development processes. It was detected that the existing techniques lack a systematic approach to iteratively validate the implementation and effectiveness of software process improvement actions with both quantitative and qualitative data. Also, the case studies revealed that the organizational level can only benefit from the learning of project teams if the knowledge and reasoning behind the process improvements is converted into such an explicit format that it can be utilized for learning in organizational level also. Thus, this paper illustrates how these deprivations were accomplished in the case projects with the support of a structured template. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.