Measuring Productivity in Agile Software Development Process: A Scoping Study Syed Muhammad Ali Shah Efi Papatheocharous Jaana Nyfjord SICS Swedish ICT AB SICS Swedish ICT AB SICS Swedish ICT AB
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT In 2001, a philosophy for developing software called ‘agile software An agile software development process is often claimed to increase development’ was introduced. Agile software development is a productivity. However, productivity measurement in agile software group of software development methods, based on a collection of development is little researched. Measures are not explicitly defined iterative and incremental concepts, principles and practices [5]. The nor commonly agreed upon. In this paper, we highlight the agile agile software development manifesto [6] defines the essential productivity measures reported in literature by means of a research principles of agile methods by valuing: method called scoping study. We were able to identify 12 papers Individuals and interactions over processes and tools, reporting the productivity measures in agile software development Working software over comprehensive documentation, processes. We found that finding, understanding and putting into use Customer collaboration over contract negotiation, agile productivity definitions is not an easy task. From the Responding to change over following a plan. perspective of common roles in agile software development process and existing knowledge workers’ productivity dimensions, we also Agile comes up with a different philosophy of developing software emphasize that none of the productivity measures satisfy these fully. requiring a set of different measurement metrics and methods, e.g., We recommend that future effort should be focused on defining story points and planning poker, for measuring the complexity of agile productivity in measurable, practicable and meaningful form.