A Metrics Model to Measure the Impact of an Agile Transformation in Large Software Development Organizations

Abstract

Abstract. As the adoption of agile and lean methods continues to grow, measuring the effects of such a transformation can be valuable but challenging due to the many variables influencing the outcome of a software project. In this paper we present a metrics model developed for measuring the effects of an agile and lean transformation on software development organizations. The model was developed iteratively in cooperation with industry partners within the Cloud Software Finland research project. The resulting metrics model is applicable to projects of any size, complexity and scope, using metrics that support agile and lean values. The model can be used to measure both past and ongoing projects, regardless of whether the process model used is plan driven or agile. In order to evaluate the metrics model, the proposed model has been piloted in an industry setting.

Assessing the adoption level of scaled agile development: a maturity model for Scaled Agile Framework

“…The literature also reports on the metric models to help measure the impact of agile transformations in large organizations . For instance, customer service request turnaround time and cycle‐time for feature metrics are proposed to measure responsiveness and lead‐time.…”

Metrics in Large-Scale Agile Software Development: A Multivocal Literature Review

“…Considering the small number of academic papers (14) it can be inferred that while the interest in agile software development is growing, the community likely still lacks comprehensive knowledge and understanding of this context, given the limited number of studies. Regarding the variety of research types, experience reports predominate [Brown 2011, Greening 2010, Greening 2015, Razzak et al 2017, Stettina and Schoemaker 2018, Tabib 2013, Tripathi et al 2015, followed by solution proposals [Heidenberg et al 2013, Staron et al 2012, Staron et al 2013, Thawaba et al 2020, with 7 and 4 occurrences, respectively. Only 2 validation studies Amount of time a particular service has been down [Grimaldi et al 2016, Tessarolo et al 2022] and 1 philosophical study [Laanti 2014] were recorded.…”

“…In this MLR, among the academic studies, there are reports from large organizations that scaled Scrum to scale beyond software development teams, promoting agile thinking throughout the organization [Greening 2010], as well as to development teams working together [Brown 2011, Greening 2015, or situated in different geographical locations [Tabib 2013, Tessarolo et al 2022], using metrics to address challenges and promote improvements. Purely agile management was referenced in the research in studies that addressed measurements more focused on aspects of organizational transformations [Heidenberg et al 2013], improvement of workflow control [Staron et al 2013], and organization performance goals [Staron et al 2012]. The SAFe framework appears in research with proposals to enrich its native metrics to meet demands for speed in deliveries by measuring resources and costs in the process [Grimaldi et al 2016] and improving confidence in developing critical security systems [Thawaba et al 2020].…”

Software Metrics in Agile Software Development: A Review Report

“…[18] conducted an empirical study on eight objectoriented systems and analyzed the distribution of software metrics in Agile and plan-driven methodologies. [19] presents a Metrics model to measure the impact of an Agile transformation in large software development organizations. [20] also conducted an empirical study to assess the impact of software metrics in Agile projects.…”