Evaluating Agile and Lean Software Development Methods from a System Dynamics Perspective

Agile and Lean software development methods were conceptualized in response to the demands for greater flexibility and shorter lead times in the software industry. While successful to some extent, a significant number of cases have been documented where the methods failed to generate lasting improvement, or resulted in problems of a different nature. Based on Lean case studies, the cause of failure is likely the lack of a holistic view of the context of software development prior to applying either Agile or Lean methods. The current study applies the system dynamics framework in generating this perspective. This allowed for the software development process to be mapped as a collection of feedback loops. From doing so, it was found that developers tended to neglect key support activities under backlog pressure, which made the actual development processes less efficient. Based on the system structure, it is recommended that the causal relationship between the support activities and actual development be made explicit. This would serve as a feedback mechanism to reinforce practice of the support activities.