Communications of the ACM
Smarter Software Development
Victoria University researchers have collaborated with researchers from other New Zealand universities during the last four years to make software development faster and more flexible and affordable.
Many development efforts use the agile approach, which relies on self-organizing teams engaged in iterative and incremental work cycles in close collaboration with customers, but the process has not been researched until now. Studying 58 agile practitioners from 23 software firms in New Zealand, India, and the United States, Victoria researcher Rashina Hoda gained insight into how teams go about self-organizing, and has developed a process for others to follow. "There's no boss telling you the process to follow--instead the team has to take ownership," Hoda says. "It's also a high pressure environment--things are constantly changing and there are deadlines to meet."
She has identified the critical roles in a team, naming them mentor, coordinator, champion, promoter, and terminator, and a set of practices. Hoda says support from senior management within an organization is crucial, noting that projects run more smoothly when customers are actively involved.
From Victoria University of Wellington
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