Abstract
Existing scientific literature highlights the importance of metrics in Agile Software Development (ASD). Still, empirical investigation into metrics in ASD is scarce, particularly in identifying the rationale and the operational challenges associated with metrics. Under the Q-Rapids project (Horizon 2020), we conducted a multiple case study at four Agile companies, using the Goal Question Metric (GQM) approach, to investigate the rationale explaining the choice of process metrics in ASD, and challenges faced in operationalizing them. Results reflect that companies are interested in assessing process aspects like velocity, testing performance, and estimation accuracy, and they prefer custom metrics for these assessments. Companies use metrics as a means to access and even capitalize on the data, erstwhile inaccessible due to technical or process constraints. However, development context of a company can hinder metrics operationalization, manifesting primarily as unavailability of the data required to measure metrics. The other challenge is the uncertain potential of metrics to help derive actionable inputs to facilitate decision-making. Essentially, development context has a strong influence over a company’s choice of process metrics, rationale, and challenges to operationalize these metrics.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
- 2.
A JIRA terminology that could represent a software bug, a project task, a helpdesk ticket, etc. - https://goo.gl/vNQGJE.
References
Gopal, A., Krishnan, M.S., Mukhopadhyay, T., Goldenson, D.R.: Measurement programs in software development: determinants of success. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 28, 863–876 (2002)
Briand, L.C., Morasca, S., Basili, V.R.: An operational process for goal-driven definition of measures. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 28, 1106–1125 (2002)
Tarhan, A., Yilmaz, S.G.: Systematic analyses and comparison of development performance and product quality of incremental process and agile process. Inf. Softw. Technol. 56, 477–494 (2014)
Rodríguez, P., Markkula, J., Oivo, M., Turula, K.: Survey on agile and lean usage in finnish software industry. In: Proceedings of the ACM-IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement, ESEM 2012, p. 139 (2012)
Kupiainen, E., Mäntylä, M.V., Itkonen, J.: Using metrics in agile and lean software development - a systematic literature review of industrial studies. Inf. Softw. Technol. 62, 143–163 (2015)
Tanveer, B., Guzmán, L., Engel, U.M.: Understanding and improving effort estimation in Agile software development. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Software and Systems Process, ICSSP 2016, pp. 41–50 (2016)
Tamburri, D.A., Lubsen, Z.,, Boerman, M.P., Visser, J.: Measuring and monitoring agile development status. In: Proceedings of the Sixth International Workshop on Emerging Trends in Software Metrics, pp. 54–62. IEEE Press (2015)
Franch, X., et al.: Data-driven requirements engineering in agile projects: the Q-rapids approach. In: Proceedings of the 2017 IEEE 25th International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops, REW 2017, pp. 411–414 (2017)
Martínez-Fernández, S., Jedlitschka, A., Guzmán, L., Vollmer, A.-M.: A quality model for actionable analytics in rapid software development. In: Euromicro SEAA 2018 (2018, in press)
Javdani, T., Zulzalil, H., Ghani, A.: On the current measurement practices in agile software development. Int. J. Comput. Sci. Issues 9, 127–133 (2013)
Usman, M., Mendes, E., Weidt, F., Britto, R.: Effort estimation in agile software development: a systematic literature review. In: ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, pp. 82–91 (2014)
Nguyen-Cong, D., Tran-Cao, D.: A review of effort estimation studies in agile, iterative and incremental software development. In: The 2013 RIVF International Conference on Computing & Communication Technologies - Research, Innovation, and Vision for Future (RIVF), pp. 27–30. IEEE (2013)
Radjenović, D., Heričko, M., Torkar, R., Živkovič, A.: Software fault prediction metrics: a systematic literature review. Inf. Softw. Technol. 55, 1397–1418 (2013)
Dubinsky, Y., Talby, D., Hazzan, O., Keren, A.: Agile metrics at the Israeli air force. In: Agile Development Conference (ADC 2005), pp. 12–19. IEEE Computer Society (2005)
Díaz-Ley, M., García, F., Piattini, M.: Implementing a software measurement program in small and medium enterprises: a suitable framework. IET Softw. 2, 417 (2008)
Basili, V.R.: Software modeling and measurement: the Goal/Question/Metric paradigm (1992)
Van Latum, F., Van Solingen, R., Oivo, M., Hoisi, B., Rombach, D., Ruhe, G.: Adopting GQM-based measurement in an industrial environment. IEEE Softw. 15, 78–86 (1998)
Basili, V., Heidrich, J., Lindvall, M., Münch, J., Regardie, M., Trendowicz, A.: GQM+Strategies - aligning business strategies with software measurement. In: Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement, ESEM 2007, pp. 488–490 (2007)
Runeson, P., Höst, M.: Guidelines for conducting and reporting case study research in software engineering. Empir. Softw. Eng. 14, 131–164 (2009)
Cruzes, D.S., Dyba, T.: Recommended steps for thematic synthesis in software engineering. In: 2011 International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement, pp. 275–284 (2011)
Beedle, M., et al.: Manifesto for agile software development, pp. 2–3 (2001)
Patel, C., Lycett, M., Macredie, R., De Cesare, S.: Perceptions of agility and collaboration in software development practice. In: Proceedings of the 39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2006), pp. 1–7 (2006)
Grady, R.B.: Successfully applying software metrics. Computer (Long. Beach. Calif.) 27, 18–25 (1994)
Pulford, K., Kuntzmann-Combelles, A., Shirlaw, S.: A Quantitative Approach to Software Management: The Ami Handbook. Addison-Wesley, Reading (1996)
Jones, C.: Applied Software Measurement: Global Analysis of Productivity and Quality. McGraw-Hill Education Group, New York (2008)
Hartmann, D., Dymond, R.: Appropriate agile measurement: using metrics and diagnostics to deliver business value. In: AGILE 2006, pp. 126–134 (2006)
Gregory, P., Barroca, L., Taylor, K., Salah, D., Sharp, H.: Agile challenges in practice: a thematic analysis. In: Lassenius, C., Dingsøyr, T., Paasivaara, M. (eds.) XP 2015. LNBIP, vol. 212, pp. 64–80. Springer, Cham (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18612-2_6
Layman, L., Williams, L., Cunningham, L.: Motivations and measurements in an agile case study. J. Syst. Archit. 52, 654–667 (2006)
Yang, Y., Falessi, D., Menzies, T., Hihn, J.: Actionable analytics for you. IEEE Softw. 35, 51–53 (2018)
Acknowledgment
This work is a result of the Q-Rapids Project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under grant agreement No. 732253.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Ram, P., Rodriguez, P., Oivo, M. (2018). Software Process Measurement and Related Challenges in Agile Software Development: A Multiple Case Study. In: Kuhrmann, M., et al. Product-Focused Software Process Improvement. PROFES 2018. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 11271. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03673-7_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03673-7_20
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03672-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-03673-7
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)