Research Paper

Software Kaizen: Using Agile to Form High Perfomance Software Development Teams

Abstract

The process of teaching Software Engineering has undergone questions about the methods that have been used in training activities. Recent studies show that these methods involve traditional teaching strategies, such as presentation of theory and lectures. For this reason, students usually find in industry a different scenario than what is taught in the classroom. In parallel, other studies indicate that the emergence of agile methods in the 90s led to the formation of high performance teams with great level of knowledge in technical, business and behavioral domains. For this reason, we have proposed a training method called Software Kaizen, which provides temporary immersion of a team in a high-performance environment, based on agile methodologies. This paper presents the method and the results obtained from its application. We report on four replications of the method, with good results in learning, posture change and teamwork, some of the expected characteristics of high-performance teams.

Bernardo Estácio, Rafael
Prikladnicki, Michael Morá
Computer Science School, PUCRS
Porto Alegre, Brazil
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]

Gabriel Notari, Paulo Caroli
Thoughtworks Inc.
Porto Alegre, Brazil
[email protected],
[email protected]

Alejandro Olchik
Ionatec
Porto Alegre, Brazil
[email protected]

Agile Alliance members-only content

To read the full content, and gain access to many more valuable resources, conference discounts, and invitations to exclusive networking and learning events, please consider becoming an Agile Alliance member.

If you’re already a member, please log in now. 

Your membership enables Agile Alliance to offer a wealth of first-rate resources, present renowned international events, support global community groups, and more — all geared toward helping Agile practitioners reach their full potential and deliver innovative, Agile solutions.

Got feedback? Join the conversation!

Additional Agile Research Papers

In Agile software development, key artifacts used to support the process are the User Story (usually recorded on a Storycard) and Story Cardwall (usually a dedicated portion of a wall). These low-fidelity tools work together to help teams stay focuse…
With the popularization of Agile methods for developing and managing software projects, many organizations have been using visual management tools for planning, executing and evaluating their activities. These visual management tools range from simpl…

Discover the many benefits of membership

Your membership enables Agile Alliance to offer a wealth of first-rate resources, present renowned international events, support global community groups, and more — all geared toward helping Agile practitioners reach their full potential and deliver innovative, Agile solutions.

IMPORTANT: We have transitioned to a new membership platform. If you have not already done so, you will need to set up an account on the new platform to establish your user profile.

When you see the login screen, choose “Set up Account” and follow the prompts to create your new account. You can choose to log in using your social credentials for either Google or Linkedin (recommended), or you can set up your account using an email address.

Not yet a member? Sign up now