Cloud Enhances Agile Software Development

The software industries follow some patterns (i.e., process model to develop any software product). Agile methodology is the most famous and used process model. It is a trend to develop efficient software products with high client satisfaction. In this chapter, the authors discuss agile methodology and its components, benefits, and drawbacks while using the cloud computing in agile software development, existing frameworks for agile-cloud combination, and some security measures.

Design of an environmental management information system for the Universidad Distrital

This article presents the design, development and implementation of a software tool, serving as an alternative to the problems involving management, control and reporting of processes within the institutional plan for environmental management (known as plan institucional de gestión ambiental (PIGA) by its Spanish acronym) for the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. The software is focused on carrying out such processes to the automation setting, based on the extreme programming (XP) Agile methodology that mainly centers on the continuous development of the customer requirements to offer a more assertive tool, in line with the plan institucional de gestión ambiental in Spanish (PIGA) processes. The result is a complete satisfaction of users and a highly usable, adaptable and efficient software, inherently optimizing and automating the environmental management processes of the PIGA program. This work delivers an applet that meets the design and implementation requirements of environmental management policies. The proposed tool manages to reduce process-related times by 97%, therefore, allowing to aim efforts in other missional functions and increase the overall value offer of the organization.

Scrum Framework and Health Solutions: Management and Results

Introduction: Technology arrives aiming at bringing benefits to society, with aspects applied to health such as Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Developing a technology solution requires methodological rigor and systematic instructional design. Method: This experience report method used the Agile methodology for management and control of results in the development of Information and Communication Technologies. Results: The Agile methodology was adopted using the Scrum framework, involving people, artifacts, and ceremonies. The Scrum team was consisted of multidisciplinary professionals and undergraduate students. Artifacts are comprised of product backlog, sprints, sprint backlog, time-box, ready concept, and release burn-down. Conclusions: The adoption of the Scrum methodology helps with the integration of roles and knowledge to a project. Moreover, it efficiently helps carrying out activities by allowing careful analysis of each stage with regard to quality, technology, and implementation.

The effects of using the agile methodology as an instructional format for software development courses

The objective of traditional software development courses focuses on competencies in the programming languages and technical tools. Project methodologies and software development are typically taught as theory-driven and separate courses in Information Systems undergraduate programs. Rather than teaching project methodologies as secondary to the learning phase of software development, these methodologies can be actively incorporated into the software development course, applying the theoretical concepts in the classroom with the same tools used in the industry for product development. This research evaluates the effects of instituting the project methodology Agile as an active learning, instructional tool for a low-code software development course using the Mendix platform to give students hands-on learning of Agile while increasing their expertise in software development. The use of Agile in an instructional pedagogical approach enhanced student learning and prepared students with skills directly applicable in the industry. Future research could be applied to measure the Agile methodology as an instructional format for technical courses other than software development.

Agile Methodology and War Strategies

The history of humankind offers lots of remarkable ideas and innovations in strategy and tactics. There is no area where people have shown more inventiveness than defending themselves or attacking and conquering others. On the other hand, the Agile methodology emerged from software development, where it tried to provide support for the successful organization of delivery projects, that have to fight and conquer the complexity. This article evidences similarities between the Agile methodology and attacking and war strategies, making extended references to one of the most renowned military treaties: Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Making inter-disciplinary analogies, comparing and contrasting the concepts from different disciplines are at the core of this article. We'll investigate what things as initial estimations, attack by stratagem, tactical dispositions, energy, weak points, and strong points, maneuvering, variation in tactics, the army on the march, terrain, arriving on unknown ground, concrete situations on the ground, the use of spies, or what the attack by fire may mean in software development. We'll analyze how these war strategy concepts transpose to Agile concepts like adding business value, getting to the business goals, managing complexity, conducting the work the incremental and non-incremental way.

Adopting Agile Project Management Methods in Software Projects Involving Outsourcing

<p>With the evolvement of how software was built, how quickly the initial requirements change, how fast new technologies were appearing in tech world and evolving innovation needs of dynamic businesses, the software industry was feeling the need for a better way of managing projects. In 2002 a group of well-known software professionals got together to develop a set of industry guidelines now known as ‘The Agile Manifesto’ to help standardize this new way of managing projects which helped lay foundations to now widely used ‘The Agile Project Management methodology’. While Agile was gaining momentum, the software development world saw the rise of another way of developing software which is known as outsourcing. Outsourcing in commonly referred form involves two or more geographically dispersed teams collaborating to develop the same software. However the fusion of agile methodology with outsourcing opens up new challenges which includes cultural, geographical and time barriers. This study tries to understand how well agile works with outsourced projects using a quantitative approach. The study will also look at how factors physical distance, time and culture impact success of agile in outsourced projects using a quantitative approach. Identifying factor/factors which has the biggest impact on success of agile in outsourced project will also help identify and prioritize which principles and practices need to be fixed first. Data collected through a questionnaire was quantitatively analysed using correlation, simple and multiple regression analysis. Data was sourced from industry professionals and practitioners who had enough experience with outsourced agile projects to be able to provide insights through a questionnaire. Correlation tests, simple regression and multiple regression analysis tests between time difference, culture difference, physical distance and success of agile methodology in outsourced projects were then carried out in a bid to understand the relationship of three independent variables and the dependent variable. The study contribute towards quantitatively understanding how well agile methodology works in outsourced projects. Identifying dominant factor/factors that hinder success of agile methodology in outsourced projects also help users of agile project management to prioritize the principles that should be fixed first to better fit agile methodology in outsourced projects. Using agile methods that are based on modified principles are expected to contribute to overall success of the outsourced projects. Last but not least this study identifies further research avenues towards improved work in the related area.</p>

Adopting Agile Project Management Methods in Software Projects Involving Outsourcing

<p>With the evolvement of how software was built, how quickly the initial requirements change, how fast new technologies were appearing in tech world and evolving innovation needs of dynamic businesses, the software industry was feeling the need for a better way of managing projects. In 2002 a group of well-known software professionals got together to develop a set of industry guidelines now known as ‘The Agile Manifesto’ to help standardize this new way of managing projects which helped lay foundations to now widely used ‘The Agile Project Management methodology’. While Agile was gaining momentum, the software development world saw the rise of another way of developing software which is known as outsourcing. Outsourcing in commonly referred form involves two or more geographically dispersed teams collaborating to develop the same software. However the fusion of agile methodology with outsourcing opens up new challenges which includes cultural, geographical and time barriers. This study tries to understand how well agile works with outsourced projects using a quantitative approach. The study will also look at how factors physical distance, time and culture impact success of agile in outsourced projects using a quantitative approach. Identifying factor/factors which has the biggest impact on success of agile in outsourced project will also help identify and prioritize which principles and practices need to be fixed first. Data collected through a questionnaire was quantitatively analysed using correlation, simple and multiple regression analysis. Data was sourced from industry professionals and practitioners who had enough experience with outsourced agile projects to be able to provide insights through a questionnaire. Correlation tests, simple regression and multiple regression analysis tests between time difference, culture difference, physical distance and success of agile methodology in outsourced projects were then carried out in a bid to understand the relationship of three independent variables and the dependent variable. The study contribute towards quantitatively understanding how well agile methodology works in outsourced projects. Identifying dominant factor/factors that hinder success of agile methodology in outsourced projects also help users of agile project management to prioritize the principles that should be fixed first to better fit agile methodology in outsourced projects. Using agile methods that are based on modified principles are expected to contribute to overall success of the outsourced projects. Last but not least this study identifies further research avenues towards improved work in the related area.</p>

A proposal of model for a quality management system in research testing laboratories

There is a broad consensus on the importance and advisability of testing laboratories adopting a Quality Management System (QMS) to support their work, no matter they are industrial or research oriented. However, laboratories involved in R&D have specific difficulties to implement a QMS due to the peculiar nature of their activity. This paper analyzes the main challenges and difficulties found by professionals when implementing a QMS in a research testing laboratory, based on the literature review and a questionnaire with 86 laboratories participating performed in collaboration with RedLab (Red de Laboratorios de la Comunidad de Madrid). After this analysis, a set of requirements for the competence of research testing laboratories based on ISO/IEC 17025 and UNE 166002 is defined, and an agile methodology for the fulfilment of these requirements is proposed.