In for a Penny, in for a Pound? A Lifecycle Model for Agile Teams

Abstract

Agile methods are increasingly popular – in information systems development and in general. The process of transformation, however, is not easily done, and the inherent barriers for successful trans-formation are high. To successfully transform a team or a whole organization to work in an agile manner, the threats, barriers, and the overall process have to be known. In this paper, we derive a lifecycle model of agile teams as well as threats to their success, based on interviews from six cases across a variety of industries and organizational contexts. This model further includes pathways for teams to discard agile methods if these do not fit the team’s needs. Based on this model, organizations can refine their agile transformation strategies and can keep on improving success rates of agile transformation processes.