The Effects of Virtuality on Agile Development

Abstract

In this article, we explore how agile development teams are affected by transition from physical to virtual agile teamwork. To this end, we examined three agile teams at a software company, which due to Covid-19 had to change from working in a shared office space to individual home offices. We find that virtual work affects agile development in that there are fewer interactions, more written communication, more formalized relationships, and increased use of documentation. Furthermore, we find that virtual agile teams need a different style of team management. In light of this, we discuss whether a virtual context is compatible with agile development, or whether the form of work is affected so much that it no longer can be considered agile.