A1 Journal article (refereed)
Quality culture boosts agile transformation : Action research in a business‐to‐business software business (2023)


Saarikallio, M., & Tyrväinen, P. (2023). Quality culture boosts agile transformation : Action research in a business‐to‐business software business. Journal of Software, 35(1), Article e2504. https://doi.org/10.1002/smr.2504


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editorsSaarikallio, Matti; Tyrväinen, Pasi

Journal or seriesJournal of Software

ISSN2047-7473

eISSN2047-7481

Publication year2023

Publication date29/08/2022

Volume35

Issue number1

Article numbere2504

PublisherJohn Wiley & Sons

Publication countryUnited Kingdom

Publication languageEnglish

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1002/smr.2504

Publication open accessOpenly available

Publication channel open accessPartially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX)https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/85029


Abstract

Agile methodologies are sometimes adopted, with the assumption that benefits can be attained by only using a set of best practices, which can sometimes work to a degree. In this paper, a case is discussed where a software-producing organization of seven teams achieved significant improvements. The goal of the research was to answer two questions: how an already agile organization could improve its performance further and what is the impact of promoting quality aspects? The questions were answered by implementing interventions based on prior literature and data emerging from semi-structured interviews. The context was an established business with a complex revenue stream structure, meaning the mix of various project/service/product based work rendered the adoption of agile methods a challenge. Action research comprising three rounds of interventions was conducted to improve the organization and its quality culture while enforcing code review practices. Interventions resulted in a significant improvement in quality, as measured by reported defects. Therefore, it is suggested that agile methods are not sufficient on their own to take software business forward unless a quality-focused culture is simultaneously achieved through a mindset change and organizational structures to enforce quality practices. The paper contributes to research on the managerial practices of software business and agile transformation by providing empirical support to introducing formal quality improvement to the agile mix as a method for practitioners to improve organizations with complex business models and multiple teams.


Keywordsempirical researchagile methodsaction researchsoftware businessdevelopment (active)businessenterprises

Free keywordsagile adoption; B2B; empirical; hybrid development methods; increment planning event; mixedbusiness model; quality; revenue stream; scaled agile; team coordination


Contributing organizations


Ministry reportingYes

VIRTA submission year2023

JUFO rating1


Last updated on 2024-12-10 at 15:30