Overview
Research investigated critical success factors (CSF) in Agile software development projects. The study aimed to identify CSF that contribute to project success as perceived by Agile practitioners. Using a positivist approach, the research employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS to analyze data and test hypotheses, focusing on relationships between constructs and project success criteria. The findings indicate that a few critical factors significantly influence Agile project success.
Research Context
Agile projects are noted to achieve higher success rates compared to traditional software development project management approaches. Despite this, the overall success rate for Agile projects is described as relatively low. A substantial percentage of these projects are categorized as either challenged or failed. This observed low success rate is attributed to a perceived lack of rigorous evaluation against critical success factors specifically for Agile projects, as well as against contemporary project success criteria.
Approach
The study adopted a positivist approach to investigate the critical success factors of Agile software development projects. The primary objective was to identify the CSF that practitioners perceive as contributing to project success. Data analysis was conducted using PLS-SEM, implemented via SmartPLS software. This statistical method was utilized to analyze the collected data and to test the formulated hypotheses. The analysis focused on identifying significant relationships between defined constructs and established project success criteria.
Findings
The research identified that a limited number of critical factors significantly contribute to Agile project success. Based on these findings, the study developed a novel model. This model is designed for the evaluation and measurement of project success within the context of Agile software development.