Abstract
Background: Business value is a frequently debated topic in agile software development (ASD) research, yet which valuable aspects constitute this concept has not been systematically clarified, leading to a volatile conceptualization of business value in the context of ASD. In addition, the literature lacks a systematization of relationships between ASD practices and valuable aspects, causing a fragmented understanding of which practices yield which benefits. This study proposes a classification framework for the different aspects of the business value of ASD and assesses how ASD practices stimulate these valuable aspects to guide research and practice.
Method: A qualitative systematic review of 137 articles systematizes valuable aspects associated with the business value of ASD, while it also examines relationships between 22 ASD practices, separated into project management (PM) and software engineering (SE) practices, and the valuable aspects they provide.
Results: The study develops a classification framework to systematize the multidimensional ASD business value concept along 56 valuable aspects, grouped into 16 value categories, which are allocated to 5 dimensions of manifestation (product, process, team and developers, customers and financial dimension). It also highlights how ASD practices differ concerning their benefits, finding that SE practices primarily stimulate the process and the product, while PM practices aid the team and the relationship with customers.
Conclusion: This study contributes a more unified understanding of the business value of ASD, enabling research to better grasp the concept and comprehend how ASD practices contribute to the spectrum of valuable aspects. It also fulfills a prerequisite for future research efforts to investigate the realization of outcomes with ASD, while providing a research agenda to guide these efforts. For practice, the study offers new perspectives to assess ASD business value and enables a more value-targeted application of ASD with the systematization of relationships between ASD practices and valuable aspects.
Recommended Citation
Meckenstock, Jan-Niklas; Hirschlein, Nico; Schlauderer, Sebastian; and Overhage, Sven, "Unraveling Agile Software Development Business Value: A Qualitative Systematic Review of Agile Practices and Benefits" (2025). PAJAIS Preprints (Forthcoming). 52.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/pajais_preprints/52