Improving IT projects: Can agile methodologies effectively support global IT projects?

Abstract

Agile methodologies were developed to make small scale IT-projects more flexible in order to improve the project’s ability to respond and adjust to the constantly changing environment surrounding software development projects. The question investigated in this thesis is whether the agile conceptual framework can be adopted by large companies with global IT-projects as well, and if so; how can it effectively be implemented. By finding out what problems there are in IT projects in large companies, through a number of interviews and a survey with IT professionals and customers of IT projects, is the agile methodology framework discussed based around those problems. The setting is Volvo Information Technology where 10 interviews with employees and costumers of Volvo IT were conducted on the Gothenburg site. The survey was sent out to international Volvo sites with 29 respondents representing 8 Volvo companies in 6 different countries. The thesis begins with an explanation on what agile methodologies are and an overview of Volvo IT and their work practices in IT projects. The interview material and the survey are presented in themes of problem areas which are categorised based on the collected material. The discussion focuses on the problem themes and aspects of agile methodologies. The conclusion is that an agile approach is likely to be beneficial to projects in large companies though the different approach to traditional project methods is making integration into existing work practices the biggest concern. Further research is recommended into which aspects of agile practices are most desirable and during which part of the processes in large IT projects these may be most efficient. Both costumersupplier and employees on various sites and countries seem to be in agreement on where the problems arise in IT projects, no significant differences were noted in the material. The attempt with this thesis is not to bring additional work processes to the many project models that are already in use in the large matrix organisation, more so to provide material for a discussion on a new approach to work in IT projects.