Agile Software Management Economic Unit Syllabus

Overview

In order to further develop the content for the Software Management (SM) course, we are iteratively creating in CSS 566 a part of the course, known as the Product. Each of the three teams is creating a Unit for Sprint 1 that is focused on a Physical aspect of SM, a Social aspect of SM, or an Economic aspect of SM. Team It’s a Secret is focusing on the Economic aspect for its Unit, as defined in this document.

Much of the economically-focused angle of this Unit is derived from the Manifesto for Agile Software Management:

“We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

• Working software over comprehensive documentation

• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

• Responding to change over following a plan

That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.” [2]

This Unit focuses on the economics aspects of Agile Software Management vs. Waterfall Software Management, as the general topic of Economics in Software Engineering is broad enough for its own course. In particular, since Agile SM is the focus of the Product and it is assumed that “Waterfall is dead” [class discussion with Professor Socha, CSS 566, Spring 2016], many of the points will be presenting advantages of Agile development over Waterfall.

Topics

• Agile Economic Principles
• Agile Economic Practices and Theories
• Agile Economic Case Studies

Unit References

1. The Benefits of Agile Software Development: https://www.versionone.com/agile-101/agile-software-development-benefits/
2. Agile Manifesto: http://www.agilemanifesto.org/
3. Agile Economics: Supply and Demand http://www.gilzilberfeld.com/2016/04/agile-economics-supply-and-demand.html
4. Agile Economics: https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/ALM-Summit/ALM-Summit-3/Agile-Economics
5. http://agileprague.com/the-economics-of-agile-software-development.htm
6. http://www.agileadvice.com/category/theoryofagile/
7. http://www.gilzilberfeld.com/2016/04/agile-economics-early-and-often.html
8. http://www.scaledagileframework.com/economic-framework/

Related Links

1. http://agility.iqbusiness.net/thought-leadership
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLeSvduRPrQ
3. http://www.pmp.net/about/mission-values/