Improving the interface between business and product development using agile practices and the cycles of control framework

Abstract

We describe how we created and adopted an agile product development process in a small software company based on the cycles of control framework by combining selected agile practices and principles from the scrum and XP methodologies. Describing the development process using the framework helped in identifying the crucial control points between business and development and enabled defining practical and well-functioning connections between them. The control points enable visibility and flexible management of product development status and direction. Currently business understands development status better, which has led to fewer interruptions between the control points, and thus improved working conditions for development. Positive experiences are reported of newly adopted practices such as scrum meetings, pair programming, and unit testing. However, finding and adopting technical tools to facilitate the process proved to be challenging.