Technical debt is not just technical: An industrial case study in large agile software development

Abstract

Software organizations of all sizes are affected by the Technical debt phenomenon. Large organizations, however, are more prone to their non-technical aspects due to a large number of teams of different sizes, heterogeneity of expertise, and the need for continuous management and communication. This is even more emphasized in large agile software development contexts due to a focus on personal interactions and team collaboration, which consequently poses a challenge due to a significant increase in communication pathways. The goal of this study is to investigate non-technical aspects of technical debt in the context of large-scale agile software development. To achieve this objective, a case study involving four international companies was conducted. During the study, 24 experts were interviewed, and their responses were analyzed using a qualitative research approach. The analysis resulted in five non-technical aspects, which are: social dynamics, process, people, documentation, and requirements aspects, and their indicators, which are specific in a large-scale agile context. The study findings suggest that lack of communication, collaboration, and cooperation are the key contributors to identified debt aspects, technical debt accumulation through these non-technical aspects, and that many of the causes stem from a culture of not developing rules, protocols, or guidelines.