Agile Development at Scale: The Next Frontier

Agile methods have transformed the way software is developed, emphasizing active end-user involvement, tolerance to change, and evolutionary delivery of products. The first special issue on agile development described the methods as focusing on feedback and change.¹ These methods have led to major changes in how software is developed. Scrum is now the most common framework for development in most countries, and other methods such as extreme programming (XP), elements of lean software development, and Kanban are widely used. What started as a bottom-up movement among software practitioners and consultants has been taken up by major international consulting companies who prescribe agile development, particularly for contexts where learning and innovation are key. Agile development methods have attracted interest primarily in software engineering^{1, 2} but also in a number of other disciplines including information systems³ and project management.⁴