Agile Management for Software Engineering: Applying the Theory of Constraints for Business Results

Introduction

“Poor management can increase software costs more rapidly than any other factor.”

Barry Boehmⁱ

ⁱ [Boehm 1981] Software Engineering Economics

Why Agile Management?

As Barry Boehm points out, bad management costs money [1981]. These days it also costs jobs. Senior executives, perplexed by the spiraling costs of software development and depressed by poor results, poor quality, poor service, and lack of transparency are simply shrugging their shoulders and saying, “if the only way this can be done is badly, then let me do it badly at a fraction of the cost.” The result is a switch to offshore development and layoffs. With the state of the economy in 2003, what was a trickle has become a positive trend. If the trend isn't to become ...