Abstract:
The custom developments of software to satisfy on-going and emerging
organizational needs are typically recognized as a vital factor for the success and
sustainability of modem enterprises. The dynamic changes that modem businesses
face create an immense pressure on them to find solutions. They have to rely on
modem technological and custom-built software based solutions that are developed
rapidly and delivered to exacting customer requirements.
The traditional development methodologies used by software companies are no
longer suitable to manage these volatile requirements of client organizations. This is
since both business requirements and business environments undergo rapid and
unexpected changes. In this context, the software development approach termed as
Agile Methodology has introduced many advantages to modem software builders.
The ability of agile methods to accommodate changes in volatile and ambiguous
settings is one ofthe most appreciated factors.
In the widely used approach ofin-house software development, it is common to find
both the client and the development team in an on-site setting. This could occur
because of necessity, as in-house software development demands to encourage better
communication between the development team and the customer.
This research is a comparative study of in-house software development, specifically
in the financial sector where developers may use both agile and traditional
development methodologies. The study focused on two determined factors that
motivate adoption of either agile methods or traditional methods and measured their
significance.
This research, which is based on an empirical approach, used as its survey population
software professionals working in licensed commercial banks, licensed specialized
banks and financial organizations registered with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
This research comparatively studied the project management success with
requirement engineering, customer commitment, team capabilities and management
initiatives in agile and traditional project management environments. It found that
projects in agile project management environments, in terms of explained variables
are more successful compared to traditional project management environments. To
apply agile methodologies, requirement engineering, customer commitment and
management initiatives are important. On the other hand, these factors should be in
satisfactory level to deliver projects successfully with a higher customer satisfaction.
Recommendations based on the research findings of this study could help
organizations to adopt agile project management successfully.
