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The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of Phase 1 of the research and to identify Australian agile software development organizations having such coexistence of agile and software configuration management (SCM) practices. This study employed “organization size” variable to study the phenomenon and used theory of Lean Thinking as a lens to analyse implementation variations of agile and SCM practices.

For this study, the research design was comprised of three phases. In Phase 1, a quantitative study using an online survey was performed to answer RQ using various statistical techniques. In Phase 2, an initial conceptual model based on a literature review was developed, and then a qualitative study was performed using one longitudinal case study. In Phase 3, another online survey was performed using various parametric statistical techniques to validate and generalize the findings of Phase 1 and 2 and the proposed SLAM traceability model. The scope of this paper is to discuss only Phase 1 and its associated findings.

The results of the analysis indicated that organizations, regardless of their size, frequently use agile practices for their software development operations. On the other hand, larger organizations use SCM practices comparatively more than medium and small organizations. However, traces of customized SCM process were found in most of the respondent (large, medium, and small) organizations, which indicates the coexistence of agile and SCM practices.

As there is no known listing or database available for such specialized criteria, a non-probabilistic sampling method was used, in the sense that the selection of members of the sample was arbitrary and subjective instead of a non-random selection from the pool of all agile practitioners in the field.

By using the quantitative method approach, this study aims to generate empirical evidence to contribute to the body of knowledge in the relevant areas. On the practical side, this research can also provide support to IT businesses in general, and software development organizations in particular, with the streamlining of the internal operational environment for the facilitation of an adaptable process and the resulting coexistence of value-added agile and SCM practices.

Software process improvement (SPI) is a knowledge activity that is critical to the excellence of information system development. This study observes two knowledge gaps in the quest for SPI success and proposes a research model that integrates existing knowledge antecedents to address these gaps. Based on organizational learning theory and the dynamic capability view, the proposed model consolidates a firm's absorptive capacity (AC), learning ability in terms of exploration and exploitation and knowledge sharing (KS), and it examines the contextual relationships among these knowledge antecedents on the path to SPI success.

A quantitative research design is implemented to examine the model with a sample of 138 SPI-certified organizations in Taiwan and Mainland China. The partial least squares (PLS) technique is used for the data analysis.

The results reveal the following findings. First, AC triggers the effect of exploration/exploitation on SPI success. Second, KS fosters exploitation but has an insignificant influence on exploration. Third, KS can promote AC, and it serves as the sourcing mechanism for all of the knowledge antecedents. Overall, an integrative set of knowledge learning routes is presented in guiding software firms on the way to SPI success.

In addition to identification of the two knowledge gaps, this study advances the authors’ understanding by comprehending the causal associations of the four knowledge antecedents on the way to SPI success.

Most of the studies carried out on human factor in software development concentrate primarily on personality traits. However, soft skills which largely help in determining personality traits have been given comparatively little attention by researchers. The purpose of this paper is to find out whether employers' soft skills requirements, as advertised in job postings, within different roles of software development, are similar across different cultures.

The authors review the literature relating to soft skills before describing a study based on 500 job advertisements posted on well‐known recruitment sites from a range of geographical locations, including North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The study makes use of nine defined soft skills to assess the level of demand for each of these skills related to individual job roles within the software industry.

It was found that in the cases of designer, programmer and tester, substantial similarity exists for the requirements of soft skills, whereas only in the case of system analyst is dissimilarity present across different cultures. It was concluded that cultural difference does not have a major impact on the choice of soft skills requirements in hiring new employee in the case of the software development profession.

Specific studies concerning soft skills and software development have been sporadic and often incidental, which highlights the originality of this work. Moreover, no concrete work has been reported in the area of soft skills and their demand as a part of job requirement sets in diverse cultures, which increases the value of this paper.

This study proposes targeted modernization of the Department of Defense (DoD's) Joint Forces Ammunition Logistics information system by implementing the optimized innovative information technology open architecture design and integrating Radio Frequency Identification Device data technologies and real-time optimization and control mechanisms as the critical technology components of the solution. The innovative information technology, which pursues the focused logistics, will be deployed in 36 months at the estimated cost of $568 million in constant dollars. We estimate that the Systems, Applications, Products (SAP)-based enterprise integration solution that the Army currently pursues will cost another $1.5 billion through the year 2014; however, it is unlikely to deliver the intended technical capabilities.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how digital and physical product development can be successfully coordinated and which new product development and contextual practices are suitable for the combined digital-physical product development process.

The paper is based on a multiple-case study within one company with three digital-physical product development projects as the units of analysis. The data collection and analysis are guided by an existing research model. The case study is used deductively to illustrate the model.

When combining digital and physical development processes, one or both need to change. This may lead to sub-optimization of one or both of the processes but optimizes the combined digital-physical process. Various development and coordination practices as well as contextual measures must be put into place to improve fit to the digital-physical process characteristics and mixed materiality.

The paper illustrates the research model with case evidence and suggests tentative theory in the form of propositions. Further research needs to explore the impact of the practices and contextual measures proposed.

This research proposes a range of conditions facilitating the successful development of digital-physical products.

This paper is among the first to empirically explore the complex process of digital-physical product development. Taking a process perspective and focusing on organizational and managerial practices and the influence of context, organization theory is used as the theoretical lens.

The main issue in the mass customization of apparel products is how to efficiently produce products of various sizes. A parametric pattern-making system is one of the notable ways to rectify this issue, but there is a lack of information on the parametric design itself and its application to the apparel industry. This study compares and analyzes three types of parametric clothing pattern CAD (P-CAD) software currently in use to identify the characteristics of each, and suggest a basic guideline for efficient and adaptable P-CAD software in the apparel industry.

This study compared three different types of P-CAD software with different characteristics: SuperALPHA: PLUS(as known as YUKA), GRAFIS and Seamly2D. The authors analyzed the types and management methodologies of each software, according to the three essential components that refer to previous studies about parametric design systems: entities, constraints and parameters.

The results demonstrated the advantages and disadvantages of methodology in terms of three essential components of each software. Based on the results, the authors proposed five strategies for P-CAD development that can be applied to the mass customization of clothing.

This study is meaningful in that it consolidates and organizes information about P-CAD software that has previously been scattered. The framework used in this study has an academic value suggesting guidelines to analyze P-CAD systems.

This paper aims to address the use of modelling and simulation tools to enhance intangible process assets management by simulating and automating their characterization depending on their quality and impact on an organizational business goal.

The authors conducted a study comparing two simulation-based approaches to characterize intangible assets: system dynamics and agent-based simulation.

Strategic business studies have not yet considered the use of simulation techniques to characterize the intangible assets at length. The proposed solution introduces significant improvements for strategic data visualization, providing company stakeholders with a practical and helpful prism through which to view an easily adaptable, cheap and meaningful source of information about their company’s process assets, and their behaviour based on operation indicators.

This research offers decision-makers in knowledge-intensive organizations alternatives for effective strategic decision-making and for leveraging prospective views based on the specification of the organization’s knowledge. To do this, stakeholders will be able to use very promising low-cost simulation-based tools to create practical scenarios and potential situations that generate inputs for debate and decision-making by senior and middle management.

This paper reports an unprecedented comparative study of system dynamics and agent-based simulation to speed-up the characterization of the intangible process assets based on their quality and impact on strategic goals. It stresses the benefits and implications of the use of these techniques for better strategic management.

This study aims to examine the enablers of productivity of enterprise-level Agile development process using modified total interpretative structural modeling (TISM). The two main objectives of the current study are to determine the variables influencing enterprise-level agile development productivity and to develop modified TISM for the corresponding components.

To identify enablers of the productivity of enterprise-level agile software development process a literature review and opinions of domain experts were collected. A hierarchical relationship among variables that show direct and indirect influence is created using the modified TISM (M-TISM) technique with Cross Impact Matrix-Multiplication Applied to Classification analysis. This study examined and analyzed the relationships between the determinants within the enterprise using a M-TISM technique.

With the literature review, the study could identify ten enabling factors of the productivity of Agile development process at the enterprise level. Results depict that program increment (PI) planning and scalable backlog management, continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), agile release trains (ART), agile work culture, delivery excellence, lean and DevOps practices, value stream mapping (VMS), team skills and expertise, collaborative culture, agile coaching, customer engagement have an impact on the productivity of enterprise-level Agile development process. The results show that team collaboration, agile ways of working and customer engagement have a greater impact on productivity improvement for enterprise-level Agile development process.

The developed model is useful for organizations employing scaled Agile development processes in software development. This study provides a recommended listing of key enablers, that may enable productivity improvements in the Agile development process at the enterprise level. Strategists should focus on team collaboration and Agile project management. This study offers a modified TISM model to academicians to help them understand the effects of numerous variables on maintaining the productivity of an enterprise-level Agile. The identified characteristics and their hierarchical structure can help project managers during the execution of Agile projects at the enterprise level, more effectively, increasing their success and productivity.

The study addresses the gap in the literature by interpretative relationships between the identified enabling factors. The model validation is carried out by a panel of nine experts from several information technology organizations deploying Agile software development at the enterprise level. This unique method broadens the knowledge base in Agile software development at scale and provides project managers and practitioners with a practical foundation.

The conceptual and modularization of project management maturity models is based on the principle of process control. This research was designed to challenge these boundaries to reveal non-process factors. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A multimethod research design was used with a “qual⇒Qual” sequence. This is a development in MM design theory, with its reliance on an initial qualitative stage that, despite being first, is insufficient to collecting sufficient data to answer the research question. A second stage, involving a more dominant qualitative, is necessary.

Multiple non-process factors are attributed to a mature project management capability responsible for undefined projects. They include “human factors” such as trust, attitude, motivation and attitude, along with increased customer involvement and a more adaptable organizational environment.

The challenge put forward in this research was for project management maturity theorists to recognize the possibility of finding maturity in a project management capability responsible for undefined projects. This challenge has been met. The focus can now turn to other environments where other project types (undefined or not) are also being managed using processes (and/or practices) that are not necessarily definable, repeatable, predictable and unique to that setting.

An adaptable model has been created that contains multiple factors that can be used in their current relationships or changed to accommodate multiple project and project management scenarios. Further work will create weights for each factor that will further specify the relative value of each, thereby enhancing the adaptable nature of the model.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.