Adapting to Changes in a Project's DNA: A Descriptive Case Study on the Effects of Transforming Agile Single-Site to Distributed Software Development

We present a 15-month descriptive case study on a real-world Scrum process transformation from a single-site to a distributed development environment in a medium-sized software development organization in Austria. The study describes what effects the scaling to a distributed development had on several key process indicators in one of the organization´s major projects. An action research approach has been selected to generate results from an in-depth and first-hand research setting. To increase objectivity and separation of concerns, a two-cycle approach, practitioner-oriented and research-oriented, has been established that aligns with sprint iterations. Many possible adaptations to the Scrum process have been tested over the course of the study. Key findings include that constant customer shipments after each sprint were a turning point in supporting the process of integrating the different sites in the distributed development environment and that the retrospective was an invaluable tool to keep frustration levels low in an ever-changing process environment.