A study of the use of agile methods within Intel

Abstract

This study investzgated the use of the agile methods, eXtremeprogramming (XP) and Scrum, at the Intel Network Processor Diwsion engineering team based in Shannon, Ireland over a three-yearperiod The study is noteworthy as it is bnsecl on real indzrstrial sofnvare projects involving experienced software engineers, with continuous reflectior~ and monitoring of the application ofthese approaches. It provides evidence that agile methods are farfiom anti method; mthei: they require disciplined application and carefill customization to thepai?lcular needs ofthe development context. The study also shorvs holr, XP and Scrum can complement each other to provide a comprehensive agile developn7ent method, with XP providing support for technical aspects and Scrum providing support for project planning and tracking. The manner in which XP and Scrum have been customized to suit the needs of the development environment at Intel Shannon is described, as are the lessons learned. The XP practices that Mlere applied did lead to signijkant benefits, with pair-programming leading to reductions in code defect density of a factor of seven, and one project actuallj~a chieving zero defect densit), However, some observed limitations ofpair-programming are described. Intel Shanno~al lsofound that not allXPpractices were applicable in their context. Thzu, the study suggests that, contrary to suggestions that XP is not divisible or individually selectable, a la cnrte selection and tailoring of XPpractices can work very well. In the case ofScium, some local customizatiorz has led to a very committed adoptiorl by developers themselves, irl contrast to many development methods whose use is decreed mandatory by management. The success of Scrum is significant. Projects ofsix-month and one-year duration have been delivered ahead of schedule, which bodes well for ji1tur.e abilitj~ to accurately plan developnlent projects, a black art in sojhare develojment up to now.