The Adoption and Benefits of Agile Software Development Methods in Jamaica

Studies have demonstrated that most information systems projects fail due to people problems. Agile software development methods were introduced in an effort to resolve this problem. It relies on people and their creativity during system development rather than processes and the maturity of firms. Research has found that the adoption of agile methods in software development is becoming very popular. However, there is an appeal in the literature for more empirical studies of agile software development. This study examined the adoption and benefits of agile methods in Jamaican software development firms. The results showed that 53% of the firms surveyed are using agile methods, with SCRUM being the main method, and the top benefits being improved customer satisfaction, improved productivity of teams and speeding up the developmental process. The average uptake of agile methods in Jamaican firms would support the claim for a longitudinal study to track the adoption trend.