QFL: Data-Driven Feedback Loop to Manage Quality in Agile Development
This addresses quality management challenges for agile software development teams, but it is incremental as it applies an existing tool to a specific case.
The research tackled the problem of poorly defined and managed quality requirements in agile software development by integrating the Q-Rapids Tool into Softeam's process, resulting in improved control over the quality requirement life-cycle and enhanced communication between teams.
Background: Quality requirements (QRs) describe desired system qualities, playing an important role in the success of software projects. In the context of agile software development (ASD), where the main objective is the fast delivery of functionalities, QRs are often ill-defined and not well addressed during the development process. Software analytics tools help to control quality though the measurement of quality-related software aspects to support decision-makers in the process of QR management. Aim: The goal of this research is to explore the benefits of integrating a concrete software analytics tool, Q-Rapids Tool, to assess software quality and support QR management processes. Method: In the context of a technology transfer project, the Softeam company has integrated Q-Rapids Tool in their development process. We conducted a series of workshops involving Softeam members working in the Modelio product development. Results: We present the Quality Feedback Loop (QFL) process to be integrated in software development processes to control the complete QR life-cycle, from elicitation to validation. As a result of the implementation of QFL in Softeam, Modelio's team members highlight the benefits of integrating a data analytics tool with their project planning tool and the fact that project managers can control the whole process making the final decisions. Conclusions: Practitioners can benefit from the integration of software analytics tools as part of their software development toolchain to control software quality. The implementation of QFL promotes quality in the organization and the integration of software analytics and project planning tools also improves the communication between teams.