| dc.description.abstract | Agile software development methods have gained significant popularity and recognition in the software industry due to their iterative and collaborative approach. These methods prioritize flexibility, adaptability, and customer collaboration to deliver high-quality software products for their customer. By embracing the principles of agility, development teams can respond to changing requirements, improve communication, and foster innovation throughout the software development lifecycle.
Previous literature has shown that agile software development methods can be applied under several different circumstances and way beyond the small, co-located single team which it was initially made for. However, the literature on agile software development methods in regulated environments is sparse but shows some fundamental challenges of applying agile software development methods in regulated environments.
Regulations in the financial sector play a crucial role in ensuring the stability, integrity, and transparency of financial markets and their institutions. Governments and regulatory bodies implement laws and regulations to safeguard investor interests, prevent financial fraud, and promote fair and efficient practices. Compliance is not only a legal requirement but also a critical aspect of maintaining trust and confidence in the financial system among the population. Financial institutions face the challenge of navigating complex regulatory landscapes while keeping their systems compliant.
This study presents a historical explanatory case study of a large inter-company software development project in the financial industry. The project was evoked by a regulatory change, and the thesis focuses on the challenges of being agile in a regulated environment and how the challenges were mitigated. In this study, we identified several mechanisms associated with either mitigating or heightening the challenge of being agile in a regulated evoked project. We also identified agile practices used in the project by using a predefined framework. In the analysis, the mechanisms identified were categorized into challenge categories found in the existing literature and new challenge categories discovered in this study. The findings lead to six propositions on how to be agile in a regulated environment, which has implications for theory and practice. | |
