An evidence-based and quality-aware agile software development process
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
Oulun Puhelin auditorium (L5)
Topic of the dissertation
An evidence-based and quality-aware agile software development process
Doctoral candidate
Master of Science Pertti Karhapää
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Empirical software engineering in software, systems and services
Subject of study
Information Processing Science
Opponent
Professor Michael Felderer, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany
Custos
Professor Emeritus Markku Oivo, University of Oulu
An Evidence-Based and Quality-Aware Agile Software Development Process
The results show that integrating quality-related evidence into agile software development practices throughout the entire process improves software quality, highlights quality requirements, and supports more informed decision-making. A quality- and evidence-aware agile process helps organizations produce more reliable software without compromising agility.
This dissertation develops and evaluates a quality- and evidence-aware agile software development process model that combines principles of quality management and agility. The model enables development teams to use quality metrics and other evidence-based information to support decision-making at all organizational levels. This helps teams make timely, well-grounded decisions and maintain software quality even in fast-paced, changing projects.
The research builds on the observation that agile development methods often emphasize the delivery of functional features, while software quality aspects—such as maintainability, usability, and performance—receive less attention. Neglecting these quality requirements can lead to technical debt, development bottlenecks, and reduced software reliability.
The process model was co-designed with several industrial organizations. The research combined systematic literature mapping with multiple industrial case studies to identify key challenges and requirements for managing quality in agile contexts. The process was designed and refined iteratively with practitioners and evaluated in both simulated and real-world development environments.
This dissertation develops and evaluates a quality- and evidence-aware agile software development process model that combines principles of quality management and agility. The model enables development teams to use quality metrics and other evidence-based information to support decision-making at all organizational levels. This helps teams make timely, well-grounded decisions and maintain software quality even in fast-paced, changing projects.
The research builds on the observation that agile development methods often emphasize the delivery of functional features, while software quality aspects—such as maintainability, usability, and performance—receive less attention. Neglecting these quality requirements can lead to technical debt, development bottlenecks, and reduced software reliability.
The process model was co-designed with several industrial organizations. The research combined systematic literature mapping with multiple industrial case studies to identify key challenges and requirements for managing quality in agile contexts. The process was designed and refined iteratively with practitioners and evaluated in both simulated and real-world development environments.
Created 5.11.2025 | Updated 5.11.2025