An Agile Management Model for Distributed Software Development Teams
Management Model
Agile Development
Distributed Teams
Software Development
Agile management models are prevalent in software project development, with their incremental and iterative delivery approach often establishing a closer value perspective for sponsors and Product Owners. However, in remote or hybrid work contexts, distributed teams impose managerial challenges, notably in effective communication, collaboration, progress monitoring, and ensuring product quality. Grounded in the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, this work introduces the Agile Management Model for Distributed Software Development Teams (AgiTeD), a Scrum-inspired model based on the pillars of transparency, inspection, adaptation, and quality. AgiTeD defines four roles, six events within a development cycle, and seven artifacts. The model was applied within a specific distributed working group responsible for developing eight software projects at the Federal Regional Court of the 5th Region in Brazil since 2021. AgiTeD has been evaluated through surveys with developers, Product Owners, Quality Managers, and Agile Leaders. The results of this multi-perspective evaluation highlighted that AgiTeD demonstrates clarity and a solid functional structure, providing an essential methodological framework for the distributed environment. The synergy among the roles also intensifies the model's effectiveness, emphasizing the importance of having a Product Owner integrated into the team for greater delivery effectiveness. As a practical contribution, a detailed AgiTeD Guide was developed to facilitate the adoption and dissemination of the model.