Sustained agile usage: a systematic literature review

Context: Agile methodologies (AM) emerged as a popular alternative to formalized methods, and have gained widespread acceptance in both the academic and industrial contexts. While most research has focused on their early stages of adoption and use, there is little evidence that agile methodologies have been effectively used beyond the adoption stage. Objective: The objective of this paper is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the various factors that impact the sustained usage of agile methods. Method: We performed a systematic literature review to identify empirical studies relating to agile usage. We followed the guidelines provided for conducting systematic literature reviews in software engineering [<u>1, 2</u>] using the following distinct stages: 1) protocol development and the search strategy, 2) exclusion process, 3) data extraction, and 4) data synthesis. Results: Our review identified nine critical factors viz., Management Support, Attitude, Motivation, Team Composition, Training, Agile Mindset, Technical Competence and Expertise, Agile Engineering Practices, and Methodology Champion. Conclusions: Our review highlights the significance of nine critical factors that impact sustained usage of AM in organizations. Our findings also indicate that the right balance and combination of various factors with an emphasis on continuous improvement will be crucial for achieving true agile sustainability in organizations.