Enhanced Software Product Development Performance through Agile/Stage-Gate Hybrids

Abstract

Software product development at manufacturing companies is increasingly complex. Linear product development processes, including the traditional Stage-Gate process, cannot support the iterative cycles and external collaboration that characterize today’s product development efforts. Hybrid processes combining elements of Agile and Stage-Gate models offer a more flexible alternative to conventional systems. A comparative case study of seven technology-intensive companies shows how combining Stage-Gate models, at the strategic level, with the Agile method Scrum, implemented at the execution level, can offer performance improvements and other advantages over even improved Stage-Gate processes. The key contribution of this study is a generic Agile/Stage-Gate hybrid process based on best practices as identified in the case companies.