Transitioning Software Development and Operations Lab to Agile – Lessons Learned
Paper Title:
Transitioning Software Development and Operations Lab to Agile - Lessons Learned
Abstract:
UMD Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory (CATT Lab) is an applied research lab employing 30 full time professional developers and project managers, as well as 60-90 students ranging across disciplines including computer science, computer and electrical engineering, GIS, digital art and entertainment, etc. The Lab is a leading big data visual analytics developer for state, local, and federal agencies to support transportation operations and planning efforts. For over a decade this functional organization followed traditional waterfall and spiral development processes. In early 2015, the CATT Lab transitioned to a cross-functional agile framework for managing all of the software projects and operations. With benefits came a lot of challenges. This presentation will outline the experienced improvements, obstacles, and lessons learned.