Integrating Scrum and DevOps for Very Small Entities in South America: Design of an Implementation Guide
Manuel Alejandro Pastrana Pardo, Hugo Ordóñez, Carlos Cobos, Mirna Muñoz · Applied Sciences · 2025
This article examines the challenges very small entities (VSEs) face as defined by the ISO/IEC 29110 standard, particularly their reliance on individual expertise and insufficient adherence to established software engineering practices and international standards, which can lead to increased rework. The article proposes a guide that harmonizes the Scrum and DevOps frameworks to address these challenges and facilitate their adoption in software development processes. An evaluation of the guide by experts indicates significant progress in integrating agile practices within VSEs. The methodology involved understanding both frameworks, modeling a harmonized development process, and creating a characterization tool to assess the current state of VSEs concerning best practices. Also, the guide includes an evaluation instrument to measure the adoption of its suggestions before and after implementation. While expert evaluations confirm the guide’s clarity and practical value, they suggest minor navigation and content clarity improvements. Ultimately, the guide aims to enhance VSEs’ development efficiency and improve software quality.