The Impact of Human Factors on Software Development Processes Applying the Agile and Waterfall Methodologies: A Case Study Using Real Data
Šarun ̇e Sielskait ̇e, Diana Kalibatienė · International Journal of Computers Communications & Control · 2025
The software development process (SDP) contains many variables depending on the methodology chosen. Software development methodologies such as Agile or Waterfall can specify how and in what sequence software is developed. However, the SDP remains a hot topic among practitioners and academics, who seek to clarify the key aspects that influence the successful implementation of the SDP. As the SDP is a dynamic and knowledge-intensive business process (BP), one of its most impact components is the human factor (HF). It is difficult to predict how the HF impacts the sequence and results of SDP implementation. This paper proposes a new approach to investigate the impact of the HF on the SDP through the perspectives of different software development methodologies. The advantages and novelties of this approach include modelling HF uncertainties through their fuzzification in SDP activities, modelling different SDP methodologies using a case-handling approach, and simulating a dynamic, case-based SDP with real HF-related data collected from several IT organizations. The results show that the impact of the HF on SDP performance differs across the Waterfall and Agile methodologies. The results also allow researchers and practitioners working on software development projects to familiarize themselves with the impact of the HF on different SDPs, and to assess the degree of development risk associated with the SDP depending on the methodology chosen.