Models and Algorithms for Integrated Agile Software Planning and Scheduling

The focus of my PhD research is on software release and iteration planning to support the development coordination in agile development organizations in both co-located and distributed environments. The main contribution of the research proves the design, application and validation of an Integrated Agile Planning Approach (IAPA). My elaborated IAPA supports development coordinators to cope with the complexity and the dynamics of software development by providing conceptual models, optimization models and algorithms for semi-automatic software release and iteration planning. Industrial software development is a highly complex and dynamic process. The success of software organizations depends on the effectiveness and efficiency of development activities where development coordination takes a key role. The coordination usually faces a decision problem which aim is to de-termine which features should be delivered in the next sequence of releases. The result of this decision making is manifested by release plans. These plans give a description about which features to implement in which software systems ’ deliveries to provide maximal business value. Once the features are selected the coordination usually meets an other decision problem which goal is to find out how to realize the planned features. The outcomes of this decision making are expressed by iteration plans, which establish resource allocation to the realization tasks of features while they consider the constraints of delivery