Department of Information Science

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Browsing Department of Information Science by Subject "Agile software development -- South Africa"

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    Managing knowledge in projects : the transition to agile development at Vodacom SA
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Mana, Nqaba; Maasdorp, Christiaan Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: The thesis presents a case study of a telecommunications company’s transition to agile development and the effect this had on knowledge management. The case organization underwent organizational restructuring to improve its responsiveness and competitiveness by introducing agile ways of working. The thesis proceeds from the observation that knowledge management at the organization is rooted in document management. Whilst the waterfall development method encourages extensive documentation and explicating knowledge, the focus in agile methods is more on tacit knowledge and face-to-face interactions. This means that lots of knowledge is never captured and can be lost when members retire or resign. The research comprised interviews with people involved in development projects and with selected managers that were project owners. Interviewees were asked how the transition to agile methods affected the management of knowledge, about the technological tools they used in their projects, and their perception of the support from management. The findings were that top management drove the transition to agile as part of a larger objective to become a technology company as opposed to a mere telecommunications company. As part of this journey, the organization had to adopt a new culture and restructure various departments. In terms of support, agile coaches, and courses it provided afforded staff extensive training in the new method and new knowledge management software tools. The change of culture, availability, and support of top management in taking the staff through the change management process gave them confidence and trust. The knowledge journey towards the new agile method is still a work in progress with many lessons learnt.