Exploring strategies for overcoming issues of user involvement in agile software development: a systematic literature review

Abstract

The present systematic literature review (SLR) explores the challenges and strategies associated with managing users during requirement elicitation within agile software development. Drawing insights from an analysis of 24 relevant studies, this study comprehensively examines the issues that arise and the effective approaches to overcome them. The findings reveal five prominent challenges of user involvement during requirement elicitation. The most dominant issues identified are the lack of user involvement, insufficient user knowledge, and a deficit in the expertise of the Product Owner. These challenges can hinder the effective integration of user perspectives and needs into the development process. To address these challenges, the study identifies seven strategies that Product Owners can adopt to facilitate effective user involvement. These strategies include Mind Maps, User Interface Mockups, Workshops, Hybridism (combining agile and non-agile techniques), Face-to-Face Meetings, Continuous Delivery, and Training and Learning initiatives. The application of these strategies empowers Product Owners and software practitioners to enhance user involvement, improve communication, and streamline the requirement elicitation process in agile software development. The outcomes of this SLR provide valuable insights for both researchers and software practitioners, exploring the complex dynamics of user involvement in agile contexts. By recognizing these challenges and deploying effective strategies, software development teams can ensure more successful requirement elicitation processes, leading to the creation of software products that better align with user needs and expectations. This review contributes to a deeper understanding of user involvement challenges and offers actionable guidance for optimizing the requirement elicitation within agile software development paradigm.