Analysis of Agile Management Techniques In TCS

Introduction

Background

In today’s dynamic business marketplace, project management has become crucial to ensure the fast and effective execution of the targeted project (Thesing et al., 2021). The advancement of technologies, along with short cycles of time-to-market, and other associated factors influences the process for managing and executing a project. However, depending on the type of project and the need for its execution, the choice for project management differs. Agile management is one of the most widely used techniques in software development projects. There are different kinds of project management techniques have been used since traditional times (Layton et al., 2020). Agile project management techniques help in finding problems identifying the level of risks, and fixing them easily compared to the traditional approach for quality management in a project work. Moreover, agile project management prioritizes welcoming changes, experimenting with them, and helping to enhance the quality of the project outcomes, compared to the traditional approach of risk management.

Despite the significance of agile project management for reducing risks and improving adaptability, the use of agile project management has some drawbacks. It offers less predictability scope and documentation using the project management techniques can be inadequate. Moreover, the use of such project management has a higher dependency on customers, where the developers consistently interact with the customers to ensure an effective outcome of the project. Tata Consultancy Service is one of the recognizable names in the information technology industry, working using AI, Cloud, IoT, Data Analytics, cybersecurity and consultancy services. Therefore, the study here will evaluate how effective outcomes the agile project management techniques will provide to Tata Consultancy Services in its software development projects.

Rationale

Tata Consultancy Services is a service-based company, performing software requirement business activities for clients (KANISHGAA, 2020). The organization widely relies on the use of AI, Big Data, Cyber Security, Data analytics and other forms of software development activities. In project work, the choice of appropriate techniques for its management is crucial, as it determines the quality of the project outcomes. The use of techniques for project management has evolved since traditional times, enabling fast and better risk analysis, and resolving techniques, to improve the quality of the project. In this context, the use of agile project management techniques has an immense role in reducing risks and improving adaptability to the changes the project encounters. Therefore, it not only helps in reducing turnaround time and increasing morale but also helps in delivering new functionalities, increasing ROI, and leading the project towards continuous improvements. Furthermore, as the use of agile project management increases developers’ focus on the needs of the customers, it increases the time for project execution.

The Indian Tech giant TCS has a recognition for effective project outcomes, which satisfies customer needs. Therefore, the project will prioritize discussing how integrating agile project management can help the company in serving better by aligning business processes with the company’s values. The data collected and evaluated in the proposal will help in creating a business report for the company regarding the use of the techniques.

Initial literature review

Introduction to the concept of agile management techniques

According to Pemaj (2022), the techniques of Agile project Management, which can also be abbreviated as APM, in increasingly been used in software development projects in recent years. The use of such techniques has been reported to begin in the past two years, and the level of effective outcomes of successful projects has made companies rely on such approaches in the mainstream of many projects. With the help of the APM techniques, the software development teams can work quickly and collaboratively on different projects. The use of APM techniques makes the software development teams capable of adapting to changing requirements and reacting quickly to feedback. Therefore, the use of the APM techniques helps in increasing the flexibility of the project process.

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Arguing to the context, Morrison-Smith and Ruiz, (2020) have stated, that different software development projects require different approaches for resolving issues and achieving targeted outcomes. Therefore, the use of the agile project management in the software development project has some limitations. Since the progress of agile project management happens through several stages, it often becomes difficult to measure progress and make predictions. Undeniably, the use of agile project management techniques increases flexibility, but it also decreases the chances for effective predictions. Agile project management has widely been used in software development projects, for its efficiency in delivering services desired by customers. However, in order to do so, the team of software developers is required to interact with the customers consistently, which increases the time for project execution. On the other hand, the agile methodologies create a culture of constant iteration and delivering projects rapidly, which often leads to burnout of the team members.

Evolution of agile management techniques in software development projects

According to Gemino et al., (2021), the methodologies and practices for managing projects have evolved since the traditional times. The linear and predictable projects were immensely used in designing traditional approaches for project management. This kind of project planning practice and designing prioritized setting achievable objectives for the project, which can also be well-understood as well. Therefore, achieving optimized and efficient results based on the initial detailed plan used to be the ultimate goal of the traditional approach to project management. Moreover, the traditional approach emphasizes finalizing the project within the time, scope, and budgets set at the initial times of the project planning. However, the approach for managing projects has evolved throughout the years, with wide experiments, analysis, and implications of the successful approach. The techniques for agile project management have been used for the past two decades. Agreeing with the context, Whiteley et al., (2021) have stated that today, the agile approach to project management has been considered a mainstream approach. Even though agile project management suggests a wide range of methods, and methodologies, a common conceptual foundation can be used to unify these methods and methodologies.

The use of the techniques for agile project management has been reported to have begun since the 1990s. The methods for Dynamic Systems Development, Crystal, and Scrum were considered to be the base of the traditional approach for agile project management. As the use of agile methods led to more effective project outcomes compared to the traditional approach, industries started to use the methods increasingly in manufacturing and information system development. The increased attention to the agile project management approach led to the progress and development of different techniques for executing projects using the agile methods from the 1990s to the 2000s. However, adaptability to changes and dividing the work into distinct iterations throughout the project work has been the basic foundations for different approaches to agile project management. The inclusion of the stakeholders of the project throughout the project work both formally and informally is also the ability of such project management techniques. Therefore, from the comparison of the techniques for agile project management and traditional project management, it can be stated that agile practices result in more positive effects on several measures associated with job satisfaction. However, today agile project management has become mirror widespread, which has shown signs of improved project success.

Analysis of the software development projects of TCS

According to Anjum and Veermanju, (2022), Tata Consultancy Service is one of the leading tech giants in the Indian software development industry. It also has several branches all over the globe and is recognized for delivering quality software development work. In today’s technology-driven world, software development companies have adopted device mesh, ML, analytics, big data, and cloud computing to launch next-generation products. Therefore, by adopting SaaS models, development companies are shifting their business models from product-oriented businesses to the service-oriented business. However, in order to navigate all of these, fresh and complex competencies are required. Therefore, the software development companies in today’s era prioritize managing the existing legacy portfolios of products, which helps in creating scale and bandwidth issues during the process of launching new products. In the context of launching new software development products, the services of the Software Product Engineering of TCS help in making the process faster. TCS, prioritizes using domain expertise and the COIN™ framework, in innovative product engineering. TCS offers services in completing products and platform development, which focus on designing, developing, and finally releasing the product. Moreover, the software development projects of TCS include the management of the Legacy product portfolio, product engineering for next-generation, product integration, and models for flexible engagement.

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Critical evaluation of the advantages of agile management techniques in software development projects

According to Ciric Lalic et al., (2022), the use of the techniques of agile project management offers many benefits in software development projects compared to traditional methods. Agile project management helps developers in identifying errors at the early stages, thereby giving scope for monitoring corrections throughout the project. Therefore, integrating techniques of agile project management can help reduce the chances for arising any kind of risks. Projects in this dynamic marketplace require continuous changes to deliver improved outcomes. In this context, agile project management approaches help project managers continuously evaluate progress and adjust plans. Therefore, it can help a software development company in reducing risks for failure of the targeted project.

Critical evaluation of the drawbacks of agile management techniques in software development projects

According to Uwadi et al., (2022), agile project managers primarily work with a large amount of consumer data. Since the work of the agile team is based on condensing large amounts of data into user stories, there may not be much detail. Therefore, using agile project management might cause the software development teams of TCS to face some problems regarding lack of documentation. Software development work, using techniques of agile project management can be conducted without extensive upfront planning, if it has adequate timeline and resources. However, a lack of adequate planning might create unrealistic expectations, and often failure of the executed projects. As per TCS, (2024), Tata Consultancy Services, being a leading software development company deals with diverse work responsibilities, from procurement management services, to project management and others. Therefore, lack of adequate planning can lead to mismanagement of different projects and their disruption. Incremental delivery of the project outcomes is one of the significant efficiencies for using techniques of agile project management. If the software developer team prioritizes working on different projects, it may create fragmented output rather than cohesive output. 

Recommendations of agile management techniques in software development projects of TCS

According to Behutiye et al., (2022), a lack of documentation can be a problem for using agile project management. TCS is one of the largest software development companies in the Indian tech market, providing software solutions to clients across the globe. Therefore, keeping in mind the efficient outcomes of the project, TCS can appoint separate teams, who will keep the document of the clients’ stories and the necessary details that need to be documented. In order to deal with the inadequate project planning for different software management projects, the company can set up a team for project planning. A project planning team will create a detailed plan based on available resources. It will not only help the software developer team work with specified guidelines but also help in achieving the results of the project within the timeline. 

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Theoretical framework

Behavioural learning theory 

The theoretical framework can also be regarded as behaviourism (Stewart, 2021). Implementation of this kind of theory can help the software developer team of TCS adopt new ways of the execution of the projects. It will help in creating a new learning environment at the workplace and make managers motivate employees to adopt new ways for the execution of the project. Tata Consultancy Service, being one of the leading tech companies, offers services in various sectors, including banking, communication, education, retail, and others (Tata Consulting Engineers, 2024). Therefore, it is crucial to have an environment for learning and adopting techniques of new project management. In this respect, the use of the behavioural learning theory can be impactful.

Literature gap

The literature gap in the process of collecting data from the published research papers was limited research papers focusing only on agile project management techniques. Most of the research papers have either discussed comparison with the traditional techniques or with waterfall project management. 

Research problem, question(s) and objectives

Problem statement

In today’s technology-driven world, software management has become a crucial part of every business activity (Tajpour et al., 2022). This has made the software development companies experiment with different approaches to project management, and produce software development projects. In the international technological industry, Tata Consultancy Services is a recognizable name, which has also been known as the tech giant in the Indian tech market. The company primarily engages in diverse projects for delivering software services to consumers. Since the company prioritizes delivering effective software services, the use of the agile project management can be an effective approach to project execution. Agile project management helps companies in reducing project risks and increase efficiency by making it more agile. Undeniably, agile project management helps increase project efficiency in many ways. However, it is also subject to many drawbacks both for the projects and the developers engaged in the research work. Therefore, the study here will focus on evaluating the benefits as well as drawbacks of using techniques of agile project management. Moreover, whether the implication of the agile project management techniques will be efficient for software development projects of TCS will be evaluated. On the basis of which, strategies will be provided to help TCS in adopting agile software development project management techniques.

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Research aims

The research will aim to understand the advantages and drawbacks of using agile management techniques in the software development projects of TCS.

Research objectives

• To identify the techniques of agile project management approaches in software development projects.
• To analyse the advantages and drawbacks of using agile project management techniques in software development projects of TCS.
• To propose strategies for effective integration of agile project management in software development projects of TCS.

Research questions

RQ1) What kinds of techniques are used in the agile project management approaches in software development projects?

RQ2) What kind of advantages and drawbacks do software development projects face of TCS face in integrating agile project management techniques?

RQ3) What kinds of strategies can help TCS in increasing the effectiveness of the project outcomes in software development projects?

Research methodology

Research Philosophy

The framework for research philosophy helps researchers guide the process of conducting the research (Khatri, 2020). As research philosophy is used to justify and defend research choices, it helps in shaping strategies and methods for conducting the entire research. Since the business report will evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of using agile project management, the interpretivism research philosophy will be helpful in justifying the qualitative data. Interpretivism research philosophy considers human resources as active rather than passive. In the context of discussing the implementation of agile project management techniques, software developers will directly be engaged in the process. Therefore, the use of the interpretivism research philosophy will be helpful. 

Figure: Research Philosophy

(Source: Self-created)

Research approach

The research approach can be regarded as a general approach, which guides processes for collecting, analysing, and interpreting data. Depending upon the kind of data required for research and the process for evaluating data in order to achieve the desired outcomes, different kinds of research approaches can be adopted. There are three kinds of research approaches primarily used, which include inductive, abductive, and deductive research approaches (Okoli, 2023). The research will first collect data regarding the usefulness and drawbacks of agile project management, observe patterns, and conclude results for implementing the techniques for projects of TCS. Therefore, the inductive research approach will be useful in this context. 

Figure: Research approach

(Source: Self-created)

Research design

Research design has a crucial role in research in conducting the research rigorously and systematically. There are different kinds of research designs used in different research, which include exploratory, explanatory, and descriptive research designs (Casula et al., 2021). The effectiveness, as well as the drawbacks of the research outcomes, are required to be evaluated in the context of TCS for effective project management. Therefore, the use of the descriptive research design will help in describing the results in the context of software project management for TCS. The use of the descriptive research design will help in defining and describing the topic and explaining the importance of the particular phenomenon for the company. 

Figure: Research design

(Source: Self-created)

Data collection method

Data collection plays a key role in research. There are two different kinds of data, which can be collected for conducting research. These include secondary and primary data. The business report, which will be formed on the basis of the proposal, will discuss how it will be effective to use techniques of agile project management for TCS. Therefore, collecting qualitative data, through a secondary data collection method will be impactful. Qualitative data from the previously experimented and published research papers will be used, as it will ensure the authenticity of the collected data.

Data analysis

Data analysis guides research in making an analysis of the collected data in a way to reach the desired research outcome (Raj, 2020). The purpose of the proposal is to collect qualitative data and use a descriptive research design for the collected data. In this context, the use of thematic data analysis will help in evaluating outcomes for adopting agile project management techniques, in a more clear way.

Ethical consideration/implication

Ethical considerations and their implications are crucial in research work, to ensure the readers about the authenticity of the collected data. Collecting data from unauthentic sites and blog pages disrupts the research outcomes. Therefore, throughout the proposal, the research has made sure to collect data only from authentic sites, such as Google Scholar, office pages of the company, and governmental sites. Moreover, a business report will be made on the basis of the proposal. The use of unauthentic data from blog pages will not only disrupt the results but also provide wrong data to the executives of the company, thereby overall adverse impact on the business operation of the company. Adhering to the information from the published articles present in Google Scholar, and the office website of the company will add value to the report. Moreover, the researchers and the analysts will make sure to provide credit to the authors of the published research papers, in the form of in-text citations. Agile project management techniques have been in use for more than two decades. However, the techniques of project management have also evolved throughout the years. Therefore, the researchers have prioritized using data from papers published most recently. 

Time scale

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6
Selection of the topic
Choice of the company
Research plan
Setting research aims and objectives
Literature review
Defining methodologies
Final results

Reference List

Anjum, F. and Veermanju, K.T., (2022). Company Analysis: Tata Consultancy Services. IARJSET, 9, pp.53-71.

Behutiye, W., Rodríguez, P., Oivo, M., Aaramaa, S., Partanen, J. and Abhervé, A., (2022). Towards optimal quality requirement documentation in agile software development: A multiple case study. Journal of Systems and Software, 183, p.111112.

Bianchi, M., Marzi, G. and Guerini, M., (2020). Agile, Stage-Gate and their combination: Exploring how they relate to performance in software development. Journal of Business Research, 110, pp.538-553.

Casula, M., Rangarajan, N. and Shields, P., (2021). The potential of working hypotheses for deductive exploratory research. Quality & Quantity, 55(5), pp.1703-1725.

Ciric Lalic, D., Lalic, B., Delić, M., Gracanin, D. and Stefanovic, D., (2022). How project management approach impact project success? From traditional to agile. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 15(3), pp.494-521.

Gemino, A., Horner Reich, B. and Serrador, P.M., (2021). Agile, traditional, and hybrid approaches to project success: is hybrid a poor second choice?. Project management journal, 52(2), pp.161-175.

KANISHGAA, I., (2020). A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF EMOTIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS, IT SUPPORT ENGINEERS, TESTING AND MAINTENANCE OFFICERS IN COIMBATORE (Doctoral dissertation, Anna University, Chennai).

Khatri, K.K., (2020). Research paradigm: A philosophy of educational research. International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 5(5), pp.1435-1440.

Layton, M.C., Ostermiller, S.J. and Kynaston, D.J., (2020). Agile project management for dummies. John Wiley & Sons.

Morrison-Smith, S. and Ruiz, J., (2020). Challenges and barriers in virtual teams: a literature review. SN Applied Sciences, 2(6), pp.1-33.

Okoli, C., (2023). Inductive, abductive and deductive theorising. International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, 16(3), pp.302-316.

Pemaj, J., (2022). How Agile project management approach is redesigning the Project Management Software:(focus on the construction industry).

Raj, A., (2020). Chapter-9 Data Collection Methods in Social Science. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, p.113.

Stewart, M., (2021). Understanding learning:: Theories and critique. In University teaching in focus (pp. 3-28). Routledge.

Tajpour, M., Hosseini, E., Mohammadi, M. and Bahman-Zangi, B., (2022). The effect of knowledge management on the sustainability of technology-driven businesses in emerging markets: The mediating role of social media. Sustainability, 14(14), p.8602.

Tata Consulting Engineers (2024) Tata Consulting Engineers – India’s largest engineering consultancy. Available at: https://www.tce.co.in/project-management/. 

TCS (2024) What we do at TCS: We build greater futures through innovation and collective knowledge., What We Do at TCS: We build greater futures through innovation and collective knowledge. Available at: https://www.tcs.com/what-we-do. 

Thesing, T., Feldmann, C. and Burchardt, M., (2021). Agile versus waterfall project management: decision model for selecting the appropriate approach to a project. Procedia Computer Science, 181, pp.746-756.

Uwadi, M., Gregory, P., Allison, I. and Sharp, H., (2022), June. Roles of middle managers in agile project governance. In International Conference on Agile Software Development (pp. 65-81). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Whiteley, A., Pollack, J. and Matous, P., (2021). The origins of agile and iterative methods. The Journal of Modern Project Management, 8(3).

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