An Exploratory Pilot Survey on Technical Quality Control Practices in Agile R&D Projects

TL;DR

The paper investigates how agile R&D teams report technical quality control practices within Scrum, focusing on a pilot survey of Science and Technology Institutions in Manaus, Brazil. It uses a mixed-methods approach to capture self-reported practices, perceived challenges, and the impact of technical debt, and finds that while QC techniques like automated testing, code review, and CI are acknowledged, their application is uneven and metrics often lack business linkage. The study highlights gaps in monitoring and debt indicators, and shows that frequent scope changes and reliance on external expertise impede sustained quality. As a baseline exploration, it informs future, more detailed studies and instrument development to better integrate technical quality management into agile R&D lifecycles.

Abstract

Managing technical quality in agile Research and Development (R&D) software projects represents a persistent challenge, particularly in contexts characterized by high technical uncertainty and experimental pressure. This exploratory pilot survey explores how agile R&D software teams report the use of practices and metrics related to technical quality control within Scrum-based environments. The study employed a structured questionnaire administered to professionals from Science and Technology Institutions (STIs) located in Manaus, Brazil, aiming to capture reported practices, perceptions of quality, and recurrent challenges. Quantitative data were complemented by qualitative responses to support contextual interpretation. The results indicate that although practices such as automated testing, code review, and continuous integration are widely acknowledged, their reported application is often inconsistent across iterations. Gaps were also observed in the monitoring of technical quality metrics and in the reporting of mechanisms for assessing technical debt from a business perspective. Rather than aiming for generalization, this study offers an exploratory baseline that describes how technical quality is managed in agile R&D projects within a regional innovation ecosystem.

Figures (9)

• Figure 1: Research design and methodological stages of the exploratory pilot study.
• Figure 2: Distribution of participants roles in agile development teams (N = 17).
• Figure 3: Distribution of project themes by part.(multiple selections allowed, N = 17).
• Figure 4: Distribution quality control tools and methods (multiple selections allowed).
• Figure 5: Reported frequency of integration of quality control tools in agile iterations.