The Application Of Cognitive Complexity Principles For Reconciling The Agile And The Discipline Approaches

Systems development today has two major camps-agile and discipline. The agile camp subscribes to its best practices published under the Agile Manifesto, which include a focus on customer, employee, working software, and response to change. The discipline camp believes that software development processes need to be continually improved, and that planning is the key to successful development. Software experts have proposed that there is a need to balance agility and discipline; however, they have not provided precise guidelines. This chapter considers cognitive complexity factors from four theoretical sources to reconcile the debate between the agile and the discipline approaches. It identifies factors that favor agile development and those that favor discipline development. These factors are integrated and grouped according to ten systems development principles.