Next generation hardware development

Companies are adapting their traditional development processes, aiming for project-specific designs that are referred to as Agile Product Development flexible, adaptive and accelerated processes. Implementing these principles supports developers to react to challenges such as shortened innovation cycles and increased market dynamics. The project-specific tailoring of a development process has to be carried out right from the start. Early on, companies have to create a unique path for each development project by choosing the right development approach plan-driven, agile or hybrid, assembling properly skilled development teams and creating an enabling environment and applicable process design. But, due to the lack of appropriate methodologies for a project-specific tailoring, companies find it difficult to adjust development methods according to the project requirements at hand. Therefore, development projects often do not meet expected budgets, deadlines or product goals. As a first step, the authors present a selection of essential development method elements based on a literature review. These elements, classified in content- and process-related elements, form the basis for a comprehensive method framework. The method framework supports companies in identifying and configuring crucial method elements based on which project-specific development strategies can be derived.