Toward the Development of a Method for Identifying Problems and Providing Strategies to Reduce Them in Software Development Teams

Software development teams often face challenges that impact their performance due to individual, teamwork, and organizational factors. This research aims to develop a method for identifying problems in software development teams by analyzing issues related to team building and proposing strategies that reduce the detected problems while enhancing the characteristics of highly effective teams. The method took as base the results of a systematic mapping study. We identified a set of problems and characteristics associated with the formation of effective teams. Besides, we used the People Capability Maturity Model (People CMM) framework to structure our method. Our main contribution is the definition of a method that classifies problems at the individual, team, and organizational levels, to which it offers strategies focused on the characteristics of highly effective teams for team improvement. This approach not only helps to address critical areas requiring attention but also provides a clear pathway for implementing practical solutions that enhance team efficacy and cohesion.