A Literature Review of Agile Development Methods in the Past Decade: Evolutionary Paths, Core Controversies, and Future Trends

Abstract

Nowadays, agile methodology has emerged as a core and indispensable framework for project execution across diverse industries. Beyond mere process optimization, it is a people-centric, adaptive approach that relies on continuous feedback loops and incremental delivery cycles to enable teams to respond swiftly and effectively to evolving market demands. It also consistently delivers high-quality software products that create tangible value for customers. Through systematic literature analysis and in-depth comparative research, this study systematically delineates the evolutionary trajectory of agile methodology over the past decade. It traces the methodology's expansion from initial cross-role collaboration within small teams to enterprise-wide adoption across entire organizational ecosystems. The study further identifies core controversies in its practical implementation, clarifies context-specific applicable scenarios, and offers forwardlooking projections of its future development trends. This study reveals that agile methodology has undergone a distinct evolution over the past decade—shifting from cross-role collaboration (2014–2018) to enterprise-wide extension (2019–2024)—with core controversies centered on cross-scenario adaptability, integration with emerging technologies, and ethical risks, while its future will move toward in-depth AI integration and cross-industry fulldomain adaptability, and enterprises need to balance agility and structure for effective agile transformation.