Use of Shifting Bottleneck Metaheuristic Algorithm and NZN-Area Method in Priority Assignment in Agile IT Teams: A Study on Ambiguous Priority Relationships

Abstract

Assigning priority in agile IT teams can be particularly challenging when dealing with uncertain priority relationships between Product Backlog Items (PBIs) and findings received within a sprint. The Shifting Bottleneck metaheuristic algorithm is crucial in this context, as it helps identify and address bottlenecks that can move from one part of the process to another, impacting the overall workflow. By focusing on the shifting bottleneck, teams can dynamically adjust their priorities to tackle the most pressing issues first, ensuring a steady pace and continuous delivery of value. The Neutrosophic Z Number Set's-Area (NZNArea) method complements this approach by visually identifying which tasks should be prioritized, helping to balance the workload and ensure that high-impact tasks are not overlooked. This method provides a structured approach to prioritize tasks, considering various factors with fuzzy AHP such as urgency, business value, resource availability, external dependency and importance. By integrating the Shifting Bottleneck algorithm with the NZN-Area: Ellipse method for prioritization. Agile IT teams can make more informed and nuanced decisions on task prioritization, addressing the most critical tasks first and maintaining efficiency despite the inherent uncertainties in priority relationships. By using multi-criteria decision-making methods and metaheuristic assignment method in PBI prioritization of agile working teams, an 8.6% improvement was achieved in the completion time of intra-sprint PBIs between the existing method and the proposed method.