Agile software development methodologies are becoming increasingly interesting for ap- plication in large-scale projects. While agile methodologies have been originally designed for usage by small, colocated teams to develop software products, their benefits make them attractive for larger use cases as well. Their frequent inspect and adapt cycles and focus on close customer collaboration allow for better adjustment to changing environ- ments and requirements. They promise results that satisfy customer needs better than those of traditional methodologies. However, applying agile methodologies in large-scale settings comes with additional challenges. Working with multiple teams or on multiple products at the same time yields higher coordination and communication efforts. Depen- dencies may constrain the autonomy of individual agile teams, a central aspect common to agile methodologies. Thus, it is important to establish shared goals for collaborating agile teams, while still allowing for autonomy of individual teams. With the introduction of agile methodologies at scale also comes the need to be able to measure performance not only of individual teams but also on higher aggregation of products and portfolios. Due to faster iterations and production of intermediate work results, agile methodologies are challenging the existing reporting methodologies in large organizations. Yet, reporting and goal-setting in large-scale agile software development are not extensively covered in extant literature.

Given these considerations and research gap, this master’s thesis investigates how goal- setting and reporting in large-scale agile software development is currently done in prac- tice. By collaborating with a large German car manufacturer and conducting 23 interviews with 17 practitioners of agile methodologies in large-scale environments, the state-of-the- art is investigated and potential areas for improvement and recommendations are derived. Challenges with existing approaches are documented. Finally, a process model that com- prises the key activities for goal-setting and reporting is developed. Based on the identified challenges potential solutions are proposed. The created statements and models are eval- uated positively in the case organization, with few adjustments made after the evaluation.

In summary, this thesis contributes to the scientific conversation on goal-setting and re- porting in large-scale agile software development by documenting approaches applied in practice, the reasons behind their usage, and current challenges. The overall findings are consolidated in a process model of goal-setting and reporting in large-scale agile develop- ment. It also provides suggestions and guidance for practitioners.