Is the GIS Industry Keeping Pace with Agile Development?

Agile methodologies have moved from niche experimentation to mainstream acceptance across the broader software development ecosystem. Frameworks such as Scrum now appear frequently in job postings, reflecting dramatic growth in demand for agile experience. Over a three-year period, mentions of Scrum in developer job advertisements increased by nearly 1,000%, while references to agile practices overall grew by approximately 200%. While agile has clearly crossed into the mainstream of general application development, an important question remains: how extensively has it taken root within the GIS development community?

To explore this issue, Data Transfer Solutions (DTS) conducted a focused survey in February 2008 aimed specifically at GIS professionals. Although numerous studies have measured agile adoption across software engineering as a whole, few had examined uptake within the geospatial domain. This survey provides an early snapshot of agile practices in the GIS industry.

Survey Design and Participant Profile

The survey was administered over a 30-day period via SurveyMonkey and promoted through GIS-focused blogs, broader geospatial media channels, and URISA. A total of 347 professionals from 36 countries responded. Measures were taken to ensure data integrity: submissions were limited to one per IP address, and fewer than ten responses were excluded during data screening for invalid entries.

Respondents represented a cross-section of the GIS workforce. Approximately 28% identified as GIS developers, while a similar percentage described themselves as GIS analysts, technicians, or specialists. Project and program managers comprised roughly 14% of participants, and another 13% were GIS coordinators or managers. Organization size skewed toward smaller entities: half of respondents worked in organizations with fewer than 100 employees, and most were employed in organizations with under 500 staff members.

Agile Adoption Rates in GIS

When asked whether their organization had implemented agile practices, 32% answered affirmatively, while 68% reported no adoption. These findings align with an informal Directions Magazine poll conducted in late 2007, which found roughly 28% agile usage among GIS professionals. However, the results contrast sharply with contemporaneous studies of the broader software development population. A March 2007 survey led by Scott Ambler and Dr. Dobb’s Journal reported 69% agile adoption among general developers, while a mid-2007 survey by VersionOne found adoption levels exceeding 70%.

Organization size did not significantly influence whether agile had been adopted. Small companies (50 or fewer employees) reported a 31% adoption rate; mid-sized organizations (51–500 employees) showed 27%; and larger organizations (500+ employees) reached 37%. These findings diverged from earlier research suggesting higher agile uptake among mid-sized firms relative to large enterprises.

Depth of Agile Experience

Among organizations that had adopted agile methods, experience levels were notable. Of 109 respondents reporting agile use, 86% indicated they had completed at least two agile projects. This suggests that once GIS organizations commit to agile, they frequently move beyond pilot experimentation into sustained application.

However, experience varied by organization size. Larger firms were nearly three times more likely than small companies to remain in the pilot phase, having completed only a single agile project. In contrast, small organizations were nine times more likely than large enterprises to report having completed more than 20 agile initiatives.

Agile Practices in Use

The survey also examined which specific agile techniques were employed. The ten most commonly reported practices included iterative development (79%), incremental delivery of working software (66%), collective ownership (48%), self-organizing teams (42%), frequent stakeholder reviews (42%), user stories (41%), flexible architecture (39%), coding standards (37%), iteration backlogs (36%), and code refactoring (36%).

Organization size influenced the adoption of certain practices. Smaller companies were twice as likely to rely on co-located teams and pair programming compared to mid-sized or large firms. Larger organizations were less consistent in conducting daily stand-up meetings, retrospectives, code refactoring sessions, maintaining sustainable pacing, or implementing architectural spikes.

Experience level proved even more influential than company size. Teams categorized as “expert” (more than 20 agile projects) uniformly applied iterative development. In contrast, only 60% of “rookie” teams (one project) and 81% of “learning curve” teams (two to five projects) did so. Advanced practices such as Test Driven Development (TDD), pair programming, story point estimation, and velocity tracking were significantly more prevalent among expert teams. For example, 53% of expert teams implemented TDD, compared to just 13% of rookies.

Training and coaching also distinguished experienced teams. Nearly half of expert teams had received formal agile training, and 29% reported utilizing agile coaches. By comparison, rookie teams reported no training or coaching engagement. These findings underscore the importance of education and mentorship in achieving advanced agile maturity.

Future Adoption Outlook

Among organizations that had not yet adopted agile, responses regarding future plans were mixed. Over half indicated uncertainty about future adoption. Of those expressing a definitive view, 39% believed their organization would never implement agile practices. Meanwhile, 26% anticipated adoption within one year, 19% within two years, and 16% beyond two years.

Compared with broader software development surveys, GIS respondents were more likely to state they would never adopt agile. Company size influenced outlook: small organizations were nearly twice as likely as large ones to expect adoption within the next year, while large organizations were nearly twice as likely to foresee permanent non-adoption.

Interpretation and Industry Position

Viewed through the lens of Geoffrey Moore’s technology adoption lifecycle, agile methods in general software development have already moved beyond early adopters into the mainstream. Within GIS development, however, adoption appears to remain concentrated among innovators rather than pragmatists. Agile has not yet crossed the “chasm” into widespread, mainstream GIS practice.

Nevertheless, the findings are not entirely discouraging. Industry observers such as Ryan Martens of Rally Software note that while GIS lags somewhat behind the broader development community, its trajectory resembles that of other sectors during earlier stages of adoption. Once GIS teams embrace agile, they tend to adopt similar project counts and practices as their counterparts in other industries.

Barriers to Adoption

Common obstacles identified in broader agile studies — resistance to change, insufficient experience, organizational silos, limited executive support, and weak customer collaboration — likely apply within GIS as well. Surveys from Digital Focus and VersionOne highlighted lack of agile knowledge and internal expertise as primary constraints. Although none of these barriers are unique to GIS, they may contribute to the slower pace of adoption.

Implementation Patterns

While overall adoption rates did not correlate strongly with organization size, specific practices were influenced by structural factors. Large, geographically distributed organizations face practical challenges implementing co-location and pair programming. More critically, experience level drives sophistication. Agile’s iterative and reflective nature encourages teams to refine practices through retrospectives, progressively incorporating more advanced engineering and project management techniques.

Training and external coaching appear particularly valuable in accelerating maturity. Expert teams frequently cited structured learning and advisory support as catalysts for improvement. Objective external guidance during planning and retrospectives can help teams refine their processes and enhance software quality.

Looking Ahead

Perhaps the most concerning data point is the relatively high percentage of GIS professionals who believe their organizations will never adopt agile. This may reflect limited exposure or misconceptions about agile methodologies rather than informed rejection. As agile continues its progression through Moore’s adoption curve — from early adopters to pragmatists and eventually to late adopters — awareness is likely to increase among CIOs, GIS managers, and executive leadership.

Continued measurement will be essential. DTS intends to repeat the survey in future years to track changes in sentiment and practice within the GIS community. Broader industry visibility, increased education, and demonstrable project success may gradually shift perceptions and encourage more widespread agile adoption.

For those seeking deeper detail, comprehensive survey results are available through GeoScrum. Ongoing dialogue at industry conferences and developer summits will further inform how agile principles continue to shape the future of GIS development.