Managing the productivity of distributed teams of IT companies based on Agile approaches

Abstract

The digital transformation of the economy, the development of cloud technologies, and the globalization of the information services market have led to significant changes in the models of work organization in IT companies. One of the key trends of the last decade has been the spread of distributed teams whose members interact in digital environments and collaborate on tasks regardless of their geographical location. This form of work organization became especially relevant during global crises and pandemics, when remote work became a key condition for maintaining business continuity. At the same time, it creates a need for the continuous improvement of organizational processes and the training of team members to adapt to new technologies and work formats. The functioning of distributed teams creates new opportunities for IT companies, in particular, expanding access to the international labor market, increasing the flexibility of project management, and optimizing operational costs. At the same time, such a model of work organization poses several managerial challenges, including coordinating employees' activities, maintaining effective communication, fostering team interaction, and ensuring a high level of labor productivity. The article examines the features of productivity management of distributed teams in IT companies. It substantiates the possibilities of using flexible project management methodologies, particularly Agile approaches, to improve the efficiency of their activities. The main factors influencing software development team productivity are analyzed, and the role of digital communication tools and project management systems in fostering effective team interaction is examined. The results of the study indicate that the application of Agile methodologies such as Scrum and Kanban contributes to increasing the transparency of work processes, optimizing the distribution of tasks among team members, and reducing the time required for software development. It is determined that the integration of Agile tools into the management system of distributed IT teams makes it possible to increase labor productivity, improve software quality, and ensure more efficient use of human capital.