Critical Success Factors in Global Software Development: A Systematic Literature Review
TL;DR
Seven major CSFs that drive success in globally distributed projects are revealed, highlighting a major paradigm shift within the software industry: socio-technical skills and reliable technology now carry significantly more weight than strict, traditional processes.
Abstract
Over the last decade, the number of organizations adopting GSD to access a wide range of international talent and reduce their development costs is increasing.. Although, the geographical distance, time-zone, and cultural differences associated with GSD have introduced a number of risks for globally distributed software development teams, continuing to cause a high rate of project failures. To build a more holistic approach and address these challenges, we conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We systematically analyzed a highly filtered set of 19 top-tier, high-impact primary studies published between 2015 and 2025. The objective of this research paper is to perform a formal requirements elicitation, identifying Critical Success Factors (CSFs) to form the architectural foundation of a future GSD project management ecosystem. Our synthesis of the literature reveals seven major CSFs that drive success in globally distributed projects. Crucially, these dimensions were not identified solely based on their frequency of occurrence in the selected studies (appearing in over 50% of the papers), but because the primary sources consistently assigned them high weights and priority rankings using advanced decision-making models. These core dimensions are: Communication and Coordination (100%), Human Resources and Skills (95%), Technology and Infrastructure (74%), Knowledge Management (63%), Management Support and Leadership (58%), Requirements Engineering (58%), and Cost and Time Efficiency (58%).These findings highlight a major paradigm shift within the software industry: socio-technical skills and reliable technology now carry significantly more weight than strict, traditional processes. By integrating these highly validated factors through this requirements elicitation, we outline the fundamental architectural parameters necessary to build a future GSD management ecosystem capable of overcoming the complexities arising from geographical distance.