Barriers and enablers of scaled agile multidisciplinary product development

Purpose Scaling Agile approaches in multidisciplinary physical product development faces unique challenges. This review identifies and synthesizes barriers and enablers that are used to understand tensions and propose initial recommendations. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method literature review combining narrative review and thematic analysis was conducted. Systematic screening of 3,427 texts yielded 30 studies (2014–2025). Using the Gioia method, barriers and enablers were coded into first-level concepts, grouped into second-level themes and aggregated into high-level dimensions, enabling synthesis across industries and contexts. Findings Key barriers include cultural resistance, complex stakeholder dynamics and product physicality. Enablers include cross-functional collaboration, management buy-in and flat structures. Six key strategic areas are proposed to guide adoption. Originality/value The intersection of Agile, physical product development, multi-disciplinarity and scalability, through the lens of socio-technical systems theory, represents an original investigative angle. This is used to identify patterns and tensions and to propose six key strategic areas to guide coordinated Agile transformation, contributing to both academic discourse and practitioner guidance.