Software development is a process influenced by aspects related to teamwork and by requiring high levels of interaction among its members. Both aspects are considered non-technical factors and have been arousing interest both for the software industry and for research. In the framework of Industry 4.0, it is also evident the need to identify the relevant non-technical factors in a discipline such as Software engineering, given the need to develop software to meet the required digital capabilities. This paper presents an analysis to know the evolving nuances of the proposed research topic and to define emerging issues of interest for this research field, based on a systematic mapping of literature. Twenty-three non-technical factors are identified, among which communication, leadership, teamwork, and innovation stand out. The findings of this analysis contribute to the improvement of the software development process and drive the processes required by Industry 4.0. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.