Rapid Application Development (RAD): Plan as you go

Long ago I came to the conclusion that very few things turn out as expected. That vision of the perfect plan never coming to complete fruition, leaving me frustrated and wondering what happened to change the expected outcome. I finally decided that planning too far ahead could be a waste of time and resources. I'm fairly laid back to begin with, so this "plan as you go" idea really appealed to me. Just relax and take things as they come, leaving my plans open and subject to change. There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach.

With Rapid Application Development, or RAD, having an outline of main requirements without pre-planning can be advantageous to a company. It can save time and money, as well as create an application more applicable to specific company needs. The requirement planning phase is short and results in a main goal, but does not include every step of how to get there. A workable prototype is developed quickly and passed to the user. The user provides feedback to the developer regarding usability and desired functionality. The application is then changed and enhanced, then passed back to the user. This reciprocation continues until the cutover phase, when everything is put in place and implemented. Early RAD systems had two primary disadvantages: reduced Scalability, and reduced features. Reduced scalability occurs because a RAD developed application starts as a prototype and evolves into a finished application (Select Business Solutions, Inc. 2009). Given the disadvantages, I still prefer the RAD development technique for most situations-It fits my thought process, and I have the same approach to my life.

Citations:

-What is Rapid Application Development? (RAD) | Analysis and Design. (n.d.). Retrieved September 26, 2009, from http://www.selectbs.com/adt/analysis-and-design/what-is-rapid-application development

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