This is the sev-
enth in a series
on rapid appli-
cattons develop-
ment (RAD) a
methodology de-
signed to give
much faster re-
sults than the
padalom! life

cycle is attrac-
tive because it:
can be used to
develop complex,
high-guality applications within tight
budget and time constraints. The life- -CY-
cle process incorporates significant im-
provements in the use of personnel,
iools, development, methodology and
management technigues.

RAD is based on the use of Joint Ap-
plication Design (JAD) workshops, inte-
rated computer-aided software engi-"
neering (I-CASE) tools, small teams of
highly trained analysts, a development
methodology that defines the steps re-
auired to achieve high-speed develop-
ment, and management technigues

nimed at cutting through bureaucratic

obslacles. The RAD life cycle integrates
(hese familiar concepts and provides a
proven iramework for developing appli-
cations much faster.

As shown in the figure, the RAD life .
cycle has four phases: reguirements
planning, user design, construction and .
cutover,

Workshops are used in the reguire-
inents-planning and user-design phases
lo involve executives and end users in
the specification process. The workshops
provide a highly structured environment
in which small teams of end users and
analysts work together to define re-
guirements and design the system from
(he users perspective. I-CASE tools are
used to capture and analyze design
specifications for the application.

During the construction phase, a team
of analysts, highly trained in the use of
the CASE tool, develops a prototype of
the application in close communication
with end users. The prototype evolves
into the final production system within
a tightly constrained time frame. Cut-
over of the production system reguires
close interaction between end users and
information-systems (IS) analysts.

Each phase should be approved by
the user execulive who's spending the

money. This is the executive owner, as
shown in the figure,

The reguirements-planning phase re-
guires that high-level or knowledgeable

- end users determine the functions of the
' system. These planning funetions are
performed with the guidance of IS pro-

[essionals. Reguirements planning is usu-

ally best done in a workshop with well-

structured procedures.

Key executives and users are selected
to participate in workshops in which a

reguirements document is created. The

workshop progresses through a planned

set of steps under the guidance of a

skilled Joint Reguirements Planning

(JRP) leader, who is usually the same

leader who will conduct a follow-on

JAD session, as described below."

At the start of the workshop, the us-:
€rS are encouraged to do most of the
talking. IS professionals transfer the end
users reguirements to the CASE tool's
repository and attempt to create a prag-
matic representation of system func-
tions that will make the system as valu-
able as possible. |

The user-design phase reguires that
end users participate strongly in the

non-technical design of the system under

the guidance of IS professionals. User
design is done in a JAD workshop simi-
lar to the JRP workshop.

JAD is a technigue for harnessing end
users in the reguirements analysis,

| phases of

UUJU Life Cycle.

Hus si nm
Em fin opne

ii ala , Give approval
"| |, Release lun0>.

for planning

—Hedu

. EM se plan? ogr

id . a m z uši Nah a
pli Ni ia in m ao Mej 1 NE, a be i ta s k ma la ME
kai saga a! 4 lk a PE pir uč a Ka maja bal ni pg s k mjst pi ne ZA me a 1 ič iši obis
k Fi ša CI k ak, SMI A se PERLE zet: ji Aa ai, i- " z ožjih t s čaj pe Me deiE plaši j
ga re kje Rap nj RAN en fl aa revi hiš PART rne opre aii
h s m ta je Falk 8 led Pt. zi Pa A . k ' ubi: š
- R h m ja mi ue mi Pr: m 5m "ms si s
ž : z - - 1 dg pre a iii
ul p H i. i se s
po m

k. ? un ai k --
um [ s de — ten po ena k k z - ji ee ti a iča ie de bel nv aa a - prede) ua TP Mru im <

sr ie a mJ ki. Si Teji Ha k el A pi k a grčija moi bi NE m ič ide fe m m a a ala ped

(i gi dej sbitelii mai tepe ET pa TA, a A ra ee

š
ki
E
(
a H
nike.

seč |
frornente-Planning | Pha: mr

4 za 19h |
are iš PONI, Rake in

- the RAD life cycle, the design is created

in the repository of an I-CASE tool that
coordinates the design. with other infor:
mation in the repository. The resulting .
design can be used directly in the con- :/
struction phase. As much as possible,
the IS staff attempts to reuse existing
data and process modules contained in
the repository of the I-CASE tool. '

For a smooth transition, some of the
users in the planning workshop should .
be involved in the design workshop. :

In these first two phases, application.
users and user executives should play a
larger role than IS professionals. Plan-
ning and user design should be done, to

ea ne ra a

—m ph ses li pobija
a
| Developrneni joint
Redulremeli
planning
Team

Jalnt
licailo!"
pasidh Team

structior
Con am

r Review .
seda td

4
cutove
Uh

ki a ji i ; Ji E
No mo diet niše žava (ipd k ro a
A pa žna NEUEA ESEM | gon km Avakčan

a aii, be ' 4 mi, Hi 1

LA ža J: ip A oba im k z ška

Uibibe v lb 4 PAL z

asan! ita ii o SIDudimn ia
l ; zi x, m ki ae ! Re di rm
p 4 s 5h, Be i N aj AG sk | im
| KI ei % sie - '

Workshops DR a highly ei environment. in KOMA,

end users and analysts work together to define reguiremenis

and design the soysiem from the z sena paspodive. PIZ

specification and design of systems. It is
a highly successful technigue when used
correctly, resulting in high-guality desixn
being created rapidly. Key end users are
selected to participate in workshops in %
which the preliminary design of the sys-

tem is created. The workshops progress .

through a planned set of steps, defined
by the methodology. '

As in the JRP workshop, the users are
encouraged to do most of the talking,
The IS staff in the session translates
what the users want into structured
specifications and design.

Along with the specifications, the rele-
vant data model, screen designs, report
designs and, possibly, rough prototypes

a Viri ol Ee USers, with IN, provid- |

dobo
sli ziji Us 7 td l
ka. va: .
i 4 j Mi: ni podi A. ' kas
a ga ZA4 4 teči i 4
i

MU

ing firm guidance.!, s 30% 4
| "The users do not sign off on specifica- |
pie Instead, they sign off on a desig
represented in an I-CASE too], which '
will be taken directly into the Smuči 4
tion phase, The executive owner of the. |
system releases funds for its construc- '
tion on tine banja pd a ravlev obEe li hi
CASE design. —'' |
in the traditional development life y

- cle, detailed design is a separate phase

from programming. First, specifications
are item then detailed design is done,
then the code is written and, finally, the
code is debugged. | | srk
The RAD life cycle changes the pori

|
| i i

|
Mi; BI: d Hi ti hi
h

Complex RAD Cyele Can Be Distilled to Man

Hura '

FEBRUARY 5, 1990

ageable Phases

tionship between design and coding. A.
design is built on the screen of an I-
CASE tool, and code is automatically |
generated from it.
During the RAD construction phase,
IS professionals perform the detailed de-
sign and automatic code generation of
one transaction after another, using the
I-CASE tool set. They may show each.
| transaction, as it is built, to end users.
and make adjustments to it. The com- .
puterized coordination of the I-CASE
tool set, integrates the separate trans-:
actions.

End users are closely involved during
the construction phase. They validate
the screens and design of each transac-
tion as it is built.

Construction proceeds guickly with
ongoing user involvement to ensure that

the delivered product meets the needs
of the users when it is cut over. There
should be no surprises for the users

— when the system is installed, because

they have participated in dav step m
its construction.
The I-CASE tool set should PER
- the coded database descriptions, as Mali gi.
as executable program code. It should
- also generate technica. documentation,
— thus ensuring that the documentation"

precisely describes the generated system.

A final stage of the construction
' phase may be to perform database opti-
mization and use a code optimizer to en-
hance the run-time performance of the

: code. When this is done, good code gen |

erators give about, the same run-time "
performance as skilled programmers. ji
The Cutover Phase ;

When the system is cut over, a vari-'
ety of actions are needed, including com-
prehensive testing, end-user training, or-
| ganizational changes and tandem opera
tion of the new and old systems until >
' the new one settles in.

Because the construction phase is rel-
atively rapid, planning and preparation
- for cutover must begin early. Prelimi- ('
- nary planning is done in the reguire-
- ments-planning phase and detailed prep
aration is begun in the pm, ki |
phase. HE:

Steps to prepare for iš include |
developing the conversion system, per-
forming a guality audit, preparing for m
nal testing, building the test libraries, | pse
carrying out the final testing, " ma
documenting the test results, planning
and conducting the training program, i gi
evaluating the success of the training to :
determine if the user understands the ;—

operation of the system, nine tne lei
' conducting hri training se
Ni week, 1 ril dicuss ie key play
ers in the RAD life SSe JE ih
|

soribed in a new o volume in the James.
Martin Report . "or mon or- >
mation on this volume, , please call |.
. (800) 242.1240. For a Orainod on.
seminars, please contact (in the Unit.
ed States and Canada) Technology. |
Transfer Institute, 741 10th St, Santa
Monica, Calif. 90402 (213) 394-8305.'
In Europe, contact Savant, 2 New st
Carnforth, Lancs., LA5 9BX United |
Kingdom (0524) 734 505. |.

opts embodied in RAD are de: 1: