Have you ever been interested in improving your company’s software development? Well, you may be able to take advantage of some interesting methodologies to increase the efficiency, productivity, and quality of your deliveries, and one of them could be Rapid Application Development! We will tell you all the details about it.
What is Rapid Application Development (RAD)?
According to TechGeekBuzz, Rapid Application Development (RAD) emerged in 1991, developed by James Martin. Nowadays, it has become one of the most popular development methodologies within agile methodologies, as more and more companies adopt it.
However, this methodology was based on work done by Scott Schultz in the 1980s. The idea is to work interactively, build prototypes and use CASE tools, to improve the usability, usefulness, and speed of execution of all developments.
Thus, RAD is an approach that seeks to emphasize the organized structure of work. The basic belief is simple: the greater the organization, the better the results. Although it is a somewhat flexible methodology, the secret is consistency. This is one of the variables that allow for an increase in the quality of deliveries.
What are the stages of the RAD model?
That said, you might want to know the stages of the RAD model. According to CodeBots, 4 stages define this methodology. Here they are:
Defining and specifying project requirements
At this stage, it is necessary to define and specify the requirements of the project. For example, what are the expectations and objectives of software development? Are there any specific budgets or deadlines? When they have been properly established, it is time to approve or reformulate them, if necessary.
Start the design of the prototypes
Then, it is necessary to develop the prototypes. The idea is to have a close conversation with the client and let them know the status of the development. It must be established at what time (approximately) there will be a usable version of the software. But be careful! This does not mean that it will be the final version.
Collect different opinions from users
Once the prototype is made, you need to understand what people think about it. Does it work well? Does it have a lot of bugs? The idea is to create the highest quality end product possible. For this reason, you need to pay attention to the feedback you receive from the customer and the test subjects.
Conduct all kinds of product tests and present the system
Finally, you will have to do all kinds of tests to make sure that the release will be successful. The key is to satisfy the client’s needs, so you have to test the code over and over again until it works perfectly. Also, keep in mind that there will always be possible improvements or bugs that will appear later and you will have to fix them.
What are the advantages of this methodology?
Now, what are the advantages of this methodology? Here are the most important ones:
Faster delivery
This is one of the most outstanding benefits. The RAD methodology promises much faster software delivery. Because it is iterative, it is possible to reach the end goal faster. And this ultimately results in higher customer satisfaction, but also a faster production stage.
Fast adjustments and error reduction
All this results in a greater speed of correction of possible errors. This methodology seeks to find (and fix) problems as development progresses. Thanks to the RAD methodology, all these intermediate adjustments are usually much more efficient, and errors are also less frequent!
Decrease in development costs
RAD can shorten the development time of a project. The advantage is that, as it works in stages, it is not necessary to make too many corrections once the final product has been launched. This decision results in lower development costs, as the work tends to be much more efficient.
Increased business participation
RAD bases its work on involving the business and the end user. The development will be updated frequently, which means that the product can be polished down to the smallest detail. The result? The end product will be very close to what the customer wants. In other words, you will also have better end-customer satisfaction.
More usable software
The RAD methodology also asks what the user wants and needs. Consequently, all efforts are concentrated on the main functionalities. Then, the final product becomes much more functional, since secondary features are not 100% relevant.
Better control of risks
Finally, it should be considered that with RAD it is possible to find risk factors early in the process. They can then be addressed immediately. This decision is very relevant to avoid potential crises, as any “conflicting” characteristics will be eliminated or corrected in time.
In conclusion, you have learned all the details of Rapid Application Development and now you know why it is so important to integrate it into your developments. We hope you liked this article!