Does RAD reduce the quality of Information Systems?
Christian Wimmer
School of Computing and Communications Technology, North East Wales Institute, United Kingdom
1. Introduction
Few words have been more used and misused today then quality (Jansen and Ølnes 2004). Two definitions of the quality of an Informaton System (IS) are (Dahlbom and Mathiassen, 1993, Braa and Øgrim, 1995):
- a system’s capability to satisfy needs, expectations and requests
- the proportion between expected and experienced yield of a system
It is the aim of this paper to see if RAD can meet these quality definitions and if RAD can be used to produce high quality IS – or if it is really only ‘quick and dirty’ as some claim.
2. RAD: one word, many meanings
Originally the acronym RAD stands for Rapid Application Development. The term appears to have first been used by James Martin in 1991 (Avison & Fitzgerald, 2003 p 94). Nowadays RAD is used to describe a variety of things.
James Martin’s RAD (JMRAD): This is the original RAD methodology developed by James Martin (Martin, 1991). This methodology is not based on the traditional life cycle but uses an evolutionary approach.
Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM): This methodology is non- proprietary RAD-like approach created by the DSM consortium, a union of vendors and users and individual associates of RAD (Beynon-Davies et al, 1999). DSDM is being developed in the UK and provides a framework for RADish software projects. In a way DSDM can be seen as a “grown-up” JMRAD.
Marketing RAD: The term Rapid Application Development is often used in marketing literature such as brochures to praise the effectiveness of the software tool in question. Typical marketing phrases are used, promising development speed increases of “up to 50%” (Richardson, 2005) however this tools rarely implement all aspects for RAD and therefore the term RAD is often misused.
Therefore RAD can be categorized as two ways: A methodology, whether it is classic JMRAD or the more modern DSDM, and a class of tools that allow ‘speedy’ application development (Agarwal et al, 2000).
3. RAD and quality
RAD – Rapid application development. That is, developing software faster than normally. This alone can be seen as quality criteria. The IS is what the organisation needs right now – and not in 2 years when the whole environment changed. A, maybe unperfected, system that is exactly what is needed in 6 months can be seen as having a certain level of quality – a perfect system in 3 years that fails to meet the business needs is useless and will be seen as having low quality.
CASE tools are often used within RAD projects. This kind of tools enables one to create relatively good code in a fraction of the time it normally takes (Butler, 2000). They make reuse of code easier and because the existing code has usually been tested in real use it has a certain level of quality (Avison & Fitzgerald, 2003). RAD relies heavily on user involvement whether it is in the initial JAD/JRP workshops or in the ongoing prototyping. This ongoing process builds user commitment and allows the system to be “closer to the user” (Jones and King, 1998). One of the principles of DSDM is ‘fitness for purpose’. This term describes the user acceptance of the IS deliverable, and this is what, from a users point of view, is what quality is. In other words, quality will be built into the IS when DSDM is used as the methodology of choice.
James Martin (1991) believes that RAD will lead to higher quality systems developed faster and therefore cheaper than systems that use the traditional lice cycle approach. A decade later Howard (2002) however suggests that: “For some RAD, will always stand for “Rough and dirty” development – an excuse for sidetracking the discipline of software engineering standards”. Yourdon (2000) feels that in nowadays projects the temptation to skip these standards is even greater, particularly while developing e-business IS.
Daniels(1996) argues that RAD ignores the long term and only focuses on the business functionality at that time. Reilly and Carmel (1995) found that “most RAD projects skip design and rigorous methodology altogether”. Palermo (2006) also thinks this is cause for concern and compares RAD with tobacco products: Soothing in short-term, addictive and deadly in the long term, while causing irreparable damage along the way. McConnelll (1996 p366) goes as far as saying that “RAD has become more of a rallying cry for faster development than a meaningful methodology”.
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But is RAD really “anti-quality” (Howard, 2002) or can it be used to produce quality systems in reality? A look at the available case RAD case studies might shine some light on this situation.
4. RAD projects: A Classification
Beyon-Davies et al (2000) identified two different types of RAD projects which they call highly intensive or phased respectively. In simple terms in highly intensive projects developers and users are “locked away” in a room for some weeks and are expected to produce a working deliverable at the end of the time. On this type of projects the emphasis clearly lies at the rapid part of IS development.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main question the paper "Does RAD reduce the quality of Information Systems?" addresses?
The paper explores whether Rapid Application Development (RAD) can be used to produce high-quality Information Systems (IS), or if it is merely a "quick and dirty" approach that compromises quality.
What are the two definitions of Information System (IS) quality mentioned in the paper?
The paper cites two definitions of IS quality: a system's capability to satisfy needs, expectations, and requests, and the proportion between expected and experienced yield of a system.
What are the different meanings of the acronym RAD discussed in the paper?
The paper identifies three primary meanings of RAD: James Martin's RAD (JMRAD), Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), and Marketing RAD.
What is James Martin's RAD (JMRAD)?
JMRAD is the original RAD methodology developed by James Martin, based on an evolutionary approach rather than the traditional life cycle.
What is Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)?
DSDM is a non-proprietary RAD-like approach created by the DSM consortium. It is developed in the UK and provides a framework for RAD software projects, and is considered a more mature version of JMRAD.
What is meant by "Marketing RAD"?
Marketing RAD refers to the use of the term "Rapid Application Development" in marketing literature to promote the effectiveness of software tools, often exaggerating development speed increases without fully implementing all aspects of RAD.
How can RAD be categorized according to the text?
RAD can be seen as either a methodology, like JMRAD or DSDM, or as a class of tools that facilitate speedy application development.
How does speed of development relate to quality in the context of RAD?
The paper argues that developing software faster can be a quality criterion in itself, as a timely system, even if imperfect, can be more valuable than a perfect system delivered too late to meet current business needs.
What role do CASE tools play in RAD projects?
CASE tools are often used in RAD projects to create code more quickly, facilitate code reuse, and leverage existing, tested code, contributing to a certain level of quality.
How does user involvement contribute to quality in RAD projects?
RAD relies heavily on user involvement through JAD/JRP workshops and ongoing prototyping. This ongoing process builds user commitment and allows the system to be more aligned with user needs.
What is meant by 'fitness for purpose' in the context of DSDM?
'Fitness for purpose' refers to user acceptance of the IS deliverable, indicating that quality is built into the IS when DSDM is used as the methodology.
What are some criticisms of RAD mentioned in the paper?
Critics argue that RAD can lead to "rough and dirty" development, neglect long-term considerations, skip design, and ignore software engineering standards. Some also believe that the temptation to skip standards is greater during the development of e-business IS.
What are the two types of RAD projects identified by Beyon-Davies et al?
Beyon-Davies et al identify highly intensive projects and phased projects.
What are highly intensive RAD projects?
In highly intensive projects, developers and users work intensely together for a few weeks to produce a working deliverable, emphasizing speed.
What are phased RAD projects?
Phased projects are spread over several months or years and follow a more classic methodology with phases, but incorporate RAD techniques like JAD workshops, timeboxing, prototyping, and CASE tools to accelerate development.
- Quote paper
- Christian Wimmer (Author), 2006, Does Rapid Application Development reduce the quality of Information Systems?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/117062
