Rapid Development: Taming Wild Software Schedules

Keys to Success in Using Evolutionary Prototyping

Here are the keys to successful Evolutionary Prototyping:

• Decide at the beginning of the project whether to evolve the prototype or throw it away. Be sure that managers and developers are both committed to whichever course of action is selected.

• Explicitly manage customer and end-user expectations having to do with schedule, budget, and performance.

• Limit end-user interaction with the prototype to controlled settings.

• Use experienced developers. Avoid using entry-level developers.

• Use design checklists at each stage to ensure the quality of the prototyped system.

• Use code-quality checklists at each stage to ensure the maintainability of the prototyped code.

• Consider performance early.

• Carefully manage ...