Rapid Development: Taming Wild Software Schedules

Side Effects of JAD

Aside from its impact on development speed, JAD has many side effects, all of them positive:

• It results in a higher-quality user interface from the end-user's point of view. Prototypes make the software's design tangible, and participants are better able to contribute to a hot prototype than a cold paper spec.

• It results in higher end-user satisfaction because of the end-users' participation in the software's design.

• It results in systems that have greater business value, for the same reason.

• It helps developers gain appreciation for the practical business needs and concerns of executives and end-users.

• It cuts across organizational barriers and reduces the effects of politics. When the mission is clear, the group dynamics during ...