How Iterative Do You Want to Be?

There is a fairly large consensus among software industry leaders [14] in support of the benefits of iterative and risk-driven development (many of these benefits are discussed in detail in Chapter 2). Using such an approach typically has substantial benefits, with fewer cost and schedule overruns than waterfall approaches. Predictability is enhanced, allowing the identification of cost or schedule overruns in time to allow for scope cutting, making it possible to deliver at least a reduced set of the most essential capabilities on time and on budget.

[14] See Gilb 1988, Boehm 1996, Highsmith 2000, and McCormack 2001.

But what prevents organizations from using a highly iterative, risk-driven approach with continuous integration and testing? Know-how, good process support, and good tool support.

  • It may be hard for an inexperienced team to adopt a highly iterative approach. Such teams , unless they have good mentoring support, may start by experimenting with only a few iterations in their first iterative project.

  • Good process support is required because iterative development introduces a lot of new challenges, especially for project managers and architects . The process needs to guide these and other team members in how to mitigate key risks early on, how to introduce the right Configuration and Change Management practices, and how to produce an executable architecture early on.

  • Good tool support is also crucial. It is very difficult to do iterative development without good support for automated testing and Configuration and Change Management, among other things. Chapter 11 discusses the relationship between automation and iterative development.

Because of the benefits of iterative development, projects should strive to go far down on the Waterfall/Iterative axis. However, project teams may find that they need to gain experience, process support, and enhancements of their tool environment in order to get there.



The Rational Unified Process Made Easy(c) A Practitioner's Guide to Rational Unified Process
Programming Microsoft Visual C++
ISBN: N/A
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 173

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