Chapter 7. The Elaboration Phase

This chapter provides a general introduction to Elaboration, the second phase of the RUP lifecycle. This is the phase in which the differences between the waterfall and iterative approaches are most apparent: In particular, there is a radical difference in the types of activities performed in each of the approaches. The major advantages of the iterative approach will become clear: It addresses major risks, builds an early skeleton architecture of the system, and refines and evolves the project plans that were produced in Inception. These plans will continue to be revised throughout the project. In short, iterative development allows your project to adapt to the discovery of new or unknown issues.

Rather than describe each possible activity you could undertake in the Elaboration phase, we will focus on what you want to achieve ”that is, the objectives of the Elaboration phase ”and then provide guidance on how to achieve it. This will help you to stay focused on the most essential activities in an actual project, making it less likely that the project will derail or become mired in "analysis-paralysis," that is, nonessential activities that prohibit real progress. Or worse , you could focus on developing the wrong artifact or useless artifacts, just because they are described in the RUP.

While you read this chapter, remember that you need to decide how formally you want to capture artifacts; this could be done in your head, on a whiteboard, or in a model or document. How formally do you want to review these artifacts? We will try to point out obvious shortcuts you can make if you work in small projects or low-ceremony projects, but in the end, nothing can replace common sense, and you will need to make a judgment call as to what fits your project best. This is something that you have captured in your Software Development Plan in Inception.