A software development process has four roles: [7]
Without a well-defined process, your development team will develop in an ad hoc manner, with success relying on the heroic efforts of a few dedicated individual contributors. This is not a sustainable condition. By contrast, mature organizations that employ a well-defined process can develop complex systems in a repeatable and predictable way. Not only is that a sustainable business, but it's also one that can improve with each new project, thereby increasing the efficiency and productivity of the organization as a whole. Such a well-defined process enables and encourages all of the best practices described earlier. When you codify these practices into a process, your development team can build on the collective experience of thousands of successful projects. The Rational Unified Process, as described in the remainder of this book, builds on these six best practices plus several others to deliver a well-defined process. This is the context for the Rational Unified Process, a software development process focused on ensuring the production of quality systems in a repeatable and predictable fashion. |