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Intranet Project Rad Or Waterfall
uilding Bridges floodplain. Finally - and
perhaps most importantly - there
I have often used the is no guarantee that the
analogy of building a bridge to projected growth in cross-river
explain to business colleagues traffic will indeed materialise -
the difference between Rapid or that people will wish to cross
Application Development (RAD) and at this precise point, rather
Waterfall. than further up, or down, river.
A new bridge could prove an
Let's say that we are in the expensive white elephant and
middle ages and the Mayor of divert much-needed town resources
Kingston-upon-Thames is away from other projects. The
evaluating whether or not to increased local taxes required
build a bridge over the river to could also scare the very
the north side, to replace the businesses he is hoping to
current ferry. The whole area attract away to other local
has been growing rapidly and a towns.
bridge at Kingston should give
his town a lead against competing Option 1 - Waterfall
local towns like Ham and Richmond
(who also have their own Waterfall, as a methodology, is
ferries). all about building reliable
systems. At each stage of the
However, building a bridge lifecycle, the results are
presents problems. Firstly, the correct. The Mayor's engineer
bedrock north and south of the believes that - when building a
river are very different. bridge - the result needs to be
Secondly, the river is still safe, sound and capable of
tidal at this point and its path lasting for decades. He
continues to vary across the recommends a design phase, which
includes thoroughly testing the 80% of the functionality in 20%
bedrock by driving piles and of the time, so as to take full
developing ways to limit the advantage of the business
future variance of the river's opportunity. The Mayor's
course. During the build phase, political advisors recommend the
the bridge would be tested to RAD option; to lay a pontoon
ensure it can take the loads that bridge first alongside the
will be placed upon it and to existing ferry. This can be
deal with high winds or flood achieved in just three months,
conditions. The engineer using a series of boats with a
confirms that each stage would makeshift road surface and swing
only start once the previous bridge lock for river vessels to
stage had been proved correct navigate. The pontoon bridge
beyond reasonable doubt. The allows the business model to be
stone bridge will take five whole tested very quickly; If the
years to build (with a high expected benefits materialise,
upfront cost commitment). If the then further iterations of the
project were ever stopped, the bridge can be constructed later
value tied up in phases to date on. Sounds good, but of course
would be lost. The engineer (overall) the costs will be
reminds the Mayor that a higher than waterfall if a full,
collapsed bridge would not help stone bridge is ultimately
his place in history! required. In the meantime, if
the river changes course, or
Option 2 - RAD floods impact the area, then the
pontoon bridge will be washed
RAD, as a methodology is all away. His chief advisor reminds
about building relevant systems. him that a bridge five years from
The argument runs that it is now would not help his
better to be there quickly with re-election prospects two years
hence! change in your organisation and
it's requirements.
The Mayor's selected option
If you are operating in a stable
Hmm. Interesting, isn't it. Not business environment and are well
a clear-cut decision. There are funded and supported, then
good arguments for either waterfall offers real benefits.
approach. The Mayor's decision You could establish an Intranet
will ultimately depend on (a) how Portal that is well founded,
sure he is of his own vision, (b) scalable and secure. If not,
his financial and time then RAD could offer you the
constraints and (c) how means to make some progress now
changeable these factors are at low cost and use the results
likely to be over time. In of your early work to build a
short, he has a trade-off stronger case for future
decision of relevance vs. investment. It also allows you
reliability. to vary the approach - or begin
again - should circumstances or
Turning the analogy onto Intranet requirements change.
Projects
Most Intranet evangelists will
In chapter 16 of my Intranet find themselves perhaps in a
Portal Guide, I explore these mixed situation, where there is
concepts in a bit more support and funding but there is
depth.However - put simply - the also the risk of rapid changes to
answer for you will depend the underlying business
largely on how sure you are of environment and requirements.
your vision, the support of Here, I would recommend a mixed
stakeholders, the availability of approach: Use a waterfall
resources and the degree of project to establish the
underlying portal infrastructure applications (developing
(as this platform will be the solutions that are timely and
bedrock on which you will build relevant to businesses operating
and needs to stand the test of in a fast-moving and competitive
time). Then use a RAD method to environment).
build the content and
About the Author:
David Viney (david@viney.com) is the author of the Intranet Portal Guide; 31 pages of advice, tools and downloads covering the period before, during and after an Intranet Portal implementation.
Read the guide at http://www.viney.com/DFV/intranet_portal_guide or the Intranet Watch Blog at http://www.viney.com/intranet_watch.
Read more articles by: David Viney
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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