Practical Implications of Rapid Development Methodologies

Rapid development methodologies are popular approaches for the development of modern software systems. The goals of these methodologies are the inclusion of the client into the analysis, design and implementation activities, as well as the acceleration of the system development phases through an iterative construction approach. These methodologies also claim to manage the changing nature of requirements. However, during the development of large and complex systems by a small and technically competent development team, there is a danger that certain unforeseen practical implications are introduced into the development process by rapid development methodologies. In this paper we reflect on some observed practical implications of rapid development methodologies after the completion of two projects that involved the construction of large and complex software systems.