Rapid Application Development (RAD) Methodology

RAD (rapid application development) proposes that products can be developed faster and of higher quality by:

Using workshops or focus groups to gather requirements.
Prototyping and user testing of designs.
Re-using software components.
Following a schedule that defers design improvements to the next product version.
Keeping review meetings and other team communication informal.

There are commercial products that include requirements gathering tools, prototyping tools, software development environments such as those for the Java platform, groupware for communication among development members, and testing tools. RAD usually embraces object-oriented programming methodology, which inherently fosters software re-use. The most popular object-oriented programming languages, C++ and Java, are offered in visual programming packages often described as providing rapid application development.

If you're looking to hire a project manager with a strong software development background, contact me and I'd be happy to discuss your company's project needs and how I can address them.

Other Methodologies

For a high-level look at project management in general, check out my introduction to project management fundamentals.