rapid-application-development

Rapid Application Development In A Nutshell

Business / By / November 1, 2023

RAD was first introduced by author and consultant James Martin in 1991. Martin recognized and then took advantage of the endless malleability of software in designing development models. Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a methodology focusing on delivering rapidly through continuous feedback and frequent iterations.

AspectExplanation
DefinitionRapid Application Development (RAD) is a software development methodology that prioritizes speed and flexibility in building applications. It aims to accelerate the development process by using iterative and incremental techniques. RAD focuses on rapid prototyping, reusability, and minimal planning to quickly deliver functional software. This approach is particularly useful for projects where requirements are likely to change or are not well-defined initially. RAD methodologies emphasize collaboration between developers and end-users, allowing for frequent feedback and adjustments during development.
Key Concepts– Prototyping: RAD relies heavily on creating prototypes of the software to visualize the user interface and functionality early in the development cycle. – Iterative Development: RAD emphasizes incremental development cycles, with each iteration building upon the previous one. – User Involvement: End-users and stakeholders are actively involved throughout the development process to provide feedback and ensure the final product aligns with their needs. – Reusability: RAD promotes the reuse of existing software components or modules to speed up development. – Minimal Planning: Unlike traditional methodologies, RAD often involves minimal upfront planning, allowing for flexibility in adapting to changing requirements.
Characteristics– Speed: RAD is known for its rapid development pace, allowing applications to be built quickly. – Flexibility: The methodology is flexible and adaptable to evolving requirements. – End-User Focus: RAD prioritizes meeting end-users’ needs and expectations through continuous involvement. – Prototyping: Extensive prototyping helps visualize the final product and gather feedback early. – Iterative: Development occurs in multiple iterations, with each iteration enhancing the software.
Implications– Faster Time-to-Market: RAD accelerates development, enabling quicker delivery of software products. – Improved Collaboration: Close collaboration between developers and end-users enhances communication and ensures the application aligns with user expectations. – Adaptability: RAD’s flexibility allows projects to adapt to changing requirements more effectively. – Risk Management: Frequent prototyping and iteration help identify and address issues early, reducing project risks. – Resource Efficiency: Reusable components and modules save development time and resources.
Advantages– Speed and Efficiency: RAD significantly reduces development timelines, making it suitable for time-sensitive projects. – User Satisfaction: Active user involvement ensures that the final product meets user needs and expectations. – Reduced Development Costs: Faster development cycles can lead to cost savings. – Flexibility: RAD adapts well to projects with evolving or unclear requirements. – Early Prototyping: Early prototypes allow stakeholders to visualize the end product and provide valuable feedback.
Drawbacks– Complexity: The rapid pace of RAD can make it challenging to manage complex projects effectively. – Limited Documentation: Minimal planning and documentation may lead to a lack of comprehensive project documentation. – Scope Creep: Frequent changes and adaptations can result in scope creep if not managed rigorously. – Resource Demands: RAD requires skilled and dedicated team members who can work closely with end-users. – Not Suitable for All Projects: RAD may not be the best fit for projects with well-defined and stable requirements.
Applications– Web Application Development: RAD is commonly used for developing web applications, where rapid delivery is essential. – Mobile App Development: It’s suitable for mobile app development, allowing businesses to release apps quickly. – Prototyping: RAD is valuable for creating prototypes to test new software concepts and gather user feedback. – E-commerce Platforms: E-commerce businesses benefit from RAD to quickly build and update their platforms. – Custom Software Solutions: RAD is used in various industries to develop customized software solutions tailored to specific business needs.
Use Cases– E-commerce Website: A retail company uses RAD to rapidly develop and launch a new e-commerce website, allowing them to start selling products online quickly. – Mobile App: A startup uses RAD to create a prototype of a mobile app, which they share with potential investors to secure funding for full development. – Prototyping: A software company uses RAD to quickly build a prototype of a new software product to validate its market potential and gather user feedback. – Agile Development: An IT consultancy adopts RAD principles to deliver agile software development services, ensuring clients receive rapid results and frequent updates. – Custom CRM: A business opts for RAD to develop a custom customer relationship management (CRM) system tailored to its unique requirements, allowing for rapid adaptation as needs change.

Understanding Rapid Application Development

In a competitive market demanding the fast delivery of products satisfying client needs, RAD is a useful tool for many businesses.

RAD allows project managers to measure and communicate progress in real-time to stakeholders.

With more awareness of evolving issues and changes, projects are more transparent and run efficiently.

It’s important to note that RAD is a precursor to modern agile project management. It emphasizes rapid prototyping and iterative release cycles driven by user feedback.

There is little to no emphasis on the rigid and often costly scheduling that is common to the waterfall model.

The four phases of Rapid Application Development

There are several ways to approach RAD, but many businesses choose to follow four main phases:

Phase 1 – Requirements planning

Phase 1 is somewhat condensed when compared to other agile frameworks, but it is nevertheless a critical step. During this phase, stakeholders come together to set goals and expectations and brainstorm potential issues that may arise during development.

Each stakeholder must approve the project moving forward. This helps avoid costly changes because of a lack of communication.

Phase 2 – User design

In the second phase, user design must be built out via prototype iterations. Here, clients work closely with developers to ensure needs are met at every stage of the design process. In other words, the developer designs a prototype that the client tests. 

Then, they come together to discuss what worked and what needs improvement. Close and iterative collaboration during the user design phase is unique to RAD, helping it deliver on a promise of fast turnaround time.

Lastly, each party must approach user design with rigor to ensure that nothing important is overlooked.

Phase 3 – Rapid construction

Prototypes and systems from the previous phase are then incorporated into a working model.

This involves:

  • Rapid construction preparation.
  • Application coding.
  • System testing.
  • Unit integration.

Software and applications are once again thoroughly tested, but during phase three there is more of a focus on refining the interface, functionality, or other aspects of the product. If new challenges are identified, then new ideas must be formulated to overcome them. 

Clients may also find that theoretical ideas do not work in practice. In this case, the developer must resume prototyping or move to the final step if the feedback is completely positive.

Phase 4 – Cutover (transition)

At this point, the product goes to launch and the development team moves components to a live production environment. Once this is achieved, any testing, data conversion, or user training takes place.

In the background, coders continue to look for system vulnerabilities.

Case studies

1. Healthcare Mobile App Development:

Phase 1 – Requirements Planning: Hospital administrators, doctors, and IT professionals come together to determine the essential features of a mobile app that helps patients book appointments, view medical records, and consult doctors virtually.

Phase 2 – User Design: A prototype mobile app is designed, and a group of patients and medical staff test it. They provide feedback on its ease of use, layout, and functionality. Iterations continue until the prototype aligns with the users’ needs.

Phase 3 – Rapid Construction: The mobile app is developed, integrating features like chat functionality, secure access to medical records, and appointment scheduling. It undergoes rigorous testing to ensure data security and usability.

Phase 4 – Cutover (transition): The mobile app is launched on various app stores, and training sessions are organized for hospital staff. Continuous monitoring ensures that patient data remains secure and the app functions seamlessly.

2. E-commerce Website Development:

Phase 1 – Requirements Planning: E-commerce business owners, marketing teams, and developers gather to discuss the features needed for a new online store, including product listings, a shopping cart, and secure payment gateways.

Phase 2 – User Design: A prototype website is designed. A group of potential customers tests the website, providing feedback on the shopping experience, design aesthetics, and ease of navigation. Adjustments are made based on this feedback.

Phase 3 – Rapid Construction: The website is developed, incorporating feedback from the prototype testing. Features like product recommendations, customer reviews, and secure checkout are added and tested.

Phase 4 – Cutover (transition): The website goes live, and an extensive marketing campaign is launched to attract customers. The development team closely monitors website traffic, server loads, and potential security threats.

3. Educational Learning Management System (LMS):

Phase 1 – Requirements Planning: Educators, students, and IT professionals meet to discuss the essential features of an LMS that would facilitate online learning, including course creation, assignment submission, and student collaboration.

Phase 2 – User Design: A prototype LMS is created. Educators and a select group of students test the system, providing feedback on user interfaces, feature sets, and system responsiveness. Iterative improvements are made based on their feedback.

Phase 3 – Rapid Construction: The LMS is developed further, integrating features like quizzes, grade books, and discussion forums. It is tested extensively to ensure stability and user-friendliness.

Phase 4 – Cutover (transition): The LMS is rolled out to the entire educational institution. Training sessions are organized for educators, and onboarding resources are provided to students. Continuous monitoring ensures the platform’s smooth operation.

4. Financial Budgeting Software for SMEs:

Phase 1 – Requirements Planning: SME owners, accountants, and software developers convene to identify the key features needed for budgeting software tailored for small businesses.

Phase 2 – User Design: A prototype software version is designed and given to a group of SMEs for testing. Feedback on its functionalities, user interface, and integration capabilities is collected and analyzed.

Phase 3 – Rapid Construction: The software is further developed, integrating functionalities like financial forecasting, expense tracking, and report generation. It undergoes extensive testing to ensure accurate financial calculations.

Phase 4 – Cutover (transition): The software is made available for SMEs to purchase and use. Training webinars are organized to guide users through its functionalities. Continuous updates and patches are released based on user feedback.

Key takeaways

  • Rapid Application Development is a popular agile project management strategy with a focus on fast project turnaround.
  • Rapid Application Development encourages rapid prototyping and iterative release cycles. This is achieved by the close collaboration of the developer and client at every stage of the design process.
  • Successfully implementing Rapid Application Development largely depends on the ability of the project manager to communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders in real-time.

Key highlights of Rapid Application Development (RAD)

  • Introduction and Origin: RAD was introduced by author and consultant James Martin in 1991. It capitalizes on the flexibility of software and emphasizes rapid delivery through continuous feedback and frequent iterations.
  • Competitive Advantage: In a competitive market with demanding client needs, RAD is a valuable tool for businesses. It enables real-time progress measurement and communication with stakeholders, leading to transparent and efficient project execution.
  • RAD and Agile Project Management: RAD serves as a precursor to modern agile project management. It focuses on rapid prototyping and iterative release cycles based on user feedback, in contrast to the rigid scheduling of the waterfall model.
  • The Four Phases of RAD:
    • Phase 1 – Requirements Planning: Involves stakeholders setting goals, expectations, and identifying potential issues. Approval from stakeholders helps prevent costly changes due to lack of communication.
    • Phase 2 – User Design: Clients collaborate closely with developers through prototype iterations, ensuring continuous alignment with user needs. Rigorous user design avoids overlooking important aspects.
    • Phase 3 – Rapid Construction: Prototypes and systems are integrated into a working model, involving coding, testing, and unit integration. The focus is on refining the product’s interface and functionality, addressing challenges, and conducting thorough testing.
    • Phase 4 – Cutover (Transition): The product goes live, and components are moved to a production environment. Testing, data conversion, and user training take place. Coders continue to monitor for vulnerabilities.
  • Collaborative Approach: RAD’s success relies on close collaboration between the developer and client at each design stage, allowing for fast project turnaround.
  • Effective Communication: To implement RAD successfully, project managers must effectively communicate with team members and stakeholders in real-time, ensuring smooth project execution and alignment with objectives.

Connected Agile & Lean Frameworks

AIOps

aiops
AIOps is the application of artificial intelligence to IT operations. It has become particularly useful for modern IT management in hybridized, distributed, and dynamic environments. AIOps has become a key operational component of modern digital-based organizations, built around software and algorithms.

AgileSHIFT

AgileSHIFT
AgileSHIFT is a framework that prepares individuals for transformational change by creating a culture of agility.

Agile Methodology

agile-methodology
Agile started as a lightweight development method compared to heavyweight software development, which is the core paradigm of the previous decades of software development. By 2001 the Manifesto for Agile Software Development was born as a set of principles that defined the new paradigm for software development as a continuous iteration. This would also influence the way of doing business.

Agile Program Management

agile-program-management
Agile Program Management is a means of managing, planning, and coordinating interrelated work in such a way that value delivery is emphasized for all key stakeholders. Agile Program Management (AgilePgM) is a disciplined yet flexible agile approach to managing transformational change within an organization.

Agile Project Management

agile-project-management
Agile project management (APM) is a strategy that breaks large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks. In the APM methodology, each project is completed in small sections – often referred to as iterations. Each iteration is completed according to its project life cycle, beginning with the initial design and progressing to testing and then quality assurance.

Agile Modeling

agile-modeling
Agile Modeling (AM) is a methodology for modeling and documenting software-based systems. Agile Modeling is critical to the rapid and continuous delivery of software. It is a collection of values, principles, and practices that guide effective, lightweight software modeling.

Agile Business Analysis

agile-business-analysis
Agile Business Analysis (AgileBA) is certification in the form of guidance and training for business analysts seeking to work in agile environments. To support this shift, AgileBA also helps the business analyst relate Agile projects to a wider organizational mission or strategy. To ensure that analysts have the necessary skills and expertise, AgileBA certification was developed.

Agile Leadership

agile-leadership
Agile leadership is the embodiment of agile manifesto principles by a manager or management team. Agile leadership impacts two important levels of a business. The structural level defines the roles, responsibilities, and key performance indicators. The behavioral level describes the actions leaders exhibit to others based on agile principles. 

Andon System

andon-system
The andon system alerts managerial, maintenance, or other staff of a production process problem. The alert itself can be activated manually with a button or pull cord, but it can also be activated automatically by production equipment. Most Andon boards utilize three colored lights similar to a traffic signal: green (no errors), yellow or amber (problem identified, or quality check needed), and red (production stopped due to unidentified issue).

Bimodal Portfolio Management

bimodal-portfolio-management
Bimodal Portfolio Management (BimodalPfM) helps an organization manage both agile and traditional portfolios concurrently. Bimodal Portfolio Management – sometimes referred to as bimodal development – was coined by research and advisory company Gartner. The firm argued that many agile organizations still needed to run some aspects of their operations using traditional delivery models.

Business Innovation Matrix

business-innovation
Business innovation is about creating new opportunities for an organization to reinvent its core offerings, revenue streams, and enhance the value proposition for existing or new customers, thus renewing its whole business model. Business innovation springs by understanding the structure of the market, thus adapting or anticipating those changes.

Business Model Innovation

business-model-innovation
Business model innovation is about increasing the success of an organization with existing products and technologies by crafting a compelling value proposition able to propel a new business model to scale up customers and create a lasting competitive advantage. And it all starts by mastering the key customers.

Constructive Disruption

constructive-disruption
A consumer brand company like Procter & Gamble (P&G) defines “Constructive Disruption” as: a willingness to change, adapt, and create new trends and technologies that will shape our industry for the future. According to P&G, it moves around four pillars: lean innovation, brand building, supply chain, and digitalization & data analytics.

Continuous Innovation

continuous-innovation
That is a process that requires a continuous feedback loop to develop a valuable product and build a viable business model. Continuous innovation is a mindset where products and services are designed and delivered to tune them around the customers’ problem and not the technical solution of its founders.

Design Sprint

design-sprint
A design sprint is a proven five-day process where critical business questions are answered through speedy design and prototyping, focusing on the end-user. A design sprint starts with a weekly challenge that should finish with a prototype, test at the end, and therefore a lesson learned to be iterated.

Design Thinking

design-thinking
Tim Brown, Executive Chair of IDEO, defined design thinking as “a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.” Therefore, desirability, feasibility, and viability are balanced to solve critical problems.

DevOps

devops-engineering
DevOps refers to a series of practices performed to perform automated software development processes. It is a conjugation of the term “development” and “operations” to emphasize how functions integrate across IT teams. DevOps strategies promote seamless building, testing, and deployment of products. It aims to bridge a gap between development and operations teams to streamline the development altogether.

Dual Track Agile

dual-track-agile
Product discovery is a critical part of agile methodologies, as its aim is to ensure that products customers love are built. Product discovery involves learning through a raft of methods, including design thinking, lean start-up, and A/B testing to name a few. Dual Track Agile is an agile methodology containing two separate tracks: the “discovery” track and the “delivery” track.

eXtreme Programming

extreme-programming
eXtreme Programming was developed in the late 1990s by Ken Beck, Ron Jeffries, and Ward Cunningham. During this time, the trio was working on the Chrysler Comprehensive Compensation System (C3) to help manage the company payroll system. eXtreme Programming (XP) is a software development methodology. It is designed to improve software quality and the ability of software to adapt to changing customer needs.

Feature-Driven Development

feature-driven-development
Feature-Driven Development is a pragmatic software process that is client and architecture-centric. Feature-Driven Development (FDD) is an agile software development model that organizes workflow according to which features need to be developed next.

Gemba Walk

gemba-walk
A Gemba Walk is a fundamental component of lean management. It describes the personal observation of work to learn more about it. Gemba is a Japanese word that loosely translates as “the real place”, or in business, “the place where value is created”. The Gemba Walk as a concept was created by Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System of lean manufacturing. Ohno wanted to encourage management executives to leave their offices and see where the real work happened. This, he hoped, would build relationships between employees with vastly different skillsets and build trust.

GIST Planning

gist-planning
GIST Planning is a relatively easy and lightweight agile approach to product planning that favors autonomous working. GIST Planning is a lean and agile methodology that was created by former Google product manager Itamar Gilad. GIST Planning seeks to address this situation by creating lightweight plans that are responsive and adaptable to change. GIST Planning also improves team velocity, autonomy, and alignment by reducing the pervasive influence of management. It consists of four blocks: goals, ideas, step-projects, and tasks.

ICE Scoring

ice-scoring-model
The ICE Scoring Model is an agile methodology that prioritizes features using data according to three components: impact, confidence, and ease of implementation. The ICE Scoring Model was initially created by author and growth expert Sean Ellis to help companies expand. Today, the model is broadly used to prioritize projects, features, initiatives, and rollouts. It is ideally suited for early-stage product development where there is a continuous flow of ideas and momentum must be maintained.

Innovation Funnel

innovation-funnel
An innovation funnel is a tool or process ensuring only the best ideas are executed. In a metaphorical sense, the funnel screens innovative ideas for viability so that only the best products, processes, or business models are launched to the market. An innovation funnel provides a framework for the screening and testing of innovative ideas for viability.

Innovation Matrix

types-of-innovation
According to how well defined is the problem and how well defined the domain, we have four main types of innovations: basic research (problem and domain or not well defined); breakthrough innovation (domain is not well defined, the problem is well defined); sustaining innovation (both problem and domain are well defined); and disruptive innovation (domain is well defined, the problem is not well defined).

Innovation Theory

innovation-theory
The innovation loop is a methodology/framework derived from the Bell Labs, which produced innovation at scale throughout the 20th century. They learned how to leverage a hybrid innovation management model based on science, invention, engineering, and manufacturing at scale. By leveraging individual genius, creativity, and small/large groups.

Lean vs. Agile

lean-methodology-vs-agile
The Agile methodology has been primarily thought of for software development (and other business disciplines have also adopted it). Lean thinking is a process improvement technique where teams prioritize the value streams to improve it continuously. Both methodologies look at the customer as the key driver to improvement and waste reduction. Both methodologies look at improvement as something continuous.

Lean Startup

startup-company
A startup company is a high-tech business that tries to build a scalable business model in tech-driven industries. A startup company usually follows a lean methodology, where continuous innovation, driven by built-in viral loops is the rule. Thus, driving growth and building network effects as a consequence of this strategy.

Minimum Viable Product

minimum-viable-product
As pointed out by Eric Ries, a minimum viable product is that version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort through a cycle of build, measure, learn; that is the foundation of the lean startup methodology.

Leaner MVP

leaner-mvp
A leaner MVP is the evolution of the MPV approach. Where the market risk is validated before anything else

Kanban

kanban
Kanban is a lean manufacturing framework first developed by Toyota in the late 1940s. The Kanban framework is a means of visualizing work as it moves through identifying potential bottlenecks. It does that through a process called just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing to optimize engineering processes, speed up manufacturing products, and improve the go-to-market strategy.

Jidoka

jidoka
Jidoka was first used in 1896 by Sakichi Toyoda, who invented a textile loom that would stop automatically when it encountered a defective thread. Jidoka is a Japanese term used in lean manufacturing. The term describes a scenario where machines cease operating without human intervention when a problem or defect is discovered.

PDCA Cycle

pdca-cycle
The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle was first proposed by American physicist and engineer Walter A. Shewhart in the 1920s. The PDCA cycle is a continuous process and product improvement method and an essential component of the lean manufacturing philosophy.

Rational Unified Process

rational-unified-process
Rational unified process (RUP) is an agile software development methodology that breaks the project life cycle down into four distinct phases.

Rapid Application Development

rapid-application-development
RAD was first introduced by author and consultant James Martin in 1991. Martin recognized and then took advantage of the endless malleability of software in designing development models. Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a methodology focusing on delivering rapidly through continuous feedback and frequent iterations.

Retrospective Analysis

retrospective-analysis
Retrospective analyses are held after a project to determine what worked well and what did not. They are also conducted at the end of an iteration in Agile project management. Agile practitioners call these meetings retrospectives or retros. They are an effective way to check the pulse of a project team, reflect on the work performed to date, and reach a consensus on how to tackle the next sprint cycle. These are the five stages of a retrospective analysis for effective Agile project management: set the stage, gather the data, generate insights, decide on the next steps, and close the retrospective.

Scaled Agile

scaled-agile-lean-development
Scaled Agile Lean Development (ScALeD) helps businesses discover a balanced approach to agile transition and scaling questions. The ScALed approach helps businesses successfully respond to change. Inspired by a combination of lean and agile values, ScALed is practitioner-based and can be completed through various agile frameworks and practices.

SMED

smed
The SMED (single minute exchange of die) method is a lean production framework to reduce waste and increase production efficiency. The SMED method is a framework for reducing the time associated with completing an equipment changeover.

Spotify Model

spotify-model
The Spotify Model is an autonomous approach to scaling agile, focusing on culture communication, accountability, and quality. The Spotify model was first recognized in 2012 after Henrik Kniberg, and Anders Ivarsson released a white paper detailing how streaming company Spotify approached agility. Therefore, the Spotify model represents an evolution of agile.

Test-Driven Development

test-driven-development
As the name suggests, TDD is a test-driven technique for delivering high-quality software rapidly and sustainably. It is an iterative approach based on the idea that a failing test should be written before any code for a feature or function is written. Test-Driven Development (TDD) is an approach to software development that relies on very short development cycles.

Timeboxing

timeboxing
Timeboxing is a simple yet powerful time-management technique for improving productivity. Timeboxing describes the process of proactively scheduling a block of time to spend on a task in the future. It was first described by author James Martin in a book about agile software development.

Scrum

what-is-scrum
Scrum is a methodology co-created by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland for effective team collaboration on complex products. Scrum was primarily thought for software development projects to deliver new software capability every 2-4 weeks. It is a sub-group of agile also used in project management to improve startups’ productivity.

Scrumban

scrumban
Scrumban is a project management framework that is a hybrid of two popular agile methodologies: Scrum and Kanban. Scrumban is a popular approach to helping businesses focus on the right strategic tasks while simultaneously strengthening their processes.

Scrum Anti-Patterns

scrum-anti-patterns
Scrum anti-patterns describe any attractive, easy-to-implement solution that ultimately makes a problem worse. Therefore, these are the practice not to follow to prevent issues from emerging. Some classic examples of scrum anti-patterns comprise absent product owners, pre-assigned tickets (making individuals work in isolation), and discounting retrospectives (where review meetings are not useful to really make improvements).

Scrum At Scale

scrum-at-scale
Scrum at Scale (Scrum@Scale) is a framework that Scrum teams use to address complex problems and deliver high-value products. Scrum at Scale was created through a joint venture between the Scrum Alliance and Scrum Inc. The joint venture was overseen by Jeff Sutherland, a co-creator of Scrum and one of the principal authors of the Agile Manifesto.

Six Sigma

six-sigma
Six Sigma is a data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating errors or defects in a product, service, or process. Six Sigma was developed by Motorola as a management approach based on quality fundamentals in the early 1980s. A decade later, it was popularized by General Electric who estimated that the methodology saved them $12 billion in the first five years of operation.

Stretch Objectives

stretch-objectives
Stretch objectives describe any task an agile team plans to complete without expressly committing to do so. Teams incorporate stretch objectives during a Sprint or Program Increment (PI) as part of Scaled Agile. They are used when the agile team is unsure of its capacity to attain an objective. Therefore, stretch objectives are instead outcomes that, while extremely desirable, are not the difference between the success or failure of each sprint.

Toyota Production System

toyota-production-system
The Toyota Production System (TPS) is an early form of lean manufacturing created by auto-manufacturer Toyota. Created by the Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1940s and 50s, the Toyota Production System seeks to manufacture vehicles ordered by customers most quickly and efficiently possible.

Total Quality Management

total-quality-management
The Total Quality Management (TQM) framework is a technique based on the premise that employees continuously work on their ability to provide value to customers. Importantly, the word “total” means that all employees are involved in the process – regardless of whether they work in development, production, or fulfillment.

Waterfall

waterfall-model
The waterfall model was first described by Herbert D. Benington in 1956 during a presentation about the software used in radar imaging during the Cold War. Since there were no knowledge-based, creative software development strategies at the time, the waterfall method became standard practice. The waterfall model is a linear and sequential project management framework. 

Read Also: Continuous Innovation, Agile Methodology, Lean Startup, Business Model Innovation, Project Management.

Read Next: Agile Methodology, Lean Methodology, Agile Project Management, Scrum, Kanban, Six Sigma.

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About The Author

Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
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