Joint application development is a methodology that includes the client or end user in the development and design process of the application. Chuck Morris and Tony Crawford both from IBM developed JAD during the late 1970’s and they began teaching the approach through workshops in the ‘80’s.
Comparing the traditional practice and approach to the systems development the developer will be the one who investigates the system requirements and develop an application with the input of the client consisting of a series of interviews.
JAD can be to areas such as:
• New Systems
• Enhancements to existing systems
• System conversions
• Purchase of a system
Project types:
• Involves many groups of users whose responsibilities cross traditional department or division boundaries
• Is considered critical to the future success of the organization
• Involves willing users
• First time project for the organization
• Has a troubled project history or relationship between systems and user organizations
The characteristics listed above describes a good use of Joint application development project, not all the characteristics should be present the very first project. The success and failure of the process is directly tied to how well the users handles the session.
Challenges:
* Without multifaceted preparation for a JAD session, valuable time of professionals can be wasted easily. The wrong problem can be addressed, the wrong people can be invited to participate, inadequate resources for problem-solving can be used - all these scenarios can happen if organizers of the JAD session do not study the elements of the system being evaluated.
* The team chosen to participate in a JAD workshop should include employees able to provide input on most, if not all, of the necessary parts of the problem. The group should consist not only of employees from various departments who will interact with the new system, but also from different places on the...