JAD

The Joint Application Development (JAD) methodology aims to involve the client in the design and development of an application. This is accomplished through a series of collaborative workshops called JAD sessions.
JAD is a process used in the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to collect business requirements while developing new information systems for a company. "The JAD process also includes approaches for enhancing user participation, expediting development, and improving the quality of specifications." It consists of a workshop where “knowledge workers and IT specialists meet, sometimes for several days, to define and review the business requirements for the system.

In contrast to the Waterfall approach, JAD is thought to lead to shorter development times and greater client satisfaction, both of which stem from the constant involvement of the client throughout the development process. On the other hand, with the traditional approach to systems development, the developer investigates the system requirements and develops an application, with client input consisting of a series of interviews.

Rapid application development (RAD), a variation on JAD, attempts to create an application more quickly through strategies that include fewer formal methodologies and reusing software components.

Key participants of JAD session:

• Executive Sponsor
• Project Manager
• Facilitator
• Scribe
• Participants
• Observer

Key steps for successful JAD:

• Identify project objectives and limitation.
• Indentify critical success factor.
• Define project deliverables.
• Define the schedule of workshop activities.
• Select the participants.
• Prepare the workshop material.
• Organize workshop activities and exercises.
• Prepare, inform and educate the workshop participants.
• Coordinate workshop logistics.

Compared with traditional methods, JAD may seem more expensive and can be cumbersome if the group is too large relative to the size of the project. Many companies find, however, that JAD allows key users to participate effectively in the requirements modeling process. When users participate in the systems development process, they are more likely to feel a sense of ownership in the results, and support for the new system. When properly used, JAD can result in a more accurate statement of system requirements, a better understanding of common goals, and a stronger commitment to the success of the new system.
A drawback of JAD is that it opens up a lot of scope for inter-personal conflict. View blog reactions