VFAST Transactions on Computer Sciences http://vfast.org/journals/index.php/VTCS@ 2014 ISSN(e): 2308-8168; ISSN(p): 2411-6335 Volume 2, Number 1, January-December, 2014 pp. 35-47 A HYBRID MODEL BY INTEGRATING SCRUM AND RAD QURAT-UL-AIN Department of Computer Science and Information Technology Virtual University of Pakistan, Lahore [email protected] ABST RACT. Among various software development models, the focus of agile models is disciplined management projects, an approach that enforces self association, collaboration and liability. Agile models adopt a business alignment that supports development with chump needs and aggregation goals. Extreme Programming (XP) and Scrum are often used models of agile whereas Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a conventional plan driven software development model. The purpose of introducing RAD is to include functionality to an application. Strengths of Scrum and RAD are that they are self managed processes through iterative planning. Basically RAD is the advanced version of XP that’s why XP is also included just for reference. This research work is intended to analyze the strengths, characteristics and weaknesses of Scrum, RAD and RAD models. The paper also explains the disciplines and phases of RAD that can enhance the robustness of RAD and Scrum models. It will also propose a narrative hybrid model that combines RAD, Scrum and RAD to strengthen their features and removing their weaknesses. Keywords: Accountability, self-organization, strengths, iterative planning. Introduction. Scrum is most popular agile software development methods. The purpose of the method is to deliver the required software to the customer by making teams that work in short cycles, iteration by iteration. Scrum is more concerned with the project management and expects that the self-organizing team pulls any needed practices into the process via the mechanism of variation. Scrum consists of 7 practices they are as follows Scrum Master, Product Backlog, and Scrum teams, Sprint, Daily Scrum Meeting, Sprint Planning Meeting and Sprint Review. RAD lacks management practices while Scrum focus on it. A framework will be proposed that will integrate Scrum practices into RAD phases so that the development team can deliver quality software that can best meet the business and customers need. So far nothing has been done to compare the features of traditional Waterfall model with the combined features of most modern agile models: Scrum and RAD. The purpose of introducing RAD is to include functionality to an application. Strengths of Scrum and RAD are that they are self managed processes through iterative planning. Basically XP is the advanced version of RAD that’s why XP is also included just for reference. RAD has different 4 phases that are construction, requirement planning, cutover, and user design. The RAD is a better way to add functionality in an application as with the increasing rate of demand of the software development traditional SDLC models fails in their documentation. SDLC is the use of prototype as compared to old RAD as it is the main tenant of RAD. Any prototype application is build and offered to the application users after a rapid requirements gathering phase. For the improvement and adding functionality in any application user’s feedback is necessary as it provides loop. In prototype the use of real data is not involved in the RAD models and real data used in new implementation of RAD. Time-to-market is greatly reduced by the advantage of Rapid Prototyping Model. In traditional SDLC models Rapid Prototyping skips many of the steps in support of low-cost and fast software development. “Throughway” is the idea behind is application software. In Rapid Application Development (RAD) the 35 important factors are time, quality and cost and the developments process model of software could be optimized by adopting RAD. As rapidly the requirements acquisition action completes developers should apace move on in RAD alignment to alpha creating an absolutely operational model (prototype) of the proposed system. Users and servers to accost acknowledgment of barter about the arrangement is model acclimated as affirmation tool. The objective of reducing cost on projects in RAD has been successfully achieved but quality doesn’t compromise as reducing the time anatomy and the associates’ complex in the project. The captivation of barter in the absolute action of its development lifecycle is awful encouraged and an acknowledged activity. The full assurance of customer’s satisfaction is the most important step involved in development process. RAD has as well approved backbone in getting able to acceleration up the development action by appropriately accumulation its management, methodology, people, computer-aided accoutrement and high-tech [6]. It speeds up the demonstrated strength in the development process model. In prototype the use of real data is not involved in the RAD models and real data used in new implementation of RAD. Time-to-market is greatly reduced by the advantage of Rapid Prototyping Model. As XP is the advanced version of RAD. Methodology Strengths and Weaknesses: MODEL Strength Weakness SCRUM SCRUM Match attainable Other disciplines are practice. out of scope only provides project management support. Feedback and self organizing Does not specify teams. technical practices. steering and Customer Unique priorities for participation. each requirement could take some time to get the business opportunities. Priorities based on business Stress the mechanics value. of the system itself. Certification process only Time cycles approach exist here. accelerates. RAD System can be developed It might allow less more quickly. time quality, consistency and Design. Cost saving Short time required to complete a project It is an attragile alternative. Table 1, Strength and weaknesses of RAD & Scrum 1.1. Scrum Scrum based on agile principles is an iterative incremental software development framework (2008, Sutherland et al.).It is used to manage complex projects. Rather than development main focus of Scrum is on management (2008, Paasivaara et al.). It is an iterative planning of self management rather than development. Scrum master, product owner, and development team are main roles in scrum. Scrum alignment - Scrum alignment uses small, It is 36 acclimated to administer circuitous projects. Rather than development capital focus of Scrum is on administration (2008, Paasivaara et al.).Features to be implemented in the arrangement are registered in a backlog. Then, the product buyer decides which excess items should be developed in the afterward sprint. Aggregation associates alike their plan in a circadian actor meeting. One aggregation member, the scrum master, is in allegation of analytic problems that stop the aggregation from finer (Schwaber & Beedle, 2001). Fig 1, Methods of scrum [retrieved from: http://www.thilo-fromm.de] To achieve a single goal self organizing team having not more than ten members work on same project (2004, Schwaber; Berczuk, 2007). Scrum master is the person among the team members who arranges the location and daily Scrum meetings and serves as a coordinator between a Scrum team and tries to remove any production resistance and further departments. Customer is adumbrative in Scrum and development aggregation plan calm throughout the accomplished venture (2005, Mann and Maurer). Daily Scrum affair is of 15-20 account duration. In product excess and sets deadlines for operational software alleged sprint is product owner prioritize among the requirements. It does not well defined process model framework is one of major disadvantage of Scrum (Sutherland et al., 2007). Fig 2, Project life cycle [retrieved from: http://www.dsl.com.bd] 1.2 Rapid Application Development Rapid Application Development (RAD) has its origins based aural the bartering arena as a development methodology. It is a more accustomed access to IS development even admitting absolute abstract continues to catechism and does little to analyze the position its adequacy for ample difficult beforehand projects. 3 37 Fig 3, RAD phases [retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RADModel.JPG] James Martin in 1991 originated RAD from accelerated prototyping approaches and was ancient formalized by, who believed that it refers to a development action aeon impatient for lower costs than the traditional lifecycle provided and high quality systems with faster approach. Fig 3, RAD development methodology [retrieved from: http://www.ramsoft.com.au/methodology.php] The analogue of RAD became acclimated as an awning term by the mid 1990s to best quantity of methods, accoutrement by abounding altered vendors and techniques applying their access as their own interpretation. This extemporized and unstructured ad hoc evolution of RAD behind its use is not always clear of its rationale. An adjustment for developers to change their development processes and it is professed as an IS system methodology or RAD tools to improve development competence (1999, Beynon-Davies). User involvement and prototyping where the design, analysis, test and build phases of the development activity aeon are aeroembolism into an arrangement of iterative abbreviate development cycles review by literature of RAD. To perceived flaws with the traditional lifecycle was seen as a remedy because the accepted access encourages self-correcting and capability as phase case study is aesthetic and improved. It requires the cooperation of assorted and small teams