Development

CrossUSA has successfully leveraged communication and high-speed bandwidth to enable a remote workforce equivalent access and capabilities with on-site employees. The CrossUSA business and development model enables us to use the technology investments made by clients, in software development tools and hardware, without a significant investment or dependence on behalf of CrossUSA. This approach enables CrossUSA to maintain low costs, while also utilizing the same technology the clients use.

CrossUSA offers two approaches to your Development needs:

RAD - Rapid Application Development

Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a development technique that enables CrossUSA to respond quickly when the requirements are time-sensitive and mission-critical. RAD is effective when the life cycle used is optimized for high-speed development.

Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a calendar-driven approach to development that imposes limits on the time available for specifying requirements, building prototypes, and constructing applications.

RAD uses a combination of mechanisms to accomplish the goal of meeting the requirements quickly.

• Prototyping - Prototypes built prior to the RAD effort may be used to clearly communicate the basic requirements of the application. Prototype details are successively refined until sufficient design information has been accumulated to generate the code for the application.
• Joint Application Development (JAD) - The communication of specifications from user to analysts may be facilitated in RAD through the use of JAD workshops.
• Prioritization - Users must prioritize requirements and recognize that getting the application into production on schedule is the primary goal.
  

One of the major benefits of RAD is Coordination. The RAD development technique, in conjunction with an incremental life cycle, encourages the review and coordination of subsystem functional requirements with the end users in a timely fashion. User needs are met more effectively because they are continuously involved in the development process.

Another benefit of the RAD development technique is Time Considerations. RAD may allow software development life cycle phases to overlap, thereby shrinking the total development time of the project.

The iterative process of RAD leads to Defect Elimination. This allows for efficient maintenance and change support. All design specifications are stored in a repository and extensively re-used, thereby providing consistency within and between applications.
 

JAD - Joint Application Development

Joint Application Development (JAD) is a team-based approach to analysis and decision-making. It is a joint venture between customers/users and information systems personnel, centering around a structured workshop, or JAD session.

There are three basic types of JADs:

• Planning JADs
  • Determine how a project will be organized
  • Prioritize projects or strategic planning
  • Plan multi-site or multi-phased implementations
     
• Single JADs
  These are used to obtain information in a single session, lasting from one to five days. This is the most simple and most widely used form of JAD. Examples include:
  • Defining enhancements to a major system
  • Revisions to an exiting document
     
• Multiple JADs
  These are used for related projects and involve a series of JAD sessions, usually scheduled back-to-back.
  • Output from one session is often used as input into the next session
  • The same participants are sometimes required for several sessions
  • Multiple systems or large complex systems with multiple functions are good candidates for this type of JAD.

  The benefits of JAD may include accelerated system design, increased quality of the final product, and improved customer relations.