“It is no secret that web projects fail, but it is lesser known that traditional application development approaches are the single biggest factor in this failure. Why? And what straightforward steps can be taken to reduce time to market, increase quality and save money while delivering a product that is exactly what the business requires?”
Source: Computer Weekly

Though traditional methods of software development, such as SDLC, are known for having clear objectives, stable requirements and measurable progress of development, they are time consuming, have minimum iterations and there is very little customer interaction. Hence, traditional application development methodologies and tools are unable to fulfill the demands of modern enterprise applications.The failure is not just for web applications, traditional methodologies are not a perfect match for mobile application development as well.

Enterprises are now looking for more stable, less complex, minimal efforts, no coding and highly flexible methodologies for app building. Rapid Application Development or RAD, which had gained popularity in the early 80’s, has answered the enterprise clarion call by successfully delivering applications at the speed of business.

What is RAD?

The Rapid Application Development model aims to build applications faster using an iterative development process – repeating the development stages as required, where there is a divergence of developer and customer conceptions. The RAD model follows quick implementation methods wherein features are exposed gradually and changes incorporated immediately.

It should be noted that though RAD projects are faster in development, it may not be suitable for mission-critical projects with complex mechanisms and voluminous data or if the technical architecture is unclear and tools used are complex. However, with the current generation frameworks and technology, modern RAD platforms reduce the time and effort to build good-looking apps that are up to enterprise standards.

Rapid Application Development vs Traditional Methodologies

To understand why RAD has become a popular alternative to traditional SDLC, one should understand the various differences.

WaveMaker as a RAD Platform

WaveMaker makes use of the RAD model to provide a Rapid Application Development platform to create web and mobile applications. The benefits of WaveMaker Rapid Application Development Model have a direct bearing on the cost and schedule of enterprise application delivery. In fact, organizations that have used WaveMaker RAD application model have experienced: