Visual software development, easy maintenance, and seamless team collaboration should all be supported by a rapid application development (RAD) platform.

Adaptability and speed are the two fundamental criteria that drive any successful digital transformation. Because off-the-shelf software is rarely likely to suit the particular demands of individual businesses, most firms require bespoke software to address the need for flexibility. Simultaneously, software development has a reputation for being a sluggish and inefficient process, with projects taking months or even years to finish, necessitating the need for a speedier solution.

In an era of fast change, when technology is continually growing and employee and customer needs are evolving along with it, the requirement for speed goes hand in hand with the need for flexibility. Rapid application development, or RAD, has become a need in today’s businesses as a result of these considerations. In this post, we’ll go over what RAD is (and isn’t), as well as how to pick the ideal platform for your company’s needs.

What is the definition of quick application development?

Software development has traditionally followed the waterfall approach, in which project operations are organised into linear, sequential tasks. The difficulty with this method in today’s world is that software development projects can alter dramatically at any point. Developers gather information at each level, which must be fed back into the process in order to construct and sustain a continually developing software product. When using a purely linear approach, however, this is usually difficult.

To solve these issues, RAD was created as a software development methodology. RAD is a technique (or, more precisely, a set of approaches) for facilitating adaptive software development, rather than a single technology or product. Another important objective of RAD is to create a minimal viable product (MVP) as soon as feasible. Early adopters can give useful input during the development process by using an MVP, which provides just enough functionality. As a result, the product improves through time, giving even more value.

What are the different sorts of RAD platforms?

According to James Martin, who invented the phrase in 1991, the RAD technique consists of four different phases. These are the following:

  • User design
  • Construction
  • Cutover
  • Requirements planning

As a result, RAD encompasses the full software development lifecycle (SDLC), although as a continuous feedback loop in which the final cutover phase, which includes testing and maintenance, feeds back into the requirements planning stage. To put it another way, RAD is a circular process with no clear end point.

Any software development platform that allows these phases as an agile, unified process is considered a real RAD platform. Today’s RAD systems often take the shape of a no-code or low-code development environment, emphasising the requirement for speed and adaptability. A no-code solution, as the name implies, does not need manual coding, allowing anybody with basic technological knowledge to create business apps. However, in order to fulfil the demands of customisation, more advanced business apps still require some coding, which is where low-code solutions come in.Low code RAD Rapid application development platform have advanced to the point that they can fulfil a wide range of requirements, but they still necessitate some technical knowledge.

No-code RAD is perfect for common business users who need to create bespoke apps such as analytics dashboards or handle simple business operations. Low-code RAD takes things a step further by allowing citizen developers with domain-specific business expertise to work alongside professional developers to create and maintain significantly more sophisticated software products.

Licensing is another key factor to consider. The majority of no-code and low-code RAD systems are closed source, giving users little or no influence over the architecture. When it comes to preserving digital sovereignty or making low-level modifications to the software’s design, this can be a concern. However, there are exceptions, and open-source RAD systems offer total freedom and control to the point that they can readily compete with traditional software development, although at a much faster and more adaptable pace.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that RAD doesn’t have to happen in a no-code or low-code environment. All Best Telecom Low code application development platform, on the other hand, can be stated to help RAD. Let’s take a look at some of the basic features and functions to look for in a contemporary RAD platform with that in mind:

1. Support for visual development

Visual development is a distinguishing feature of minimal code, as well as a key facilitator of rapid application development (RAD). Since the days of Visual Basic and comparable drag-and-drop tools, visual programming has gone a long way in terms of including readily reusable drag-and-drop features. This also enables developers to construct apps from the perspective of end users, resulting in a more precise alignment of the software development process and end user experience requirements.

2. Prototyping and deployment in a short amount of time

Modern RAD systems usually allow applications to be deployed in a production environment automatically. Rapid prototyping, which stresses short, iterative development lifecycles with minimum feature sets, is made easier as a result of this. The idea is to test each new feature and function before going on to the next one, rather than to produce a finished product in one go. Low-code Rapid prototype and MVP creation are excellent for RAD platforms.

3. Real-time analytics that are integrated

The continuous feedback loop is another distinguishing element of RAD, which is why RAD solutions should always enable real-time analytics. Built-in analytics, traceability, and reporting all aid in increasing adoption rates and enhancing usability by giving a steady stream of actionable input. If there is a bottleneck in the user experience, for example, real-time analytics will alert developers immediately, allowing them to make the required modifications.

4. Effortless collaboration within the team

Overcoming the distance between developers and business users is one of the most difficult and long-standing issues of bespoke software development. Both groups frequently have opposing viewpoints on how to proceed, necessitating a much closer alignment between developers and business. A low-code RAD platform should make this alignment easier by allowing citizen developers with domain-specific business expertise to participate in the development process.

5. Reusability and ease of maintenance

Development and maintenance are the two fundamental aspects of the software lifecycle. The maintenance phase accounts for around 90% of the total expenditure. Wave Maker Low code for Enterprises and Telecom should considerably minimise the effort of software maintenance by automating deployment, allowing any standard data source to be integrated, and allowing components to be reused from project to project. As a result, some of the most effective low-code RAD solutions are also included in the larger integration platform as a service offering (iPaaS).

Topics #application development platform #factors