RAD Example: Automating Key Business Processes With Ease

Syxtus

July 10th, 2019 • Software development

Application development has gone to a whole new level in the 21st century. Today, there is literally an app for everything. There is even an app to tell you when to eat or drink water. In the old times, when people got hungry they ate; thirsty they drank. Nobody needed a reminder to eat or drink water in the past or so we thought. Apps have come in to make life easier, make people stick to routines for better health, manage companies, entertainment, and any other thing you can think about. This brings about a growing need for apps, be it for personal, public, or company use.

Software developers had to readjust to the changing demand for applications. They needed to be able to build apps quickly and easily to serve the needs of the end-user. This led to the introduction of the Rapid Application Development methodology (RAD).

In the past, many software developers relied on the Waterfall model to build apps. This methodology emphasizes on strict planning and execution. It is a step-by-step method of software development where the next step could not begin without the completion of the previous one. It actually went in one direction “downwards” like a waterfall. The Waterfall model is slow, less flexible and iterative when compared to the RAD model. Let’s refresh our memory about RAD.

What is Rapid Application Development?

Rapid application development is a model that eases the development of software within a short time using an integrated set of guidelines, techniques, and tools. Here are the core concepts of the RAD model:

1. Vivid definition of the project requirements: Everyone involved in the project should have a clear vision of the purpose of the app. So, the end-user and the developers need to sit down and talk about it.


2. Rapid prototyping: A prototype of the app is created within a short period and presented to the end-user and everyone involved in the project. This gives room for changes to be implemented instantly and for the end-user to get a feel of how the final product may look like.


3. Feedback: once the prototype is shown to the end-user, they can now give reviews and feedback on what needs to be added or removed depending on their needs.


4. Final delivery: The above steps are repeated until the app is created to the specs of the end-user.

We suggest that you check out our article on Rapid Application development to know more about the model.

RAD Software - Quickly and Easily: some examples of how you can implement rapid application development

Project tracking

Managing past, ongoing, and future projects of your company or business can be a time-consuming and complex process. Many growing businesses are facing this issue. As your company increases in size, there are many more tasks to be carried out and the number of your employees may remain stagnant or increase. It becomes difficult to track the projects you are working on, and even more difficult to plan for future projects.

The solution to the above problem is a project tracker. The project tracker will help to structure and plan your work in an organized way. You will be able to set priorities and meet deadlines. It gives you the ability to assign projects to employees and to track their progress. The project tracker will make your team more productive by ensuring that everyone knows what they are supposed to do and when.

So, one of the best ways to get a project tracker that takes care of your company’s needs is by using a rapid application development platform. You will then discuss the project tracking needs of your company with your team members. After which a prototype is created and presented to the team so that they use it and provide feedback on features to be added or improved. This process is repeated until the final software that takes care of all of your company's project tracking needs is delivered.

Warehouse management

Your company is now extending the sales of its products to other cities. Due to this, warehouses have been built to store the goods awaiting distribution. Now that the warehouses are available, they need to be managed. You need to know where your goods are and which goods are in stock.

Your company will need a warehouse management software to manage all the affairs of the warehouse. You will be able to administer and control all warehouse operations from the time the products enter the warehouse to the time they are out.

Again, you can apply the principles of RAD to build your warehouse management software. You will have to sit down with all the team members involved in managing the warehouse and compile the specific needs that the software should address. This information is used to build a prototype and is presented to your team for feedback. Your team members will be able to give reviews and suggest new features that could be implemented. The prototype is adjusted according to the feedback until the team is satisfied with the final product.

Now, your company has a warehouse management software that is easy to use and your team members already understand how it works. Changes can be made to the software at any time depending on your warehouse management needs.

Where do you go to get your apps built faster?

One of the most important things about building your apps is selecting the right platform for it. Rapid application platforms give users the possibility to build the app themselves. They have the opportunity to build custom apps to take care of their needs. End-users are able to customize apps with no coding at all. These platforms also may provide templates which makes it easier to build your software. Codejig App Builder platform allows creating applications either from custom templates or from scratch. Even if you have to implement complex business logic, low-code development platforms use block-based coding (simple drag-and-drop of blocks) to do so. Moreover, users may be able to switch between block-based and text-based coding such as JavaScript when needed.

With low code development platforms, your company can digitize and automate tasks, decrease manual labor, streamline processes, which will permit them to concentrate on more important sections of your business. Since the apps created using the RAD model are customizable, they can be updated according to the specific needs of your company or employees to improve productivity.