ABSTRACT
Organizations can gain a competitive advantage by using information systems that nobody else has. Getting those means custom software development. A prototype, in software, is a preliminary version of an information system that demonstrates important features that the finished item will have. Joint Application Design (JAD) was conceived in the late 1970s as a way to involve users in the design of an information system. Rapid Application Development begins with JAD, or something much like it, to develop the design of an information system. This design is embodied in a prototype, which is then extended until it becomes the complete system. Agile development methods break information systems into small pieces that can be developed quickly. The result is a useful new version, with new capabilities, every few weeks. System development approach in which an information system is divided into small parts that provide new capabilities and can be developed quickly.
