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The Single Most Important Step - Architecture & Design
We wouldn't expect a construction crew to build a house without first having
blueprints and a model to guide them, but that's just what we ask software
developers to do every day. Like skilled carpenters that require a design to
tell them the dimensions, load tolerances and material requirements of the home
they are building, software developers require a thorough design and plan to
guide them as well.
But unlike building a home, the materials and tools of the software developer
are constantly changing. This factor, in combination with the fact that oftentimes the software
requirements change during development, cause increasing complexity, thus greatly elevating the critical importance of a unified
architecture and design.
Consider the benefits for your next project. A unified architecture and design:
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Allows you to develop a more accurate project plan based on an actual
blueprint, not on guesswork or requirements only.
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Allows you to greatly reduce the risks of landmines being discovered along the
way that undermine the success of a project.
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Ensures that code is developed from a unified system perspective, where
dependencies and impacts are known well in advance of development and are
therefore anticipated; making the inevitable changes that are introduced mid-project more
manageable because you can see what impact they will have on other parts of the system.
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Reduces the overall level of confusion among development teams, allowing them
to work swiftly, deliberately and confidently.
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Produces design documentation that serves as a reference for technologists,
managers, partners and customers that are integrating with your software.
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BOTTOM LINE - Your projects are completed on-time and within budget by greatly
reducing the unknowns up-front, and establishing a process for managing changes.
Developing a model for an industrial-strength software system prior to its
development or renovation is as essential as having a blueprint for large
building. Good models are essential for communication among project teams and
to assure architectural soundness. As the complexity of systems increase, so
does the importance of good modeling techniques. There are many additional
factors that effect a project's success, but having an architecture and process in place is number one.
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