Does DSDM apply in Non-IT areas?

The Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) has been improved based on Rapid Application Development (RAD). As an agile methodological approach, DSDM advocates rapid and effective system development with the business at its core which is not only applicable to agile development models but also to traditional development models. DSDM can accommodate simple product development for a single team and complex project development for multiple teams.

DSDM is under strict time control

Unlike traditional development methods, DSDM emphasizes that projects should be fixed in time and variable in functionality and resources. It means that the scheme of project functions and resources needs to be planned in line with the actual development results. If there is too much work to deliver in a week, then some features must be removed to end this iteration. The basic idea is that nothing can be done at once and that 20% of the time should be used to accomplish 80% of the valuable features, whichever is appropriate for business purposes.

Therefore, prioritization of project tasks is of great importance, and DSDM applies MosCow prioritization to divide project tasks into four different types of requirements.

• Must： What we must do.
• Should： What we should do.
• Could： What we can do.
• Would not： What we don't need to do.

Then, in order to complete these valuable features, the Must and Should items can be completed first, or the Could items can be considered for completion based on the Must and Should items.

Roles in DSDM

Any agile development methodology indicates the roles that should be present in the system they are building, which is no exception with DSDM.

1. Project mentors

Project mentors are introduced by users or clients who represent them in decision-making and can allocate funds and resources as required.

2. Project guidance

Project directors need to deeply understand the business, the insight, and the vision. They also need to target the highest priority requirements as quickly as possible and guide the team to initialize the project based on this.

3. Representative users

An ideal 'test user' can bring the user's perspective to the project. They are an important source of feedback throughout the development process.

4. Consultant users

Consultant users are another type of user who should be able to offer novel or critical perspectives on the project, thus requiring senior expertise or other unique professional competencies for consultant users.

5. Project Managers

Project managers are the people who manage the entire project.

6. Team Leaders

Team leaders are responsible for the coordination and facilitation of teams.

7. Solution Developers

Solution Developers are required to model systems, develop deliverable codes and create prototypes.

8. Solution Testers

Solution testers are used to test products and provide annotations and documentation in the event of errors. They are also able to retest after corrections have been implemented.

9. Transcriptions

Transcriptions record requirements, agreements, decisions, and other helpful information about the project's progress.

10. Moderators

Moderators are responsible for motivating and preparing the workshops to keep the progress moving constantly. They must be coordinators that keep everyone on track.

11. Experts

Experts in various fields or industries should provide additional support to users according to the project demands. They may include business architects, quality managers, system integrators, etc.

Basic principles of DSDM

1. Users have to be involved consistently

Users are expected to make product requests and participate in the development process and provide timely feedback.

2. Empowering decision-making for DSDM teams

DSDM team members are given the power to make decisions directly when issues arise.

3. Focus on the regular delivery of products

Regular delivery of products ensures timely delivery.

4. Meeting business requirements

Don't do something meaningless. The standard for completion of delivery is to achieve the product's business requirements.

5. Iterative development

Iterative development enables continuous improvement of business solutions to meet business requirements.

6. Changes in the development process are reversible

The development process has to adapt to changes.

7. Develop a baseline of requirements at a high level

We need to reach high-level goals first and then refine our requirements.

8. Testing is constantly embedded in the development cycle

When developers have finished developing a module, unit tests are performed. After modules have been integrated into existing systems, testers need to carry out integration tests. In addition, regulation testing plays an important role in DSDM.

9. Collaboration between stakeholders is essential

The delivery of a product requires the involvement and efforts of all parties. It cannot be delivered by the development team alone.

With the benefits of traditional development and advanced agile concepts, the effective implementation of DSDM can help teams to make practical improvements.

• The development process and its results can be presented clearly and unambiguously.
• The active involvement of users in the development process meets their requirements.
• Effective communication can remove barriers in communication between the various links.
• DSDM is more easily integrated with other agile methodologies to create a development approach for their organization.
• DSDM is not limited to the IT sector. It enjoys a wide range of applications in the non-IT sector as well.