The dynamic systems development method (DSDM) is an agile project delivery framework, initially used as a software development method. First released in 1994, DSDM originally sought to provide some discipline to the rapid application development (RAD) method.
DSDM fixes cost, quality and time at the outset and uses the Moscow prioritization of scope into musts, shoulds, could and won’t have to adjust the project deliverable to meet the stated time constraint. DSDM is one of a number of Agile methods for developing software and non-IT solutions, and it forms a part of the Agile Alliance.
In 2014, DSDM released the latest version of the method in the ‘DSDM Agile Project Framework’. At the same time the new DSDM manual recognized the need to operate alongside other frameworks for service delivery (esp. ITIL) PRINCE2, Managing Successful Programmes, and PMI. The previous version (DSDM 4.2) had only contained guidance on how to use DSDM with Extreme Programming.
DSDM Phases
DSDM has three phases, namely: pre-project, project life cycle and post-project. The project lifecycle phase, is further broken down into five stages called feasibility study, business study, functional model iteration, design and build and implementation.
Pre-project phase: In the pre project discussions happen at super management level wherein the business problems are identified, applications (to be built) are decided, these applications are prioritized, budget is allocated for the same and team formation is started. This phase ensures the commitment part of the project.
Project lifecycle phase: The project lifecycle phase as can be observed from the above diagram comprises of 4 main stages.
The first one (Study) comprises of two key stages of study – the feasibility study and the business study. These happen sequentially and they complement each other. In these two-phase –
- Feasibility Study: As the name suggests, in this phase the possibility (or feasibility) of building the application is studied and decisions are made accordingly.
- Business Study: In this part of the study, business experts and the technical experts are all called upon and discussions happen wherein all the essential business problems are listed and studied.
Functional model iteration: The requirements are finalized and prioritized in the earlier two studies are then built in a functional prototype wherein a model of one requirement after another is built incrementally. The prototypes are then studied for its quality and improvement possibility by functional experts (and also some times by end-users) so that it can be further improved upon. This stage can be further subdivided into smaller sub-stages:
- Identify functional prototype
- Accept plan and schedule
- Create a functional prototype
- Review the functional prototype
Design and build integration: This phase first begins with ensuring that the functionalities as built meet the user’s expectations and can function well in the practical and operational environment.This stage also comprises of four sub-stages:
- Identify design prototype: Once the requirements are modeled into the prototype, the ones that need to be in the final system are identified and prioritized.
- Accept plan and schedule: The prioritized ones are then planned and scheduled to be built. Team mates are identified and the tasks are allocated.
- Create a design prototype: A design prototype is created by the developers and then it is provided to the testers and end users for testing. The end users then look into the app and provide comments on how it could be improved further.
- Review the design prototype: Further testing is done on the system and its correctness and closeness to the planned one is identified.
Implementation: As a part of this stage the tested application is put up in live environment and is made available to the end users. Training to end users is also provided. Also timely review and feedback is collated from the end user to ensure that the business demands are met and right solution is provided to the end users and their needs are all catered too. Implementation is further broken down into sub-parts:
- User approval & guidelines
- Train users
- Implement
Post project phase: In post-project phase, it is validated by the technical teams and the business-operations teams that the system (product built) operates as per the business expectations. The post project phase also comprises of maintenance (or enhancements) and fixes phase. In these phases the project is improvised incrementally and thus continuous product development (and thus incremental improvement) is achieved.
DSDM Principles
There are eight principles underpinning DSDM. These principles direct the team in the attitude they must take and the mindset they must adopt in order to deliver consistently.
- Focus on the business need
- Deliver on time
- Collaborate
- Never compromise quality
- Build incrementally from firm foundations
- Develop iteratively
- Communicate continuously and clearly
- Demonstrate control
DSDM is vendor-independent, covers the entire lifecycle of a project and provides best practice guidance for on-time, in-budget delivery of projects, with proven scalability to address projects of all sizes and for any business sector.
Timeboxing – Traditional Project Management uses milestones where as DSDM uses timeboxing technique.Is an interval, usually no longer than 2,4 or 6 weeks, where a given set of tasks should be achieved.
Timebox
- Can contain several tasks.
- At the end need to deliver a product.
- Are subject to change since tasks are defined ,not what to be delivered.
- Can change the tasks during time box iteration which allows for rapid response to business needs.
DSDM drops functionality in flavor of delivering in time.
MoSCoW Rules – DSDM projects are concerned to be in time and on budget and users are heavily involved in the development process. So it is mandatory to keep on watch on what users need the most.
User requirements may change ( during the process) ;
- Aware of new technical possibilities
- User work environment changes
The DSDM techniques to weight the importance of requirements are the MosCow rules. And the rules are as follows,
- Must have : All features classified in this group must be implemented and if they are not delivered, the system would simply not work
- Should have : Features of this priority is important to the system but can be omitted if time constraints endanger.
- Could have : These features enhance the system with functional items which can easily be reassigned to a later timebox.
- 4 .Want to have : These features only serve a limited group of users and are of little value.
Prototyping – Evolutionary prototyping in DSDM projects satisfy 2 principles,
- Frequent Delivery
- Incremental development
Implements critical functionality first so can discover difficulties early in the development process and allow having early deliverable to get user feedback. The necessary feedback-loop is provided by a workshop which is the last important technique in a DSDM project.
DSDM differentiates on the following for types of prototypes,
- Business Prototype : Allow assessment of the evolving system
- Usability Prototype : Check the user interface
- Performance Prototype : Ensure solution will deliver performance or handle volume
- Capability Prototype : Evaluate possible options
DSDM Roles
There are some roles introduced within DSDM environment. It is important that the project members need to be appointed to different roles before they start to run the project. Each role has its own responsibility.
DSDM Disadvantages
- Licensing cost
- Relatively high barrier to entry
- Cultural shift in organization
