It is better to give users a new function every three weeks than 200 functions two years from now. In short: as much as possible as quickly possible. That is the essence of Quick Win Oriented Development. Or QWOD, as the concept is called among Teleplan developers.
QWOD is the counterpart of the traditional approach of planning a giant solution to be finished at some distant point in time. In Teleplan's view such mammoth projects tend to become too heavy. By the time you arrive, technology, organization and other external conditions have changed radically, and the finished solution will meet needs long gone. Such projects therefore have a high risk potential.
Teleplan has looked back to see what made success in previous projects in order to focus on doing more of the same. Thus creating more success.
In practical terms this implies that we attach more importance to identifying the components yielding quick wins as we define a vision of what we are aiming for. This makes for efficiency and flexibility, as well as direction.
When the most important functions are identified, we prepare a course of multiple milestones at short intervals. At each milestone a new function is delivered, which can readily be put to use. In this way the system is immediately useful. Design, developing, testing and installation are made in parallel. The point being: Make it function, then optimize, he says.
QWOD also means focusing on the job at hand and not building castles in the air for use at some remote date. The architecture is kept at a minimum and you make what is planned - and not what you think ‘might come in handy'. All too often you see programmers spending a lot of time on creating the ‘perfect' code that customers might like, instead of making the good code you know the customers need.
The QWOD philosophy is becoming ingrained in Teleplan developers. Seeing the results, you are inspired to choose this approach in more areas. Naturally, when wins are so apparent, customers also welcome QWOD - even when interfering with set business procedures and demanding a strong commitment to the process.