The economics of adaptive design
Bruce I. Blum · Journal of Systems and Software · 1993
This article presents a model of the software process that offers considerable potential for improving both quality and productivity. It has been promoted by many researchers under a variety of names. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it offers a framework and unifying name, “adaptive design,” for a set of features, common to many paradigms, that exploits some of the unique characteristics of software. Second, it provides an existence proof that adaptive design is within the current state of the art; empirical data from commercial-grade experience with a particular implementation demonstrate the economic benefits available from adopting this model. The new process model is contrasted with several currently favored models, and suggestions for both researchers and practitioners are offered.