Getting apps right first time

Whether developing applications for cloud or on-premise use, getting the requirements planning stage right – so that the final code hits the sweet-spot of why the application was needed rather than creating varying degrees of ambiguous mess – is always a good goal to pitch at.

It is also the goal that applications testing specialist, Grid-Tools, is pitching at with the introduction of Agile Designer. Its target is the reduction of requirements ambiguities that can cause so many software projects to fail.

A logic design tool to improve the delivery of high quality software applications, Agile Designer is specifically designed for testing applications, by helping project teams storyboard a requirements process flow chart. It helps individuals manage their logical thinking, whilst removing the ambiguities that arise from written specification documents.

The company claims that all IT project teams – both internal and outsourced – can quickly understand specifications from the outset, reducing critical delays in testing cycles often caused by miscommunication and ambiguous requirements.

“So much time is lost, and unnecessary effort expended, in the software development lifecycle due to poorly written specifications,” said Huw Price, Managing Director of Grid-Tools. “In fact, over half of all software defects can be traced back to the requirements being ambiguous or poorly defined. Agile Designer prevents scope creep by reducing the number of software defects created and ultimately making testing much more quantifiable. With Agile Designer we are helping our customers to radically speed up the delivery of high quality software.”

The company claims that the tool is able to reduce the creation of defects by as much as 95 percent, shortening the length of test cycles and minimising rework. By more accurately estimating the cost of new software development and changes to existing systems, organisations will have a systematic way of enforcing SLAs with their outsourcers.

Part of the Grid-Tools suite of Test Data Management solutions, Agile Designer also helps customers to introduce agile processes into their software development lifecycle.

Early beta customer Minne Prins, Programme Manager at SDMC, comments: “Agile Designer drives ‘right first time’ by giving a visual picture of the requirement enabling both programmer and tester to build and test in one go. The tool, which is incredibly easy-to-use, has enabled mind-shifting agility in our system development and it is becoming one of the most important tools to make requirement development more tangible and understandable in our business.”

A 15-day free trial of the product can be found here.