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The Elaboration Phase


The rest of the project, the elaboration phase, consists of a number of iterations through all the activities, from requirements analysis to implementation. Each iteration produces a new internal release of the application and refines and extends the architecture and system until it finally is finished. A typical iteration starts with a requirements analysis activity that includes a review and refinement of the use cases to be implemented in the current iteration. This is followed by system analysis and design activities that checks that the use cases are correctly distributed over the architecture and that the interface definitions are updated if needed. These activities should preferably be performed by an architecture group containing representatives both from the original architecture group who worked in the system analysis/design phase and from the different design teams.

The design and implementation activities that are part of an iteration are of course as before performed by the different design teams, each one refining and extending their part of the system to implement the use cases that are the goal of this particular iteration. The result of the design and implementation activity should be a new internal release of the application that has been through the appropriate module and system tests to verify its functionality.

In addition to extending the functionality of the system each iteration should also be focussed on minimizing the risks in the project. Crucial and difficult aspects should be tackled as early as possible in the elaboration phase to avoid unpleasant surprises at the end of the project.


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