The RUP Phases: Inception

Ok, so now you should understand that a RUP project, software oriented or otherwise, should go through the four phases IECT. Also each phase can have one or more iterations that it guides. Let’s talk about what those phases mean.

Each phase was created for the RUP to handle a different type of project risk. Inception handles the risk of building a project that has no value to the organization. The term “Business Driven Development” is very popular, and gets at the idea that we have built far too many projects that don’t actually provide value.

As an example, I was at a Ship and Check, and wanted to know how much it would cost to ship a TV from Detroit to Phoenix. If the cost was too much (it would only cost about $250 to buy a new one) I was hoping to sell it. I noticed that the clerk looked up the cost in a large book. So, being in this line of work, I said “I’m surprised they haven’t automated that lookup.”

The man answered “It is. This computer right here can do it.”

So I, always the analyst, asked “Why don’t you use it then?”

“Well, it is actually faster to just use the book.”

Now there are lots of possibilities here. The problem could be a training issue (covered in the Transition phase of RUP), or it could be that the selected architecture was too slow to compete with a manual lookup (web based vs. stand alone client). But it also could be that the automation of the lookup really didn’t have value! It is possible that some executive said “Let’s automate that lookup.” Imagine the cost of creating the software correctly, then installing it in all the stores and training the folks to use it only to discover that no one does!

Many companies have created software that works as specified, but that provides no real business value back to the organization. The purpose of the inception phase is to get the team to quantify what the value of the project really can be, and to scope what needs to be done to get us to that value at a high level.

For the truly curious, it would have cost about $200 to ship the TV. I offered the TV to the ship and check clerk for $100 and he took it.