A Joint Application Modeling session (JAM Session) is not another meeting that drones on like the traditional Joint Application Design session (JAD Session). Think about the last meeting you attended that really worked well, where participants felt free to explore ideas and express doubts and concerns. Then come to a JAM Session. Read the JAM Session whitepaper (PDF).
The JAM Session is a better way of capturing software requirements. You can see the proof when everyone in a session is engaged and contributing to the discussion. That proof is also reflected in the expressions of team members as they leave a JAM Session, still talking, full of energy and ideas, and ready for more.
If you are tired of running into the same problems on your projects. It’s time to get it right the first time.
How A JAM Session Works
We have seen our process work time and again on projects large and small. We employ the best practices of the business analysis and user experience professions to form a whole new kind of expertise that you can leverage. The combination of skills provides a powerful way to elicit requirements in a way never seen using traditional methods.
Our JAM Session team is includes:
- A Producer, who facilitates the experience.
- A Visualization Analyst, who elicits and documents requirements.
- A Visualization Designer, who crafts the software experience.
A JAM Session leverages established four essential best practices:
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- Small Group Collaboration – We limit each session to no more than eight team members, including the JAM Session experts. This limit ensures that all stakeholders are heard and clear focus is maintained. To accommodate larger teams, we conduct multiple JAM Sessions.
- Rapid Iterative Design – We build a working prototype of your software experience during the JAM Session. In subsequent sessions, we validate, refine, and expand this model.
- Visualization – Our tools allow us to show how the interface looks and functions even as we capture the wants, needs, and wish lists of users and stakeholders.
- Flow – Clear, fast-track communication and rapid, visible results move team members into “the zone” and stimulate team cohesion and creativity.
The success of a JAM Session relies on the coexistence of all four.
A typical JAM Session is conducted over the course of two to three days. The session team develops a big-picture consensus and then drills down to identify detailed requirements. Consensus is maintained, goals are kept in sight, and feedback is immediate.
And the payoff is impressive. Participants stay tuned in, requirements cycle time is two times faster*, and requirements defects are reduced by an astonishing minimum of at least 80%**.
Once you experience a JAM Session, you’ll never go back to the traditional method.
JAM is the new JAD Infographic
A JAM Session is not another meeting that drones on like the traditional JAD Session. First introduced in 2006 by OneSpring, JAM Sessions are a powerful way to elicit and capture requirements in real time regardless of the development methodology in use. Enjoy this custom infographic created by OneSpring illustrating the differences between JAM (Joint Application Modeling) and JAD (Joint Application Design).
View the full size version of the JAM is the new JAD infographic.