There are some standard principles found in all system development methodologies. Whether you are using Fusion, Rational or more common Rapid Application Development methodologies, the general principles remain the same:

1. Get the Owners and Users Involved.
   As good as your analysts, programmers and other IT specialists are, they are only as good as the result. If they do not truly understand what problems the end users and owners are facing, they will never truly resolve all your problems.
    
2. Use a Problem-Solving Approach.
   A methodology is a problem-solving approach to building systems. A simplified decision and problem solving approach are:
   
   

   a.	Learn - You have to learn and understand the problem.
   b.	Analyze - Define the requirements of suitable solutions.
   c.	Choose - Decide which of your solutions is the “best” solution.
   d.	Act - Design, Develop and implement your solution.
   e.	Observe - Observe and evaluate the solution’s impact and refine the solution accordingly.

   
   
3. Establish Phases and Activities.
   All methodology life cycles have phases, milestones and activities. The number of each of these vary from project to project, but JS Consulting Group has discovered 7 essential phases in all methodologies:
   
   

   a.	Preliminary Investigation
   b.	Problem Analysis
   c.	Requirement Analysis
   d.	Decision Analysis
   e.	Design
   f.	Construction
   g.	Implementation

   
   
4. Establish Standards.
   Most companies have some kind of standards in which guidelines are set. Standards are required because people come and go. Some of the system owners, users, analysts, designers, and builders will be promoted, some will quit, some will be transferred, some may be hired consultants that only served the one project. Standards are required to ensure consistent systems development.
    
5. Justify Systems as Capital Investments.
   Information systems are capital investments, just as a fleet of trucks, or a new building. Like any capital investment, knowing all your options, cost-effectiveness and your risk, will help you with your decisions.
    
6. Don’t be Afraid to Cancel or Revise Scope.
   A significant advantage of following system development methodologies with phases is the multiple opportunities to revise and re-evaluate cost-effectiveness and feasibility. Just because an investment has been made does not mean you should continue with the project! Think of a poker hand that has failed, you can keep on bluffing and hope to win, or fold your hand and play another round.
    
7. Divide and Conquer.
   By dividing a large project (system) into smaller tasks and more manageable tasks (subsystems), the analyst can simplify the problem-solving process. The divide and conquer approach also complements communication between project managers by allowing different pieces of the system to be delegated and analyzed by the proper resource.
    
8. Design Systems for Growth and Change.
   Most system analysts and designers develop systems to meet only today’s user requirements because of the pressure to develop the system as quickly as possible. JS Consulting Group believes the only way to build any system is modular, to slow down entropy and to allow for solid upgrades. Eventually entropy, or the slow decay of a system, catches up such that the cost of maintaining an existing system exceeds the cost of developing a replacement system. By using a modular design, certain portions of the system may be reused, or minimal modules need to be replaced. Spending the money now can save you lots of money in the long run.