A First Draft of RATF: A Method Combining Robustness Analysis and Technology Forecasting

This paper is based on an extensive study performed on a large software suite for over a decade. From the experiences derived from this study we created a first draft of a method combining an extended robustness analysis (RA) method with the future oriented method of technology forecasting (TF). In this method TF provides information about the systems future evolution to the RA which then generates the software design. The RA and TF methods then form a feedback loop, which results in an improved reusable and robust software design. The purpose of the RATF method is to predict the evolutional path of the software system, thus making preparations for (example) functionality that will be needed in future generations, i.e. utilizing the power-of-prediction to implement the base of tomorrow's functions today