Today's component-based enterprise applications are different from traditional business applications in many ways. To build them successfully, you need not only new programming tools and architectures, but also new development and project management strategies.
Traditional top-down organizational structures and linear, step-by-step development strategies were well suited to monolithic, self-contained, standalone systems. In contrast, the distributed nature of component-based systems lends itself better to a model of small, cooperative, self-empowered teams, and a more cyclical, iterative development process.
The following sections provide information for structuring development teams and processes to best approach component-based design.
| Section | Description |
| A Model for Enterprise Teams | Introduces the team model of enterprise development based on the idea of a small team of peers working in interdependent roles. |
| A Process for Enterprise Development | Introduces the process model, an iterative, milestone-based development model that helps organizations set priorities and move forward in overlapping stages, rather than fixed deadline-oriented tasks. |
| Development Model Summary | Provides a brief summary of the team and process models for developing enterprise applications. |