RATF is a software development methodology acting as a plug in to the Rational Unified Process

Rational Unified Process

The Rational Unified Process is an iterative software development process framework created by the Rational Software Corporation, a division of IBM since 2003...

 (RUP), ICONIX

ICONIX

ICONIX is a software development methodology which predates both the Rational Unified Process , Extreme Programming and Agile software development. Like RUP, the ICONIX process is UML Use Case driven but more lightweight than RUP. Unlike the XP and Agile approaches, ICONIX provides sufficient...

, Extreme Programming

Extreme Programming

Extreme programming is a software development methodology which is intended to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements...

 (XP) and Agile software development

Agile software development

Agile software development is a group of software development methodologies based on iterative and incremental development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams...

. The first part of the method was first published by in 2005 at the IASTED International conference on Software Engineering.

RATF makes use of principles provided by the TRIZ

TRIZ

TRIZ is "a problem-solving, analysis and forecasting tool derived from the study of patterns of invention in the global patent literature". It was developed by the Soviet inventor and science fiction author Genrich Altshuller and his colleagues, beginning in 1946...

 innovation method and its techniques such as ARIZ

Ariz

There are parishes that have the name Ariz in Portugal:*Ariz , a parish in the municipality of Marco de Canaveses*Ariz , a parish in the municipality of Moimenta da Beira...

 and Technology forecasting

Technology forecasting

Technology forecasting attempts to predict the future characteristics of useful technological machines, procedures or techniques.-Important aspects:...

, supported by Robustness analysis. The novel principle provided by RATF is to elaborate on potential software evolution in a method loop consisting of the steps:

• Extended Robustness Analysis - that investigates preliminary design options based on system expectations and system environment, thus identifying weaknesses in terms of system conflicts and likeliness for change.
• Technology Forecasting - which proposes likely, better and fruitful system design and evolution
• Extended Robustness Analysis - that investigates consequences of such evolution, identifying weaknesses and system conflicts
• Then the Technology Forecasting step is repeated, and so on.

Essentially the RATF method is expected to give improve decision for future system architecture and design, taking advantage of technology forecasting and innovation, thus "enabling design of tomorrow's system, today".