Code-centric development leads to maintenance problems, hinders modernization, and causes business misalignment
Traditional development is code-centric. Requirements get outdated, documentation drifts, and when bugs appear, we dig through code to understand what the system was supposed to do.
AI coding tools make this worse by generating code faster without fixing the underlying process problems.
The Determinism Myth: Some believe AI code generation only works with extensive specifications that force deterministic output. This misses the point entirely.
AI Unified Process (AIUP) flips this around. Requirements stay at the center, and everything else gets generated from them using AI as the consistency engine.
Iterative Improvement: Through short iterations, specifications, code, and tests improve together. Documentation enables sustainable development and modernization.
Test-Driven Consistency: Tests ensure the system behaves the same regardless of code generation changes, enabling safe refactoring and evolution.
Each phase runs multiple short iterations where all disciplines work together, not in sequence. All phases run in iterations throughout the project lifecycle.
Watch how AI Unified Process transforms development workflows
Principles that ensure success in agile, iterative development
Addressing the determinism debate: It's not about perfect specs, it's about iterative improvement
Critics argue AI code generation only works with exhaustive specifications that force deterministic output. This assumes we need perfect requirements upfront.
Reality: Perfect specifications are impossible and unnecessary. The real value comes from iterative improvement.
Through short cycles, specifications become clearer, AI generation improves, and tests get stronger. Each iteration builds on the previous one.
Key insight: Tests ensure consistent behavior regardless of how the AI generates code. This enables safe evolution and modernization.
Experience measurable improvements across all aspects of software delivery
Stakeholders review every artifact, ensuring the system matches actual needs
Living documentation enables refactoring and modernization without losing knowledge
Tests protect system behavior while AI improves code generation quality
Specifications, code, and tests improve together through continuous cycles
From business requirement to code line, every connection is maintained
AIUP comes with ready-to-use plugins for Claude Code that automate the entire workflow — from requirements to implementation to testing
The aiup-core plugin provides slash commands that guide Claude through creating requirements catalogs, entity models, use case diagrams, and specifications — all stack-agnostic.
The aiup-vaadin-jooq plugin adds technology-specific skills for database migrations, UI implementation with Vaadin, and automated testing with Karibu and Playwright.
AI Unified Process combines the best of Rational Unified Process with modern AI tooling