According to the characteristics of rapid application development (RAD), how does the timing of the system's build and delivery compare to traditional methods?

Rapid Application Development (RAD) is designed to shorten the time frame for system development compared to traditional methods. The methodology emphasizes iterative development, user feedback, and prototyping, which collectively contribute to a quicker build and delivery of the software. In RAD, the focus is on quickly developing functional prototypes and refining them based on user input, which significantly accelerates the overall delivery schedule.

The idea behind RAD is to ensure that the system is completed much sooner than traditional approaches, where the development cycle can be prolonged due to extensive planning, documentation, and linear processes. By employing techniques such as time-boxing and facilitating continuous user involvement, RAD enables teams to deliver working software early and often, reducing the time from conception to final delivery.

In contrast, the notion that the system is delivered much later does not align with the core principles of RAD. Instead, the emphasis is invariably on swiftness and adaptability, leading to improvements in development time. This makes the assertion that the system is completed significantly sooner or expedited incorrect choices as they align more closely with the RAD methodology's goals.