Developing reliable software

Abstract

This paper examines some of the underpinnings of software reliability and software development concerns. A survey was conducted of one company's employees regarding an unsuccessful large-scale program to identify some lessons learned. These lessons point out that one of the largest origins of software problems lies in communication deficiencies. The quality of the development process ultimately determines the quality of the delivered software product. The primary causes of customer problems often stem from difficulties in capturing true customer requirements. An additional challenge is assuring strong integrated product team understanding and communications. This paper identifies structured development process initiatives that assure the building of more reliable code. Then two of the more significant initiatives, object-oriented design and the defect prevention process, are discussed in detail.