Case Study : Chapter 7

Questions to Consider

1.) Is this example of software problems holding up the introduction of a major new product and impacting a firm’s customers and suppliers unusual, or is it a common occurrence?
-Yes, because some of the defective software can still be used.

2.) What can organizations do to reduce the negative consequences of software development problems in the production of their products and the operation of their business processes and facilities?
-Organizations should make sure that their products have good quality and durable to avoid negative consequences.

Discussion questions

1.)   With the benefit of hindsight, what steps could have been taken during development of the Patriot software to avoid the problems that led to the loss of life?  Do you think these steps would have improved the Patriot’s effectiveness enough to make it obvious that the missile was a strong deterrent against the Seud?  Why or why not?
-Yes, because compared to the other missiles, Patriot missile is also strong.

2.) What ethical decisions do you think the U.S. military made in choosing to deploy the Patriot missile to Israel and Saudi Arabia and in reporting the effectiveness of the Patriot system?
-U.S. chose these countries because Israel and Saudi has a large desert areas.

3.) What key lessons from this example of safety-critical software development could be applied to the development of business information system software?
-I've learned that safety-critical software can avoid  danger while testing other systems.