4 ms·

Back in the 90s there was a software engineering fad (unfair term but it was faddish at the time) called the process maturity index, and JPL was one of two soft

Back in the 90s there was a software engineering fad (unfair term but it was faddish at the time) called the process maturity index, and JPL was one of two software development sites that qualified for the highest rank (5) which involves continuous improvement, measuring everything, and going from rigorous spec to code via mathematical proof. This process (which Ed Jourdan neatly eviscerated when applied to business software) produces software that is as reliable as the specification and underlying hardware.

vonmoltke 14y ago
It may be a fad for the industry at large, but it's a requirement in US government contracting (as CMMI). It goes beyond software, too. My former employer just got their systems engineering up to CMMI Level 5[1] and was working hard on getting electrical engineering there (they are only at 3). [1] Software had been there for a few years.