Managing Supply Chain and Operations 1st Edition by Thomas Foster ,Scott Sampson,Cynthia Wallin,Scott Webb

Exercise 33

Poor software design in a radiation machine, known as the Therac-25, contributed to deaths of three cancer patients. The Therac-25 was built by Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., which was a Crown corporation of the government of Canada. According to Nancy Levenson, a professor at MIT, the design flaws included the inability of the software to handle some of the data it was given and the delivery of hard-to-decipher user messages.
When the Affordable Care Act was launched, people were unable to get onto the website launched by the federal government in the United States to register for insurance. At the same time, because of the requirements of the law, people were losing their existing policies, resulting in a loss of trust in the new law.
During Operation Desert Storm, an Iraqi missile hit a US. Army barracks in Saudi Arabia, killing 28 Americans. The approach of the missile should have been noticed by a Patriot missile battery. A subsequent government investigation found a flaw in the Patriot's weapons-control software, however, that prevented the system from properly tracking the incoming missile.
The types of errors are likely to mount as software becomes more complex. In addition, the software systems are tied across networks. Software is one of the most sophisticated products the mind can create.
Questions
1. What type of inspection would be helpful in monitoring and ensuring software quality?
2. W hat type of inspection plan would you recommend?