Safety as a Process Quality Characteristic

Abstract

Software is increasingly been used to provide system functionality that is related to safety. From systems point-of-view safety is often considered to be a probabilistic property and development process has less significance. For software this approach is not necessarily valid. This article studies the applicable process scope in relation to safety requirements for software. Based on a new concept of process quality characteristics, process quality attributes for safety are tentatively defined. The aim of the presented process quality characteristic for safety is that risks related to achievement of safety goals in software development can be evaluated with process assessment. Key results would be increased trust in safety of software-intensive systems and established safety culture in development organizations. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.