Independence = Outsourcing

I have always held the view that in order to achieve high quality software development and verification should be done by two independent companies. This belief is from experience.

In the very early years of our existence we became the sole supplier for verification of a Level A software for a UK based company. The initial verification was carried out internally by our customer. I am sure there must have been misgivings on our taking over the verification work, but our customer quickly realized the value we added. We generated Problem Reports by tons. Some of the PRs were trivial but most added value. Since this was very early in the development such huge PRs did not cause any major slippage in the end date of the project.

Why did this happen? Because we had to deliver quality. And quality to a verification-focused company is: 'no item that passes our hand should have a defect". We did not care if the designer will feel bad if we generate many PRs. All we cared that the customer should not come back to us saying you did a poor job at verification. (by the way, after all these years, I am still terrified that some customer will accuse us of doing a poor job at verification; and so all our outputs are gold-plated).

However, the above view I hold is self-serving. If companies outsource verification, then some of it will definitely come our way! I was therefore pleasantly surprised when I read in CAST-26 discussion that one of three perspectives with regard to what was meant by independence is called "Organizational Verification Independence Perspective". Finally, I have a documented support to my view. According to this perspective, "This perspective proposes that to truly achieve independence, the personnel performing the verification activity (i.e., review) should actually be in a different organization (or company) than the organization which developed the data being reviewed/verified."

The CAST paper does indicate that this perspective is beyond the DO-178B objectives' intent, I do wish this becomes the standard interpretation of independence in DO-178C or D or E.

Now, how is that for wishful thinking?

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I am still terrified that some customer will accuse us of doing a poor job at verification; and so all our outputs are gold-plated).

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DO-178C clarifies matters of independence and an additional diagram has been included in the document to assist readers. It certainly does not go as far as you suggest.