Building quality into scientific software

This paper has developed from the SoFEA project at The Open University which is studying the non-technical aspects of quality in software. This involves seeing the technical elements of software development as very much part of a wider context. The culture of an organization as a whole, particularly its management strategies, are regarded as driving and shaping the technology. A particular challenge for management we have observed is how to harmonize a skilled individualist (affectionately dubbed a ‘maverick’) and a quality management system. We explore the characteristics of an individualist programmer and discuss the options for managing such a person. Some of the experiences of a scientific organization are reported.