What 15 Years of Building Critical Systems Have Taught Us

Key Points

• The aim is to explore the factors contributing to the reliability and success of critical digital systems over a lengthy period.
• Review of development practices over 15 years
• Analysis of operational outcomes
• Identification of patterns affecting system success
• Technical excellence identified as a necessary but insufficient factor for reliability
• Operational challenges highlighted alongside technical achievements
• A consistent pattern of system failures due to lack of broader strategic considerations