For the many companies that operate in the VxWorks environment of embedded systems, the processes that they work on are quite often critical systems that need to be error free and fully tested long before their use in their final application. In the case of say the Mars Lander or the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter there is no place for 'unexpected' errors or lack of accountability. They systems just must work, period. The approach to achieve this outcome has to be one of proven, transparent and clutter free development. The route to clear outcomes cannot in these instances be obscured by woolly planning and ad-hoc programming. The process must be lean and clean, from inception to application.

The use of outsourcing for the production of software solutions is more readily accepted these days. It is a very efficient way to eliminate the problems of having an in house software team on payroll at all times, especially in businesses that have only sporadic need for a full software development team. The hang over from the days of poor quality finished products and broken lines of accountability are still very real though. Quite often these concerns are based on practical experience of the software outsourcing marketplace.

However, there are many quality driven companies that will lead even the most unprepared design brief through the rigours of architecture, maintainability, accountability, technical manuals and support. This new breed of software outsourcing company usually has a well-defined and understandable process that delivers products on time and without waste, either of resources or cash.

The need for any potential employer of these companies to be 'au fait' with enough of what they offer to assess them, and their production process, is still very real. And there is the rub; one almost has to become an expert to engage the right expert, so one can spend the right amount on getting the exact outcome that has been contracted for. So wouldn't it be amazing if there were companies that used accredited systems of control and waste management that could be compared on a like for like basis that did not require the contract manager to become an expert themselves?

In an industry that has had its share of fly-by-night operators there are some that have adopted a set of self-regulating standards that can be assessed by ISO and as such can be taken at face value. The system of control, transparency and waste reduction is often referred to as Lean Management. There are few companies that operate under the principles of Lean process management and even fewer that can demonstrate their commitment to these principles in way that us novices can comprehend.

All of these particular difficulties can be accepted, possibly, when viewed in the light of a project that produces, say some office management software or a bespoke auto responder system, but when the software is for use in critical systems such as medical applications or control systems for aircraft or the military then is is mandatory for the project to be accountable, transparent and Lean.

Case in point is the outsourcing of software in the VxWorks environment, whilst many in the industry will understand the VxWorks environment, showing an understanding, and, being fully capable, are a long way apart in critical systems. The use of Lean management techniques is essential and the transparency of the process is the only way that reporting and development scheduling can be monitored in real time.

The need to have a software outsourcing company not only capable but insisting on staged reporting and waste reduction is paramount and is the only practical way to achieve Lean software products. The few that can and do put this into practice every time, no matter what the project, are the companies that will shine and become market leaders over the coming years.