Four Pillars for Improving the Quality of Safety-Critical Software-Reliant Systems
• SEI Report
Publisher
Software Engineering Institute
Topic or Tag
Abstract
Studies of safety-critical software-reliant systems developed using the current practices of build-then-test show that requirements and architecture design defects make up approximately 70% of all defects, 80% of which are discovered late in the development lifecycle. We present four pillars of an improvement strategy for an integrate-then-build practice that result in early defect discovery and increased confidence through incremental end-to-end system validation and verification throughout the lifecycle.
Cite This SEI Report
Feiler, P., Goodenough, J., Gurfinkel, A., Weinstock, C., & Wrage, L. (2013, April 29). Four Pillars for Improving the Quality of Safety-Critical Software-Reliant Systems. Retrieved August 17, 2026, from https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/four-pillars-for-improving-the-quality-of-safety-critical-software-reliant-systems/.
@techreport{feiler_2013,
author={Feiler, Peter and Goodenough, John and Gurfinkel, Arie and Weinstock, Charles and Wrage, Lutz},
title={Four Pillars for Improving the Quality of Safety-Critical Software-Reliant Systems},
month={Apr},
year={2013},
institution={Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University},
url={https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/four-pillars-for-improving-the-quality-of-safety-critical-software-reliant-systems/},
note={Accessed: 2026-Aug-17}
}
Feiler, Peter, John Goodenough, Arie Gurfinkel, Charles Weinstock, and Lutz Wrage. "Four Pillars for Improving the Quality of Safety-Critical Software-Reliant Systems." Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, April 29, 2013. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/four-pillars-for-improving-the-quality-of-safety-critical-software-reliant-systems/.
P. Feiler, J. Goodenough, A. Gurfinkel, C. Weinstock, and L. Wrage, "Four Pillars for Improving the Quality of Safety-Critical Software-Reliant Systems," Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, 29-Apr-2013 [Online]. Available: https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/four-pillars-for-improving-the-quality-of-safety-critical-software-reliant-systems/. [Accessed: 17-Aug-2026].
Feiler, Peter, John Goodenough, Arie Gurfinkel, Charles Weinstock, and Lutz Wrage. "Four Pillars for Improving the Quality of Safety-Critical Software-Reliant Systems." Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute, 29 Apr. 2013. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/four-pillars-for-improving-the-quality-of-safety-critical-software-reliant-systems/. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.
Feiler, Peter; Goodenough, John; Gurfinkel, Arie; Weinstock, Charles; & Wrage, Lutz. Four Pillars for Improving the Quality of Safety-Critical Software-Reliant Systems. Software Engineering Institute. 2013. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/four-pillars-for-improving-the-quality-of-safety-critical-software-reliant-systems/