Agile vs FuSa (Functional Safety)

Articles and Posts Apr 18, 2021 4 mins 6544 Views 0 Comments 2 Likes

Agile development practices has taken the software development world by the storm and has established itself as the most common and adherred to methodology for designing and developing applications. Its adoption thought has been less successful and it has been received less enthusiastically in domains where sfatey is paramount.

Can Agile really be used to build self-driving cars? Would you get on an airplane if you knew it's software was developed using agile processes?

Functional safetu standards (FuSA), for example, are currently used to develope safety-related systems which include electric or electronic sub-systems installed in automobiles. Can Agile replaces FuSa? Can Agile function alongside Fusa?

ISO 26262 is an international standard, managed by the International Organization for Standardization (betterm known as ISO), which defines functional safety (FuSa) standards for the electric and/or electronic components and systems which are part of passenger vehicles.

Unlike the Agile Manifesto, the FuSas standard is very detailed consisting of 12 parts which cover:

Vocabulary
Management of functional safety
Concept phase
Product development at the system level
Product development at the hardware level
Product development at the software level
Production, operation, service and decommissioning
Supporting processes
Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL)-oriented and safety-oriented analysis
Guidelines on ISO 26262
Guidelines on application of ISO 26262 to semiconductors
Adaptation of ISO 26262 for motorcycles

In this article, the author wonders whether the agile sofware development methodology can be reconciled with functional safety standards.

The main advice is to at least consider if it might be possible. Don't throw the baby with the bathwater.

"Let’s take a step back. Just suppose that there is something in both of these of arguments. Forget Agile and all its confusing terminology; just consider how an iterative process might fit into a FuSa environment without denying the innovative thought stuff that a freer, more creative attitude to software engenders."

Dive into the details by reading the full article.

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