ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION In practice, the operation and maintenance of computer systems can be far more demanding than system development. Over the lifetime of a computer system, more money and effort are put into operation and maintenance than that on the original project implementation, and good maintenance can substantially extend the useful life of what are more and more expensive assets. Consequently, the operation and maintenance of computer systems should be a highprofile role. Pharmaceutical and healthcare companies that ignore this are more likely to be forced to replace systems earlier than they need to because their systems have degraded faster as a result of change than they needed too. Degrading system documentation and functionality will also affect the ongoing level of compliance.
