ABSTRACT
A computer system can be neatly compared with a biological entity called a superorganism. Composed of software, hardware, peopleware and their interconnectivity, and requiring all to survive, the silicon superorganism is itself a part of a larger superorganism, for example, the business. Whether the business be government, academic, or commercial, the computer system, like its biological counterpart, must grow and adapt to meet fast changing requirements. Software is the embodiment of logical processes, whether in support of business functions or in control of physical devices. The nature of software as an instantiation of process can apply very broadly, when modeling complex organizations, or very narrowly as when implementing a discrete numerical algorithm. Engineers often use the term systems engineering to refer to the tasks of specifying, designing, and simulating a non-software system such as a bridge or electronic component. With a preventative philosophy, systems would be carefully constructed to minimize development problems from the very outset.
