Toshiba's Software Factory

Toshiba developed a software factory approach for building real-time process control software used in industrial applications, such as controlling power generators. To achieve safe untended operation, the hardware and software for these control systems had to be nearly free of defects. The software factory concept has been used by a number of firms in the United States and Japan. The basic idea is to develop programs the same way products are produced in a factory, by formalizing the steps and providing tools that make the work efficient.

Toshiba's software factory uses an especially structured approach. Similarities between different software projects permit it to build semi-customized systems by combining reusable code from earlier projects. Toshiba's system is built around its Software Engineering Workbench, which contains tools for design support, identification of reusable modules, code generation, documentation, maintenance, and testing. As this system developed, Toshiba improved its productivity in lines of source code per month from 1,390 to 3,100 between 1976 and 1985. Programming faults decreased from between 7 and 20 faults per 1,000 lines of source code to just 2 or 3 faults. Toshiba management believes the main reason for the quality and productivity improvements was reusability. Reused code increased from 13 to 48 percent between 1979 and 1985.

1. Use the WCA framework to organize your understanding of this vignette and to identify important topics that are not mentioned.

2. What issues (if any) make this case interesting from an international or intercultural viewpoint?

3. How is the idea of a software factory related to the way you and your peers develop spreadsheets?

Source: Cusumano, Michael A. Japan's Software Factories: A Challenge to U.S. Management. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1991.

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