How important is your software?

When I meet new people outside of the office, and they ask, "What does Decade Software do?" I always reply exactly the same way.

"We write software for the government."

Their eyes always get real big. "Really. What sort of software?"

And I always whisper the answer. "It's a secret."

So, shoot me. 

This is not really a lie—and it is much easier than trying to explain what "software that manages the day to day operations of an Environmental Health Department" actually means.

Besides, it sounds more important—not to mention really cool.

I thought of this today, when I read that a number of United Airlines flights were canceled this week due to "software failure". Not long ago, the same thing happened on the international space station—and it happens on space shuttles almost monthly.

Reading this, I was thinking that I was glad that no one's life depended on our software—but that was before I remembered a recent trip, where I drove and wish I had flown.

In one of the few California counties that do not use our software to inspect restaurants, I stopped for lunch. I had shrimp, which—before this trip—was my favorite food. Afterwards, maybe my life was not in danger, but—on my knees in that gas station restroom—I promise you that I wished I was dead.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

I'm not saying that a restaurant inspector using Envision's Field Inspection System—or better, EnvisionConnect's new Observational Inspections—would have certainly found the problem before it made me sick. In fact, health inspectors say that most food-borne illness complaints are usually not attributable to the food facility identified by the patient. Most are caused by unrelated illness or by the complainant’s own food handling.

Tell that to a man praying to a porcelain God.

My point is: the importance of a software application really depends on a person's perspective. If the application gives someone peace of mind—If it makes someone's life or job easier—If they can get more accomplished, faster, and with fewer mistakes—then the software is very important to them. And it doesn't matter whether the user is at a desktop or laptop, in a police car or a garbage truck, inspecting a restaurant or taxiing down a runway. Application importance and the public's point-of-view go hand-in-hand. Software is important only if it removes personal pain.

However...

For the record...

Just to be on the safe side...

If I had to trust my life to an airline using software made by a tried and true company versus some discount, fly-by-night operation, I'd go with experience over pretty dogs and ponies any day.