Why software fails [software failure

R.N. Charette
2005 IEEE spectrum  
Have you heard the one about the disappearing warehouse? One day, it vanished-not from physical view, but from the watchful eyes of a well-known retailer's automated distribution system. A software glitch had somehow erased the warehouse's existence, so that goods destined for the warehouse were rerouted elsewhere, while goods at the warehouse languished. Because the company was in financial trouble and had been shuttering other warehouses to save money, the employees at the "missing" warehouse
more » ... kept quiet. For three years, nothing arrived or left. Employees were still getting their paychecks, however, because a different computer system handled the payroll. When the software glitch finally came to light, the merchandise in the warehouse was sold off, and upper management told employees to say nothing about the episode.
doi:10.1109/mspec.2005.1502528 fatcat:vbwinuhqfneahotac7nhksq7fa