Living Software

When describing a piece of software, we often use the word solution. Software primarily exists to solve problems that users are experiencing. These problems span a broad range of domains, or areas of application.

For example:

• Airline passengers need to browse flights and purchase tickets.
• Homeowners need to save energy by adjusting temperature when the house is empty.
• Retail suppliers need to forecast holiday demand and place inventory orders.
• Accountants need to enter spreadsheet data into the new accounting system.
• Nurses need to enter patient notes and diagnostic data into the electronic health record.

Once a software solution is built, however, the problem isn't "solved". Software systems evolve to meet the changing needs of the users.