CAE software: programming solutions for software

Electronic News, April 20, 1992 by Peter Dunn

Every computer-aided engineering (CAE) software vendor tries to make bug-free software, but almost no one succeeds. And there always comes a time when a deadline-frenzied user, accustomed to the level of support provided by Microsoft or Lotus, calls and demands an instant answer to a problem.

Sometimes an instant answer is available, but doesn't get to the user because the customer service representatives has never run across the problem and has no way of finding out what other reps have learned. Sometimes the customer gets a workaround, but word of the problem doesn't get back to the engineering department. And it could be that the bug is symptomatic of a significant but undetected flaw in the software's original specification.

One of the biggest problems in managing these issued has been a lack of software. There are several programs on the market designed to aid in handling hardware problems, but they have limited appeal to a software-only company. Many companies have resorted to writing their own in-house bug-tracking applications.

In recent months, several CAE companies have tried to move beyond this level by purchasing software from an Emeryville, Calif., start-up called Scopus Technology. Scopus' Engineering Information System, built on the Sybase client-server database, provides a communications and data infrastructure linking customer service, engineering and management. Viewlogic Systems, LSI Logic's CAD/CAE group, Compass Design Automation and PiE Design Systems are all using the package, as are publishing software developer Frame Technology and the software arms of MIPS Computer Systems and 3Com.

"We wrote our own system a while ago, and that was OK, but we don't want to spend our time writing software support software," says Will Herman, senior vice president of engineering at Viewlogic Systems Inc., Marlboro, Mass. "We looked around for quite a while before we found Scopus. There are several other companies entering the market, but they don't have products yet."

Viewlogic beta-tested several modules of the Scopus software, and found that it made engineers and their managers more aware of what was going on at customer sites. It also brings new data into the company, and allows workers to be aware of strategic issues -- how many calls are coming in, how much time is being spent with users.

When a user calls in a bug report, the person taking the call enters a description into the Scopus system from his or her workstation, and searches a database for possibel fixes. If none is found, E-mail is automatically sent to the developer responsible for that portion of code, and to the developer's manager. The developer is responsible for solving the problem, and placing a solution into the main database. And while this will certainly help the support department, it's just the beginning, says Mr. Herman.

"The real trick is to use the system to track bugs back to their source," he says. "Nobody does that today, identifying something as a bug in the specification instead of the implementation. That's the next step, and I'd love to know that."

The Scopus package also allows to top managers to be alerted in case any customer accumulates more than, say, four bug reports or three unresolved calls to customer service. If a dozen customers report the same bug, as often happens, the software can automatically fax or E-mail them when a solution is posted. "It's oriented towark making things not fall through the cracks," says Scopus president David Schwab.

And until we have perfect programs, keeping customers out of the cracks isn't just a worthy goal - it's a necessity if a developer is going to maintain credibility in the market. Bug-tracking software isn't a magic bullet (after all, it may have a bug or two itself), but it could be a valuable tool when used with the right spirit and initiative.