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A "reasonable period of time" for the development of a software
system does not relate to self-imposed business time constraints,
but rather to the reasonable time of those in the field of computer
science.
H. Debit Card
Dr. McDermott found that the Debit Card project had a
"significant chance of failure" due to software engineering, one
which the project team placed as high as 50 percent. However, Dr.
McDermott admitted that "With all resource constraints removed,
there is little doubt the project would have eventually succeeded."
He indicated that the software engineering question was whether it
was "possible to make hundreds of modifications to several existing
systems in the time allotted". In the end, the entire success of
the project, i.e., becoming the first bank in Norwest's market to
deliver a debit card product, was dependent upon Visa's ability to
develop the appropriate interface with Norwest's existing ATM
system on time. "This was out of Norwest's control, and was a risk
the Norwest programmers could do nothing about." Dr. McDermott
concluded in his rebuttal report that there was no high degree of
uncertainty about the particular algorithms used in the project,
and that the only uncertainty was the ability to complete the
project in the short time provided.
Dr. Davis concurred that the only risks in this project
related to business or economic risks, not technical ones.
Further, he found that the processes engaged in by Norwest were
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