ALMA software releases versus quality management: and the winner is...

After its inauguration and the formal completion of the construction phase, the software development effort at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) continues at roughly the same level as during construction – gradually adding capabilities as required by and offered to the scientific community. In the run-up to a new yearly Observing Cycle several software releases have to be prepared, incorporating this new functionality. However, the ALMA observatory is used on a daily basis to produce scientific data for the approved projects within the current Observing Cycle, and also by engineering teams to extend existing capabilities or to diagnose and fix problems – so the preparation of new software releases up to their deployment competes for resources with all other activities. Testing a new release and ensuring its quality is of course fundamental, but can on the other hand not monopolize the observatory's resources or jeopardize its commitments to the scientific community.