Comment by jhayward

And how, exactly, did the software engineers at Boeing stray from this hypothetical process, one which is not used in any specialty?

The job of the software engineer is to correctly implement the given spec. As far as anyone knows, that was done.

There is no one, in any industry, that wants their software engineers to say "I'm not moving forward until I've seen the validated medical testing and lab results that this design is based on. I will also need you to run a several year safety trial, provide multiple attestations that the design is correct by end users, regulators, and independent auditors, before proceeding."

What you are suggesting is ridiculously impractical. The specialties rely on one another, and if the controls and human factors people have signed off on the design spec that's what the software engineers should faithfully implement. During implementation, if it becomes apparent that there are states the system can get in to that are not called out in the spec that obviously requires re-engagement. But that's not what you are suggesting as far as I can tell.