Fig 1.

A comparison of the relative contribution of industry vs. knowledge users to software solution engineering over time. In the early days of computers (A), the challenges were mostly technical; users had low expectations and few requirements, and the relative contribution of industry was significant compared the knowledge user. Today (B), hardware is more capable and software development is relatively easy, but users now have sophisticated requirements and complex workflows. Unlike before, solving these challenges demands extensive user involvement. In the future (C), as software development tools continue to become increasingly reusable and modular, knowledge users will likely play the major role in the development process with the aid of powerful, enabling development platforms provided by industry.