Aviation  standards  are demanding  because they encompass systems (ARP 4754A /DO-297 ) ,  safety (ARP 4761),  security (DO-326A),  software tool qualification (DO-330),  software  development  (DO-178C ) and prog rammable  electronic hardware  (DO-254) .  S ome are long standing. For example,  DO-178 was first published in its original form way back in  1981 . Many development teams in  companies across the world therefore have a great deal of  experience  in meeting the challenges  posed by its latest successor, DO-178C .   

For  development teams   new to this  established  sector , the  existence of competitors   who are more  accustomed   to finding a path through the maze of complex  acronyms, terminology and  cross references  make it even more important  to get it right first time  and achieve certification goals .   Conversely,  more established players  can always benefit from an  optimize d  path  through th at   aviation standards   maze  to keep cost and time overheads to a minimum.  

It is , of course,  entirely possible to  develop a compliant  system or  application with no outside assistance at all.  But  to do so  in a fashion that ensures  a  product of optimal  quality , safety  and cost is often far easier with a little help.