The singular, most Important aspect which transforms a control system Into a functioning part of a process is the software applications. The conception, design and implementation of these softwares, in general, are inconsistently applied discipline. Although the need for a methodical process Is clearly evident, every project manager's and project engineer's approach to the problem is quite different. Ultimately, the time and effort Is never circumvented. The concept of “pay me now or pay me later” is very true in this particular area:The development of software for control applications Is new to some industries which are beginning to automate heavily. However, the concept of “validation” (a significant word in the pharmaceutical industry's vocabulary) is common in the nuclear power industry, petroleum refining and utility systems. Also, unrelated industries such as banking have validation procedures for software. Although the final control elements and processes vary from money to oil to power, the “life cycle approach” of design. Implementation, test and verify are consistent. The methodical processes and good engineering practice are the common links.The purpose of this paper is to examine the methods, procedures, and concepts used in several industrial environments, and compare them to the current evolution of control software development methods of the batch processing industry. Specifically, we will discuss the life cycle concepts now as applies to the pharmaceutical industry and the validation concepts as imposed by the FDAThe synergy of good development techniques and validation is far more than a coincidence. It is good business. Furthermore, the incentives in manpower, energy and product costs show it is a very profitable experience. This paper is geared for project engineers, project managers, control engineers and programmers. The specific slant will be a “how to” guide for providing a solid validatable system for any project but specifically a pharmaceutical one. The design will be weave the life cycle concept into good design practices.