DO-254 Benefits Versus Costs for Engineers & Managers

As a design assurance guideline for airborne electronic hardware, DO-254 is considered by many to be a simple duplicate of DO-178, its avionics software sibling. While similarities abound, so do their many differences. And truly, DO-254 is the benefactor, or bane, of avionics projects the world over. But is DO-254 unduly expensive? Does it add value? Will it improve safety and reliability? Does it have benefits? What are the true costs versus benefits? These important questions are answered here.