>Software development, as much as we try, is not an engineering process like widget production or bridge building. It is still by and large a creative process.

I actually think it's the opposite. Majority of the software projects (IMHO) out there are exactly like bridge building. For the most part you adhere to the same engineering principles, and depend on the budget/requirement, have some room for creativity. Some bridges are masterpieces and will last more than a hundred years while some others could collapse at any time.