release grade – סיפורו של מדד

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Release Grade – סיפורו של מדדRiki Tzadok – May 2008

•How do we know the Quality of

our products?

•A Solution is found

•It is not top secret

•Life is not easy…

•Making it a working tool!

•It works!

•The End?

•Summary

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Chapter A – How do we know the quality of our Products?

Management Requirements:

• Tool to measure the quality of software deliverables

• Based on data and not on ‘gut feeling’

• Use existing tools/methods

• Easy to use and understand

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Chapter B – A solution is found

i

•Based on ‘non closed’ defects (no 0 defects upon delivery….)

• Reflects the customer’s point of view

• Normalized between - to 100

• Uses existing tools

Release Grade – score for SW deliverablesRelease Grade – score for SW deliverables

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Release Grade Calculation Basics

• Each defect is given a weight based on its Severity and Impact (customer point of view)

• Defect weight = Severity weight * Impact weight

• All defect weights are summed – ‘R-Sum’

• The sum is normalized versus a reference project (‘I-Sum’), to give a grade between - to 100

• Release Grade =

10*

__100SUMISUMR

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Weights of Impact & Severity

Impact Weight Severity WeightReliability 60 Critical 100Performance 60 Major 60Maintenance 50 Minor 1Serviceability 50 Warning 0Installability 40Integrity 40Documentation 30Usability 30Capability 20Security 20Upgrade/Migration 10Standards 10Requirements 10Build 0

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Chapter C – It is not top secret!

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Measurements Portal (2)

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Chapter D – Life is not easy…• People don’t like to be measured

• What’s in it for me??

• Defects database should be validated

• The relevant tools are not implemented in all R&D organizations

• Different scales are needed according to product maturity & complexity

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Chapter E – Making it a working tool!

The challenge: identify the most relevant user (Release managers) and find out how the metric can help them.

“if you can’t beat them – join themif you can’t beat them – join them” – we asked one of the release managers to join the team and we learned better her needs and concerns

…and then the tool team gave us just the right solution:

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Measurements Portal (3)

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Measurements Portal (4)

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Measurements Portal (5)

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Chapter F – In works!

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The End?

•Extend usage to post release

• Use the release grade as a tool to evaluate sub- contractors deliveries

• Reflect testing progress vs. release grade

• Build metrics for development phase as well

“The race for quality has no finish line”““The race for Quality has no finish lineThe race for Quality has no finish line…”…”

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Release Grade helps us define measurable targets for release quality and can be used as an additional exit criterion.

Release Grade serves both for monitoring and as a working tool (helps in decision making).

Summary

Release Grade is now implement in about 50% of R&D resulting in a major decrease in deferred defects backlog, which means improved product quality and better customer satisfaction.

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Thanks….

To Tzachi Sadi – the initiator

The Implementation team:Shouky Dan, Miki Arad, Nadav Alon, Michal Mahlab

All VAS–SQM for their support, ideas, and objections

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ריקי צדוק 69710 תל-אביב 29קומברס, הברזל

riki.tzadok@comverse.com, :טל 03-6452582