quality management and process improvement chapter 4 components of the software quality assurance...

Quality Management and Process Improvement

Chapter 4Chapter 4

Components of the Software Quality Components of the Software Quality Assurance SystemAssurance System

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Classes of SQA System Components

1.1. Pre-project componentsPre-project components

2.2. Software project life cycle componentsSoftware project life cycle components

3.3. Infrastructure components for error avoidance and Infrastructure components for error avoidance and

improvementsimprovements

4.4. Management SQA componentsManagement SQA components

5.5. SQA standards, system certification and SQA standards, system certification and

assessment componentsassessment components

6.6. Organizing for SQA – the human componentsOrganizing for SQA – the human components

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The Software Quality temple

Project Development plan and Quality PlanCh.6

Pre-project SQA components

Project Life Cycle SQA components

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Quality Infrastructure components

ProceduresCh. 14

Supporting DevicesCh. 15

TrainingInstruction

Ch. 16

PreventiveActionsCh.17

ConfigurationManagement

Ch. 18

Document-ation

ControlCh. 19

Quality Management Project

ProgressControlCh. 20

Software QualityMetricsCh. 21

SoftwareQuality

CostsCh. 22

Quality ManagementStandards

Ch. 23

StandardsProjectProcessStandardsCh.24

Organizational Base – Human componentsManagement - Ch. 25 SQA Unit - Sec. 26.1 SQA Committees – Sec. 26.2SQA Trustees – Sec. 26.2 SQA Forums – Sec 26.4

Contract reviewCh.5Pre-project SQA components


1.1. Pre-project componentsPre-project components

These components assure:A. The project commitments have been effectively defined

considering the resources requires, the schedule and budget

B. The development and quality plans have been correctly determined

These components include:A. Contract Review

Contract review activities must include a detailed examination of the project proposal draft and the contract draft

B. Development and quality plans

After singing the contracts, project plan is prepared and its integrated quality assurance activities (the quality plan) are also prepared


2.2. Software project life cycle componentsSoftware project life cycle componentsThe development life cycle is composed of two stages:

1.1. Development life cycle stageDevelopment life cycle stage

2.2. Operation-maintenance stageOperation-maintenance stage

SQA components SQA components at this stage include:1.1. ReviewsReviews

The design phase of development process produces different documents that needs review: design reports, SW test documents, installation plans, manuals…etc. Reviews can be either

Formal design reviews: to formally get professional doc. Approval

Peer reviews: peer review of short doc., chapter, or reports.

2.2. Expert opinionsExpert opinions

Expert opinions support quality assessment efforts by introducing additional external capabilities into the organization’s in-house development process. (why we may need such experts?)


2. Software project life cycle components2. Software project life cycle components - Continued- Continued

3.3. Software testingSoftware testing

It is a formal process carried out by specialized testing

team in which a software unit, several integrated SW units

or an entire SW package are examined by running the

programs on a computer. Testing can be classified as:

Black Box Testing (functionality test)

White Box Testing (Structural test)

4.4. Software maintenanceSoftware maintenance


2. Software project life cycle components2. Software project life cycle components - Continued- Continued

5.5. Assurance of the quality of the external partsAssurance of the quality of the external parts

Subcontractors and customers frequently join the directly

contracted developers (the suppliers) in carrying out software

development projects.

The larger and more complex the project, the greater the

possibility that external participants will be required. (why we

may need to subcontract part or all of the project?)

Most of the SQA controls applied to external participants are

defined in the contracts signed between the relevant parties.


3. Management SQA Components3. Management SQA Components

Managerial SQA components support the Managerial SQA components support the managerial managerial

controlcontrol of software development projects and of software development projects and

maintenance services. maintenance services.

Control components include:Control components include:

Project progress controlProject progress control

Software quality metricsSoftware quality metrics

Software quality costs.Software quality costs.


3. Management SQA Components - continued3. Management SQA Components - continued

1.1. Project progress controlProject progress control

To detect the appearance of any situation that may make may make

difference from the projects plansdifference from the projects plans and maintenance

performance. Project control activities includeProject control activities include: Resource Resource

usage, Schedules, Risk management and Budgetusage, Schedules, Risk management and Budget

2.2. Software quality metricsSoftware quality metrics

measurement is an effective tool for the support of control

activities and the initiation of process improvements.


3. Management SQA Components - continued3. Management SQA Components - continued

3.3. Software quality costsSoftware quality costs

Management is especially interested in the total

sum of the quality costs.

Quality cost analysis can help in identifying those

teams whose ineffective quality assurance efforts result

in higher than average quality cost. The results can

then be used to help the teams improve10


4. Infrastructure components for error avoidance and 4. Infrastructure components for error avoidance and improvementimprovement

Goal of infrastructure are the avoidanceavoidance of software faults

or at least lowering faults rates as well as improving the

productivity

SQA infrastructure components include:SQA infrastructure components include:

Procedures and work instructionsProcedures and work instructions

Procedures are planned to be generally Procedures are planned to be generally

applicable and to serve the entire organization.applicable and to serve the entire organization.


4. Infrastructure components for error 4. Infrastructure components for error avoidance and improvementavoidance and improvement

Staff training, retraining and certificationStaff training, retraining and certification

Preventive and corrective actionsPreventive and corrective actions

Implementation of changes that prevent similar failures in the Implementation of changes that prevent similar failures in the

future.future.

Correction of similar faults found in among the activities Correction of similar faults found in among the activities

performed by other teams.performed by other teams.

Implementing proven successful methodologies to enhance Implementing proven successful methodologies to enhance

the probability of repeat successes.the probability of repeat successes.

The sources of these data are design review reports, The sources of these data are design review reports,

software test reports, and customers’ complaints.software test reports, and customers’ complaints.

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4. Infrastructure components for error 4. Infrastructure components for error avoidance and improvementavoidance and improvement

Configuration managementConfiguration management

Configuration management deals with modifying Configuration management deals with modifying

software to create new versions and releases software to create new versions and releases by by

introducing procedures to control the change introducing procedures to control the change

process. process.

Documentation controlDocumentation control

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5. SQA standards, system certification and assessment 5. SQA standards, system certification and assessment componentscomponents

Objectives:Objectives:

Utilization of international professional knowledgeUtilization of international professional knowledge

Objective professional evaluation and measurement of the Objective professional evaluation and measurement of the

organization’s SQA achievementorganization’s SQA achievement

The standards available may be classified into two sub-The standards available may be classified into two sub-classes: classes: Quality management standards and Project Quality management standards and Project process standardsprocess standards..


5. SQA standards, system certification and 5. SQA standards, system certification and assessment componentsassessment components

1.1. Quality management standardsQuality management standards

These standards focus on focus on what is required what is required and leave the

decision about how to achieve it to the organization.

The application of a managerial quality system provides a provides a

fairly objective assessmentfairly objective assessment of the organization’s

achievements.

Organizations that comply with quality achievement

requirements can then seek SQA certificationseek SQA certification.

Examples of this type of standard are:Examples of this type of standard are:

• CMMICMMI

• ISO 9001, 9000-3ISO 9001, 9000-315


5. SQA standards, system certification and 5. SQA standards, system certification and assessment componentsassessment components

2.2. Project process standardsProject process standards

Project process standards are professional Project process standards are professional

standards that provide practical guidelines standards that provide practical guidelines ((dealing with dealing with

the question of “how”) the question of “how”) for the for the development teamdevelopment team..

Well-known examples of this type of standards are:Well-known examples of this type of standards are:

• ISO 12207• ISO 1012

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Software projects developed by software houses for to the use of other companies are usually known as external projects or outside-contracted projectsexternal projects or outside-contracted projects . Usually characterized by strong/tight customer-supplier strong/tight customer-supplier relationshiprelationship

Software projects developed by one unit of an organization to another unit in the same organization is usually known as internal project or in-house projects internal project or in-house projects (the majority of projects). Usually characterized by weak/loose customer-supplier relationshipweak/loose customer-supplier relationship

Tight and loose customer-supplier relationship


Types of Internal Projects

Administrative or operative software to be applied internally, such as Sales systems, Financial systems, HR systems and management systems

Software packages originally intended to be sold to the public as packages, such as computer games, educational software, word processors and sales packages

Common to all these project types is the fact that no that no

external body contributesexternal body contributes as client in their

development.


Thank you…

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Quiz 1Q1) Briefly describe the Objectives of

using SQA standards and

certifications.

Q2) Discuss briefly the Management

SQA Components.

quality management and process improvement chapter 4 components of the software quality assurance...

Documents

management sqa components

preproject components

quality management standards

assessment components

quality plans

software quality metrics

software quality costs

project plan