SQA
What is "Quality"?

"Quality of Design" and "Quality of
Conformance" -- Roger Pressman
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User Satisfaction =
compliant product +
good quality +
delivery within budget and schedule
-- Robert Glass
Standard Definition
Software Quality - Conformance to:
explicitly stated functional and performance
requirements,
2. explicitly documented development
standards, and
3. implicit characteristics that are expected of
all professionally developed software.
1.
SQA Components
1.
2.
3.
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5.
6.
Pre-Project Components
Development and Maintenance Activities
Error Reduction Infrastructure
SQ Management Components
SQA System Assessment
Human Components
Software Quality Assurance by Galin
1. Pre-Project Components
Contract Review
 Development and Quality Plans
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 Development
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schedules
manpower requirements
tools
 Quality
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Plans
Plans
measurable quality goals
success criteria for each project phase
scheduled V&V activities
Obvious Question…
Q: Why should the software geeks worry
about the contract?
A: Because the software team must do the
work and assure the product's quality.

loosely defined requirements
 unrealistic budgets
 unrealistic schedules
A: Contract review is required by ISO 9001
IEEE 730 - Standard for SQA Plans
Plan Sections
1.
2.
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13.
Purpose
Reference Documents
Management
Documentation
Standards, Practices, and Conventions
Reviews and Audits
Software Configuration Management
Problem Reporting and Corrective Action
Tools Techniques and Methodologies
Code Control
Media Control
Supplier Control
Records Collection, Maintenance, and Retention
2. Life Cycle Components
Software Testing
 Reviews
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varying levels of formality
 specs, designs, code modules, documents, etc
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Maintenance

corrective
 adaptive
 functional
Formal Technical Reviews

FTRs are the primary quality control
activity.

Justification

to err is human
 other people are better at finding our faults
than we are
 good way for other people to learn details
about another part of the project
FTR Guidelines
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3 to 5 people
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includes the producer, review leader, recorder
no more than two hours preparation
small portions only
 narrow focus increases likelihood of find an error

meeting duration less than two hours
 outcome: accept, accept pending changes, reject
 report is signed and saved
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FTR Guidelines
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Review the Product, not the person!
Set an agenda and keep it.
Limit debate and rebuttal.
Find errors, don't try to solve them.
Take written notes.
Limit number of participants and have advance
preparation.
Allocate resources and schedule time for FTRs.
Conduct training for reviewers.
Review your earlier reviews.
3. Error Prevention and
Improvement Infrastructure
Next Slide
work procedures
see link to NASA
 templates and checklists
 staff training
 preventive actions
 configuration control
Last Class
 document control

Example types of Work Instructions
audit process for subcontractors
 design documentation templates
 C++ programming instructions
 coordination and cooperation with the
customer
 follow-up of beta site reporting
 monthly progress reporting

Galin: page 316
4. Management Components
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Project Progress

schedules, budgets, risk analysis, …
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Quality Metrics
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Quality Costs
Statistical SQA
1. Info about defects are collected and
categorized.
2. Defects are traced to their root cause.
3. Isolate the vital 20%
4. Move to correct problems that caused
defects.
SSQA is similar to
"Six Sigma"
Pareto Principle:
80% of defects can be traced
to 20% of causes.
5. SQA Assessment

Quality Management Standards

SEI CMM
 ISO 9001
Details o'plenty Next Week
SEI CMM Levels
1. Initial
 ad hoc, perhaps chaotic
2. Repeatable
 tracks costs, has a schedule
 similar projects can repeat earlier successes
3. Defined
 process in documented and standardized
4. Managed
 detailed process and product measurements
5. Optimizing
 continuous process improvement
ISO Standards for Quality

ISO 9000 : Quality Management and Quality
Assurance Standards - Guidelines for selection
and use

ISO 9001 : Quality Systems - Model for quality
assurance in design/development, installation,
and servicing
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ISO 9000-3 : Guidelines to applying 9001 to
software
ISO 9000
ISO 9000 seeks to set criteria which achieve a goal and
is not prescriptive as to methods. The requirements
come in Sections 4 to 8.

Section 4 is entitled General Requirements
 Section 5 is entitled Management Responsibility
 Section 6 is entitled Resource Management
 Section 7 is entitled Product Realization
 Section 8 is entitled Measurement, analysis and improvement
In each of these areas, ISO 9001: 2000 seeks to set
out key requirements, which if met will ensure quality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9000
Other Quality-Related Standards
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ANSI/IEEE 730 - Standard for Software Quality
Assurance Plans
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ANSI/IEEE 983 - Software Quality Assurance
Planning
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ANSI/IEEE 1028 - Standard for Software
Reviews and Audits
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ANSI/IEEE 1012 - Standard for Software
Verification and Validation
6. Human Components
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Management
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SQA Unit
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SQA committees and forums
The SQA Group
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Participates in the development of the project's software
process description.
Reviews software engineering activities to verify compliance
with the defined process.
Audits designated software work products to verify compliance
with those defined as part of the software process.
Ensures that deviations in software work and work products are
documented and handled according to a documented
procedure.
Records any noncompliance and reports to senior
management.
Coordinates and controls change.
Helps collect and analyze metrics.
When is enough enough?
SQA
+
Failure
Costs
Cost of SQA
Cost of Failure
Software Quality
Optimal Quality Level
Summary

"Quality" includes explicit and implied properties
as well as the development process.
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FTRs are a key part of SQA.
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An SQA Group is highly recommended.
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QA must be part of the plan and schedule.
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SSQA is a commonly used formal approach to
quality assurance and process improvement.
Next Time…
SEI CMM
 ISO 9001
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