Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA)

Intermediate Concepts of CMMI

Presentation Assignment

Nicolae Giurescu

Importance of PPQA

• Provides objective insight into processes and associated work products.– Visibility into project’s processes.– Objective evaluations.

• Independent group.• Defined criteria.

– Identifying, documenting and resolving noncompliance issues.

Benefits of PPQA

• Supports delivery of high-quality products and services.

• Provides feedback on project’s processes implementation.

• Identifies opportunities for process improvement.

• Identifies “dead” processes, that exists only in the process documentation.

PPQA Depends on …

• Project Planning– For identifying processes and associated work

products that will be objectively evaluated.

• Verification– For more information about satisfying specified

requirements.• Peer reviews• Inspections• Tests, …

PAs that Depend on PPQA

• ALL the rest.– For objective feedback into processes and

associated work products and services, regarding their conformance to applicable process descriptions, standards and procedures.

– For ensuring that the noncompliance issues are addressed.

Ordering of SPs in PPQA

• SG 1 Objectively Evaluate Processes and Work Products.– SP 1.1 Objectively Evaluate Processes.– SP 1.2 Objectively Evaluate Work Products and

Services.

• SG 2 Provide Objective Insight.– SP 2.1 Communicate and Ensure Resolution of

Noncompliance Issues.– SP 2.2 Establish Records.

Note: Can be concurrent and repetitive.

“Critical” SPs in PPQA - 1

In communicating the noncompliance issuesit is important to focus on data, not cause, and never on assigning blame.• SP 2.1-1 Communicate and Ensure Resolution of

Noncompliance Issues.– Sub practice 1, Resolve each noncompliance with the

appropriate members of the staff where possible.– Sub practice 2, Escalate noncompliance issues that cannot

be resolved within the project to the appropriate level of management designed to receive and act on noncompliance issues.

“Critical” SPs in PPQA - 2

Records of PPQA activities are prime

sources for process improvement and

lessons learned.• SP 2.1-2 Establish records.

– Sub practice 1, Record process and product quality assurance activities in sufficient detail such that status and results are known.

– Sub practice 2, Revise the status and history of the quality assurance activities as necessary.

Generic Practices and PPQA

• GPs with special significance:– GP 2.2 Plan the Process

– GP 2.3 Provide Resources

– GP 2.4 Assign Responsibility

– GP 2.5 Train the People

– GP 2.7 Identify and Involve Relevant Stakeholders

– GP 2.10 Review Status with Higher Management

!!! PPQA implements GP 2.9 Objectively Evaluate Adherence, for all other PAs

QA Actions vs. Project Expectations - 1

• Coaching and support for the R&D process institutionalization and milestones preparation (inputs, objectives, outputs).

• Document reviewing and dedicated processes structuring reviewing activities– System Design Specifications– Requirements Traceability– Software Test Plan, …

QA Actions vs. Project Expectations - 2

• Quality Assurance Plan– Definition / Customization of specific project’s

processes:• Defect tracking• Project tracking• Design change• Risk management

– List of QA tasks planned for the project

• Noncompliance management

QA Mode

SDS

TLA

HLD

SW DP Schedules

CR

SCML

DD

IMPL

SCMP

IMPL<Released>

ReleaseSheet

SW RS

Change Management

Project Management <Project Scope Inputs>

SW Configuration Management <Project Scope Inputs>

Legend:TLA: Top-level ArchitectureHLD: H igh-level DesignDD: Detailed DesignIMPL: Im plem entation

SWRelease

SW P Review

RMDesign &

Implementation

VerificationPlan ExecuteDescribe

SW TP SW TD SW TR

SW IVTRSW IVTP SW IVTD

PPQA Reports

Broken Traceability Matrix

• Problem: X % of bad links from requirements to design in subsequent documentation baselines

• Quick fix: verify all and correct bad links• Root causes:

– Links to old versions– Lack of time to properly update the traceability

• Solution Migrate from Word to DOORS Store in the same database all engineering specs

“Forgotten” Requirement Changes

• Problem: X% of requirement changes not reflected into the design and test cases

• Quick fix:– Rework if possible– Report the change to future versions

• Root causes:– Changes not communicated– Changes occurred to late to be considered

• Solution: Automatic e-mail notification Joint requirement reviews

Unmanaged Defect Reports

• Problem: defects discovered during the development phase were solved in an ad-hoc way

• Quick fix: none considered• Root causes:

– No system to manage defects during development

• Solution: Start managing defects during development, same way

as during maintenance

Being Late

• Problem: X% of missed schedule milestones• Quick fix:

– Revised schedule

• Root causes: Imposed schedule milestones– Ever changing WBS– Wrong task estimations– Insufficient resources

• Solution: Incremental integration and development plan

Audit interne pour 20022002 Internal Audits

11

74 4 4

30

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Fabrication/Manufacturing

R&D Service technique/Technical Service

Vente etCommercialisation/Sales & Marketing

Autre/Other Total

Qu

an

tité

/Qu

an

tity

50% of issues are related to process problems that have been corrected

PRICE OF NON CONFORMANCE

$0

$5,000,000

$10,000,000

$15,000,000

$20,000,000

YEAR 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

PONC 16,591,847 18,831,888 11,065,418 15,001,036 10,529,454 6,501,548

1 2 3 4 5 6

Thank you!