software quality assurance

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SOFTWARE QUALITY ASSURANCECourse Title: Software Engineering (for NIDA)Date: 18 Jan 10By Kanokwan PrasertsithSoftware Process Specialist Group Leader



AGENDA

• Introduction to Quality– History of quality

– Quality Concepts and Practices

– Quality Control and Quality Assurance

– Model and Assessment Fundamentals

– Industry Quality Models

• Quality Assurance– Establishing a function to promote and manage quality

– Quality Tools

– Process Deployment

– Internal Auditing and Quality Assurance

• Software Quality Assurance in Thomson Reuters



Introduction to quality

History of quality– Started in manufacturing

– Now, it is expected along with other infrastructure profession, such as IT, HR and finance to contribute at the organizational level

– At simplest level, quality answer two questions: ‘What is wanted?’ and ‘How do we do it?

– Quality’s ground has always been the area of processes

– Operationally, the word quality refers to products. “A product is a quality product if it is defect free”



Introduction to quality (cont.)

• Quality in producer’s view– A product is a quality product if it meets or conforms to

the statement of requirements that defines the product.– In short, quality means “meets requirements” (from Philip Crosby)

• Quality in customer’s view– A product is a quality product if it meets the customer’s

needs, regardless of whether the requirement were met.– In short, quality means “fit for use” (from Dr.Joseph Juran and

Dr.W.Edwards Deming)

Industry accepted these two definitions




• The different views and characteristics of quality

Producer’s view Customer’s view

• Doing the right thing

• Doing it the right way

• Doing it right the first time

• Doing it on time without exceeding cost

• Receiving the right product for their use

• Being satisfied that their needs have been met

• Meeting their expectations

• Being treated with integrity, courtesy and respect



Introduction to quality (cont.)• Most Information Technology (IT) groups have two quality gaps as shown in this figure

• Closing these two gaps is the responsibility of the quality function (Quality Assurance)

StartProducer view of quality as specified

Producer view of quality as delivered

Customer view of quality as wanted

Producer Gap

Customer Gap




Quality Concepts and Practices

• Everyone is responsible for quality but senior management must emphasize and initiate quality improvement, and then move it down through the organization to the individual employees

• The three key principles of quality– Management is responsible for quality

– Producers must use effective quality control

– Quality is a journey, not a destination




Quality Concepts and Practices

• The action that must be taken to make quality happen is as simple as– Define quality

– Control quality

– Assure quality

• Best Practices

• Six Sigma

• Baselining and Benchmarking

• ROI




Quality Control and Quality Assurance

• Quality Control (QC) is an activity that verifies whether or not the product produced meets standard e.g. reviews, testing, or verification, validation

• Quality Assurance (QA) is an activity that establishes and evaluate the processes that produce the products




The differentials of QC and QA

Quality Control Quality Assurance

• QC relates to a specific product or service

• QC verifies whether particular attributes exist, or do not exist, in a specific product or service

• QC identifies defect for the primary purpose of correcting defects

• QC is the responsibility of the worker

• QA helps establish processes

• QA sets up measurement program to evaluate processes

• QA identifies weaknesses in process and improves them

• QA is a management responsibility, frequently performed by a staff function

• QA evaluate whether or not quality control is working for the primary purpose of determining whether or not there is a weakness in the process

• QA is concerned with all of the products that will ever be produced by a process




Model and Assessment Fundamentals

• A model is an idealized concept to be accomplished.

• Organizations choose to adopt a model for any or all the following reasons:– Satisfy business goals and objectives

– Requirements are imposed by customer(s)

– For competitive reasons

– A guide (roadmap) for continuous improvement




Model and Assessment Fundamentals.

• Four criteria to be considered when selecting a model:- Applicability of the model to organization’s goals and

objective

- Management commitment

- Need for baseline assessments

- Need for measurable goals and objectives




Industry Quality Models

• Software Engineering Institute Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)

• Malcolm Baldrige National of National Quality Award (MBNQA)

• ISO 9001:2000, ISO/IEC 12207, ISO/IEC 15504, ISO 20000, ISO 27001

• ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)



AGENDA







– Quality Tools






Quality Assurance

• The key concept to establishing a quality function is establishing the need for quality.

• The four project variables are scope, schedule, resource, quality.

• Three phases of quality function maturation– Initial phase: result-driven, focus on defining and

controlling product quality

– Intermediate phase: move from control to assurance, focus on defining, stabilizing, measuring and improving work process

– Final phase: consulting, motivating and benchmarking move organization toward optimization



Quality Assurance (cont.)

• The seven steps for implementing a quality function– Develop a charter : determine the responsibility and

activities of the quality function

– Identify the quality manager

– Locate organizationally the IT quality function : determine to whom the quality leader reports

– Build support for quality : initiate program that will encourage both management and staff to support quality process

– Staff and train the quality function : determine what is needed to make quality happen, identify and select the people to do it, and provide them with the training they need




– Build and deploy the quality toolbox: select effective quality tools and implement them throughout the organization

– Drive the implementation of the quality management environment : the quality manager will need to spend a significant amount of time maturing the quality management environment




Three group of Quality Tools

• Management Tools– Brainstorming

– Cause-and-Effect Diagram

– Flowchart and Process Map

– Benchmarking

– Matrix




• Statistical Tools– Check sheet

– Histogram

– Pareto Chart

– Run Chart

– Control Chart

– Scatter Chart

• Presentation Tools– Table

– Line, Bar, Pie charts

– Stem-and –Leaf Chart




Process Deployment

• Deployment is a critical component of making the software engineering environment work

• There are three deployment – Assessment phase

• General Assessment

• Specific Assessment




– Strategic phase• Set the goal

• Identify Possible Solution

• Select and sequence or prioritize change approaches

• Develop, Acquire and Customize the Approach

– Tactical phase• Hear the approach

• Accept the approach

• Learn the approach

• Remember the approach

• Do the approach

• Check the approach

• Act to improve the approach




Internal Auditing and Quality Assurance

• Type of Internal Audits: Financial, operational and program Difference in responsibilities

Internal Audit Quality Assurance• Review the means of safeguarding assets and verify the existence assets

• Verify compliance to corporate policies, plan, procedures and applicable laws and regulations

• Coordinate their activities in conjunction with the organization’s firm of external auditors

• Have direct lines to senior corporate officers and board of director

• Develop policies, procedures, standards

• Acquire and implement tools and methodologies

• Measure quality

• Define, record, summarize, present analyses

• Perform process analysis



AGENDA







– Quality Tools






Software Quality Assurance in Thomson Reuters

• Software Quality Assurance in development site consist of two team independently– Quality Assurance team : perform quality control (testing)

– Process team: perform quality assurance (process)

• Major responsibilities of process team– Develop, improve, deploy the process and tool

– Verify (Audit) processes performed according to the defined standards, processes, procedures, project data, measurements

– Analyze process performances

– Identify and feedback improvement opportunities

– Provide visibility to senior management

– Regularly perform CMMI assessment



References

• Guide to the CSQA Common Body of Knowledge, Quality Assurance Institute

• Thomson Reuters Software Quality Assurance Guideline, Thomson Reuters

• http://syque.com/articles/what_is_quality/what_is_quality_1.htm



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