1. Software Quality Assurance Activities

2. Standard Definition Software Quality - Conformance to:
explicitly stated functional and performance requirements,
explicitly documented development standards, and
implicit characteristics that are expected of all professionally developed software.

3. The Big Question
How do we assure quality?

4. SQA Activities Pre-Project Activities
Development and Maintenance Activities
Error Reduction Infrastructure
SQ Management Components
SQA System Assessment
Human Components
Software Quality Assurance by Galin

5. SQA Activities Pre-Project Activities Contract Review Development Plan
Quality Plan
Development and Maintenance Activities
Error Reduction Infrastructure
SQ Management Components
SQA System Assessment
Human Components

6. Contract Review Process
RFP
SOW
1st Draft
Contract
Revisions
Final Contract

7. Reality Check...
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

8. What to look for in 1st Draft
customer reqs clarified and documented?
alternative approaches examined?
risks identified?
costs and time estimates reasonable?
both customer and creator have capacity?
subcontractor participation clear?
proprietary rights?
relationship between customer and creator specified?
Galin section 5.3

9. Development Plan that Includes Quality Assurance
Requirements
Specification
Review the SRS
Defect Tracking
Documentation
Configuration Control
Design
Design Reviews
Coding
Standards
Coding
Unit
Testing
Test Procedures
and Tolerances
Integration
Testing
Validation
Installation &
Training
Maintenance

10. Components of the Quality Plan
Quality Goals
hopefully the SRS is some help
Review Activities
schedule, type of reviews, scope, responsible persons
Software Test Plan
type of unit tests and coverage, integration plan
Acceptance Tests for Sub-contract Software
Configuration Tools and Procedures
Galin section 6.3

11. SQA Activities Development and Maintenance Activities
Pre-Project Activities
Development and Maintenance Activities
Formal Technical Reviews
Code Inspections
Unit Testing, Integration Test, etc. - earlier lecture
Error Reduction Infrastructure
SQ Management Components
SQA System Assessment
Human Components

12. Types of Evaluations Formal Reviews Inspections and Walkthroughs
conducted by senior personnel or outside experts
uncover potential problems
Inspections and Walkthroughs
done by peers
detect problems, adherence to standards, etc.
Verification
Unit Test
Integration Test
Usability Test

13. SQA Activities Pre-Project Activities
Development and Maintenance Activities
Error Reduction Infrastructure
work procedures - more details in a later lecture
templates and checklists - later lecture
staff training - at end of course
preventive actions - later lecture
configuration control - earlier lecture
document control
SQ Management Components
SQA System Assessment
Human Components

14. Definitions procedure - general methodology
work instructions - details of how to implement those procedures for this project
template - a standard Table of Contents
checklist - list of items that are part of an activity

15. 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
etc...
Galin: page 316

16. SQA Activities QA Management Components Pre-Project Activities
Development and Maintenance Activities
Error Reduction Infrastructure
QA Management Components
Project Progress
schedules, budgets, risk analysis, … - earlier lectures
Quality Metrics - earlier lecture
Quality Costs
SQA System Assessment
Human Components

17. Statistical SQA Info about defects are collected and categorized.
Defects are traced to their root cause.
Isolate the vital 20%
Move to correct problems that caused defects.
Pareto Principle:
80% of defects can be traced
to 20% of causes.
SSQA is similar to
"Six Sigma"

18. How much SQA is cost effective?+
Failure
Initial
Cost of SQA
Costs
Eventual
Cost of SQA
Cost of Failure
Software Quality
Optimal Quality Level

19. Real Numbers Cost of Software Quality for 15 Projects at Raytheon’s Equipment Division

20. What are the SQA Costs Contract Reviews SRS Reviews Design Reviews
Code Walkthrough Checklists
creating the checklists
training people to use the checklists
filling out the checklists
reviewing the checklists data
auditing the checklist process

21. even more SQA Costs Tools o' Plenty Metrics Yadda yadda yadda
progress tracking tool
estimation and scheduling tools
testing tools
Metrics
time spent creating forms and gathering the data
time spent analyzing performance data
Yadda yadda yadda
etc

22. but don't forget to ask What are the costs of not conducting SQA?
inaccurate proposal => inaccurate time estimate => unhappy customer
poor SRS => expensive and time consuming changes to design
etc etc etc

23. SQA Activities SQA System Assessment Pre-Project Activities
Development and Maintenance Activities
Error Reduction Infrastructure
SQ Management Components
SQA System Assessment
Quality Management Standards
SEI CMM
ISO 9001
Human Components
Details o'plenty at end of semester

24. SQA Activities Human Components Management SQA Unit
Pre-Project Activities
Development and Maintenance Activities
Error Reduction Infrastructure
SQ Management Components
SQA System Assessment
Human Components
Management
SQA Unit

25. The SQA Group
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.

26. Summary
"Quality" includes explicit and implied properties as well as the development process.
Reviews are a key part of SQA.
An SQA Group is highly recommended.
QA must be part of the plan and the schedule.
SSQA is a commonly used formal approach to process improvement.