Software Quality Management Concepts

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following costs are incurred to fix defects found during appraisal activities before software delivery?

Appraisal costs

Internal failure costs (correct)

External failure costs

Prevention costs

What is the primary objective of software quality management?

Ensuring high-quality software products (correct)

Enhancing product functionality

Increasing delivery speed

Minimizing development costs

Which type of costs include auditing and training related to software processes?

External failure costs

Prevention costs (correct)

Internal failure costs

Appraisal costs

What aspect of software engineering has a direct impact on the quality characteristics of software products?

The software engineering process Signup and view all the answers

Stakeholder requirements are crucial in determining the real purpose of software because they include which of the following?

Quality requirements and functional requirements Signup and view all the answers

What is required for an iterative process of continual improvement in software quality?

Management control, coordination, and feedback Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of building in quality refer to in software engineering?

Preventing and early detecting of defects Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a method that supports quality improvement processes?

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between product quality and process quality in software engineering?

Quality of the product is directly linked to the quality of the process Signup and view all the answers

Why is management sponsorship important in software quality improvement programs?

It provides necessary resources for improvement projects Signup and view all the answers

What are the two main aspects of Software Quality Assurance?

Product assurance and process assurance Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of the software quality plan?

To establish activities ensuring software meets user requirements Signup and view all the answers

What is the main objective of the validation process within Software Quality Assurance?

To ensure the product fulfills its intended purpose Signup and view all the answers

Why is planning for verification and validation essential in software development?

It clarifies roles and responsibilities for all resources involved Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes different types of reviews and audits in software quality management?

The independence levels, purpose, tools and techniques, roles, and subject of the activity Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of management reviews in software quality management?

To evaluate actual project results against planned outcomes Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following roles is typically involved in product assurance audits?

Software quality assurance personnel independent of development teams Signup and view all the answers

In the context of process assurance audits, what is primarily ensured?

Conformance of processes to contracts, laws, and efficiency and effectiveness of the processes Signup and view all the answers

What key parameters are evaluated during a management review?

Project cost, schedule, scope, and quality Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Chapter 3: Software Quality

This chapter covers software quality fundamentals, management processes, practical considerations, and software quality tools.
The material includes definitions, costs, models, characteristics, improvement techniques, and safety.

Chapter 3 Contents

The chapter covers software quality fundamentals, software quality management processes, practical considerations, software quality management techniques, and software quality tools.
It also describes software engineering culture and ethics, cost of quality, models and quality characteristics, quality improvement, and safety.

ACRONYMS

CMMI: Capability Maturity Model Integration
CoSQ: Cost of Software Quality
COTS: Commercial Off-the-Shelf Software
FMEA: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
FTA: Fault Tree Analysis
PDCA: Plan-Do-Check-Act
PDSA: Plan-Do-Study-Act
QFD: Quality Function Deployment
SPI: Software Process Improvement
SQA: Software Quality Assurance
SQC: Software Quality Control
SQM: Software Quality Management
TQM: Total Quality Management
V&V: Verification and Validation

INTRODUCTION

Software quality is overloaded. It can refer to desirable characteristics of software, the extent to which a product possesses those characteristics, or the processes, tools, and techniques used to achieve them.
Different authors and organizations have different definitions of quality.

Breakdown of Topics for Software Quality

The breakdown shows a hierarchical structure of topics related to software quality.
Key elements such as software quality fundamentals, management processes, practical considerations and software quality tools are explicitly covered.

1. Software Quality Fundamentals

Achieving agreement on quality among stakeholders and clearly communicating that agreement to software engineers.
Software engineers need to understand quality concepts, characteristics, values and their application to software projects.
Quality attributes are defined in software requirements.

1.1 Software Engineering Culture and Ethics

Software engineers are expected to be committed to software quality as part of their workplace culture.
Quality includes understanding the tradeoffs between cost, schedule, and quality.
A strong software engineering work ethic involves reporting quality information accurately.
IEEE and ACM codes of ethics play a crucial role.

1.2 Value and Costs of Quality

Cost of software quality (CoSQ) is a set of measurements derived from the economic assessment of software quality development and maintenance processes.
Costs associated with poor quality can be categorized as prevention, appraisal, internal failure, and external failure costs.
Prevention costs involve investments in improving processes, tools, training and other factors.
Appraisal costs relate to the verification and validation activities.
Internal failure costs refer to failures discovered before delivery to the customer, and external failure costs refer to those discovered after delivery.
Software engineers need to consider these costs in their decision making and present quality alternatives.

1.3 Models and Quality Characteristics

Software quality management and software engineering process quality directly affect the quality of the product.
Quality improvement involves preventative processes or iterative improvements in processes, defect detection and removal, and the lifecycle of quality improvement.
Software product and process quality are important factors affecting stakeholders' perception of quality.

1.4. Software Quality Improvement

Quality improvement involves preventing defects, continually improving processes, and focusing on stakeholders.
Quality improvement can be derived from processes like Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA), and other proven strategies.
These concepts are linked to quality of the process which directly affects quality of the product perceived by stakeholders.

1.5 Software Safety

Safety critical systems are those where errors or malfunction may result in harm to people and environment.
Direct and indirect examples of safety-critical software are mentioned, like flight control computer and applications used to create said computers.
Strategies involving avoidance, detection, and damage limitations are highlighted as crucial aspects of ensuring safety.
Standards, like DO-178C, are used to develop safety-critical software.

2. Software Quality Management Processes

Software quality management encompasses processes ensuring software products meet quality objectives and improve stakeholder satisfaction.
It includes software quality planning, assurance, control and improvement.
Quality planning entails defining standards, objectives and estimating efforts and schedules.
Software quality assurance assesses the adequacy of activities.
Quality control evaluates project artifacts to ensure compliance with standards.
Improvement aims to improve process effectiveness and efficiency.

2.1 Software Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is not just testing; it encompasses product and process aspects.
Quality assurance plans define activities and tasks for guaranteeing software satisfies user requirements within specified cost, schedule, and risk constraints.
Various measures, tools and techniques, along with reporting and documentation, form part of software quality assurance plans.

2.2 Verification and Validation

Verification assists in ensuring that outputs from one phase fulfill the requirements of the preceding phase. Validation ensures the output products fulfill their intended purpose and stakeholder needs.
Verification and validation processes happen from the beginning of the life cycle.
A plan for both verification and validation activities is needed to ensure roles and responsibilities are assigned.

2.3 Reviews and Audits

Reviews and audits are static analysis methods that evaluate artifacts without executing software.
Different types include management, technical, inspections, and walkthroughs.
Process assurance audits evaluate plan, schedule and requirements, making sure they meet project objectives.
Product assurance audits ensure conformance with contracts/standards.

2.3.1 Management Reviews

Management reviews monitor progress, evaluate plan effectiveness, and assess project status against plans.
Key factors considered include cost, schedule, scope, and quality.

2.3.2 Technical Reviews

Technical reviews evaluate software product suitability for use and identify deviations from standards.

2.3.3 Inspections

Inspections detect and identify product anomalies through predefined rules.
It involves sampling, peer review, and a moderator to lead.

2.3.4 Walkthroughs

Walkthroughs are similar to inspections but may be less structured with emphasis on feedback from the participants.
The author/presenter leads walk through meetings.

2.3.5 Process Assurance and Product Assurance Audits

Audits assess whether products and processes meet established requirements.
Roles include lead auditor, auditors, recorder, and initiator.

3. Practical Considerations

This section clarifies terms used in software quality, such as defect characterization.

3.2 Defect Characterization

Different definitions of defects, errors, faults, and failures are provided to aid clarity and consistency in software quality analyses.
Computations, observed, and the true/specified values/conditions are differentiated.
Defects stem from errors or failures in producing the expected result.

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Description

Test your knowledge on software quality management and its essential components. This quiz covers cost types, stakeholder requirements, and quality improvement processes in software engineering. Understand the relationship between product and process quality and the importance of management in quality assurance.