The SQA Function

by Rabia Khalid
The SQA Function

 One of the critical challenges for any quality program is to devise a

mechanism for enabling independent review of the work done by others.

 SQA Function is what is required to establish a strong quality program in an

organization.

 A key management axiom says that “What is not tracked is not done ”

by Rabia Khalid
The SQA Function

In software there are so many things to be done but manager can’t possibly track
them all. Some mechanism is needed to do the tracking. This is the role of
Software Quality Assurance Function.

It includes:
 Knowledge of statistical methods
 Quality Control principles
 The software processes
 An ability to deal effectively with people

by Rabia Khalid
The SQA Function

To establish a quality assurance program in the organization following must be ensure:

 An appropriate development methodology is in place.
 The projects use standards and procedures in their work.
 Independent reviews and audits are conducted.
 Documentation is produced to support maintenance and enhancement.
 The documentation is produced during and not after development.
 Mechanisms are in place and used to control changes.
 Testing emphasizes all the high-risk product areas.

by Rabia Khalid
The SQA Function

 Each Software task is satisfactorily completed before the succeeding one is

begun.
 Deviations from standards and procedures are exposed as soon as possible.
 The quality control work is itself performed against establishment standards.
 The SQA plan and software development plan are compatible.

by Rabia Khalid
The SQA Function

“SQA” is used in two context;

 SQA as a role (Software Quality Analyst).

 SQA as a function (Software Quality Assurance).

by Rabia Khalid
 The Benefits of SQA Function

by Rabia Khalid
 The Need for SQA Function

by Rabia Khalid
The Objective for Software Quality
Assurance Function
The goals of SQA Functions are:
 To improve software quality by appropriately monitoring both the software
and the development process that produce it.
 To ensure full compliance with established standards that are produced for
software and software processes.
 To ensure that any inadequacies in the product, the process, or the standards
are brought to management’s attention so these inadequacies can be fixed.

by Rabia Khalid
 The SQA Roles and Responsibilities

by Rabia Khalid
 Product Quality and Process Quality

by Rabia Khalid
by Rabia Khalid
Challenges for Software Products

In each era, the problems and challenges faced by the producer software product
have not been changed:
 Why does it take so long to get the software product/project finished.
 Why are software development costs so high.
 Why can’t we find all errors before we deliver the software to our customers.
 Why do we face difficulties in measuring the progress of software product
/service development.

by Rabia Khalid
Software Product Quality

Product Quality means to incorporate features that have capacity to meet

consumer needs (wants) and gives customer satisfaction by improving products
(goods) and making them free from any deficiencies or defects.
IEEE standard glossary of Software Engineering Technology defines Software
Product as:
“(1) The complete set of computer programs, procedures and possibly associated
documentation and data designed for delivery to a user (2) Any of individual item
in (1)”.

by Rabia Khalid
Software Product Quality

Without a means to measure conformance to standards, practices and

conventions, quality of a software product can not be monitored.
IEEE standard 610.12 defines “Standards” to be mandatory requirement
employed and enforced to prescribe a discipline uniform approach to software
development, that is, mandatory conventions and practices are in fact standards.

Quality Assurance Institute (QAI) says that “Standards” are measures used to
evaluate products and identify nonconformance; a basis upon which adherence
to policies is measured.

by Rabia Khalid
Software Product Quality

IEEE standard 610.12 defines “Practices” as requirements employed to prescribe

a disciplined uniform approach to the software development process.

IEEE standard 983 defines “Conventions” are requirements employed to prescribe

a discipline uniform approach to providing consistency in a software product, this
is, uniform patterns or forms for arranging data.

by Rabia Khalid
Software Product Quality

Several researchers have decomposed the notion of “Software Product Quality”

into the number of features or characteristics include:
 Reliability
 Usability
 Functionality
 Maintainability
 Correctness
 Portability
 Efficiency

by Rabia Khalid
 Models for Software Product Quality

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 McCall’s Software Product Quality Model

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Conti…

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 Boehm’s Software Product Quality Model

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 The ISO 9126 Standard Quality Model

“The totality of features and characteristic of a software product that bears on its ability to
satisfy stated or implied needs”.
Quality is decomposed in six factors:
 Functionality
 Reliability
 Efficiency
 Usability
 Maintainability
 Portability

by Rabia Khalid
Goal-Question-Metric Model (Basili and
Rombach)

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 Gilb Approach to Software Product Quality Model (define-your-own-model)

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Software Process Quality

ISO 8402 defines Software Quality as:

“Quality is totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that

bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs”.

by Rabia Khalid
 PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act)

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CMM Model for Process Quality

by Rabia Khalid