OHT 2.

Software Quality assurance (SQA)

SWE 333

Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004

 OHT 2.2

What Are Standards

• A standard might simply be defined as 'a set
of rules for ensuring quality'.
• A standard is an agreed way of doing
something. It could be about making a
product, managing a process, delivering a
service or supplying materials – standards
can cover a huge range of activities
undertaken by organizations and used by
their customers.
Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004
 OHT 2.3

What Are Standards

• Tasks performed from a standard are know to use
proved way of achieving quality
• Standards set out what are widely accepted as good
principles, practices, or guidelines in a given area
• Usually standards are published documents setting
out specifications and procedures designed to ensure
products, services and systems are safe, reliable and
consistently perform the way they were intended to.
They establish a common language which defines
quality and safety criteria.
Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004
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Benefits of standards to software
quality
• The ability to apply methodologies and procedures
of the highest professional level
• Better mutual understanding and coordination
among development teams and also between
development and maintenance teams.
• Greater cooperation between the software
developer and external participants in the project
based on the adoption of standards as part of the
contract.
Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004
 OHT 2.5
Benefits of standards to software
quality
• Decreased number of defects and errors in
software
• Less rework as a result of less software defects
• Reduced development and maintenance cost
• Increased software reliability
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Happier software practitioners

Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004

 OHT 2.6
Organizations involved in SQA
Standards Development
Most prominent developers of SQA standards:

 IEEE (Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers) Computer

Society

 ISO (International Standards Organization)

 DOD (US Department of Defense)

 ANSI (American National Standards Institute)

 IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)

 EIA (Electronic Industries Association)

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Software quality assurance
standards
Several standards that are related to software quality assurance are
available. Examples are:
• IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society
– Software Engineering Standards Committee (e.g.
– IEEE Std 1228-1994 Standard for Software Safety Plans)
– Quality measurement: IEEE Std 1061-1992 Standard for Software Quality Metrics
Methodology
• ISO: International Organization for Standardization (e.g.
– ISO/IEC 2382-7:1989 Vocabulary-Part 7: Computer Programming)
– ISO 9000-3 Quality Management and Quality Assurance Standards - Part 3: Guidelines for the
application of 9001 to the development, supply, installation and maintenance of computer
software
• DOD: Department of deffence – USA
– CMMi: Capability maturity level
• IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission (e.g. IEC 61508
– Functional Safety - Safety-Related Systems)
Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004
 OHT 2.8
Software quality assurance
standards by tasks
• General project management: IEE Std 1058.1-1987
– Standard for Software Project Management Plans
• Producing plans: IEEE Std 1059-1993 Guide for
– Software Verification and Validation Plans
• Lifecycle: ISO/IEC WD 15288
– System Life Cycle Processes
• Requirements: IEEE Std 1233-1996
– Guide for developing System Requirements
Specifications

Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004

 OHT 2.9
Software quality assurance
standards by tasks
• Maintenance: IEEE Std 1219-1992
– Standard for Software Maintenance
• Productivity: IEE Std 1045-1992
– Standard for Software Productivity Metrics

Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004

 OHT 2.10

Certification of Standards
• Why organizations needs certification for
standards they apply ?
– To enable a software development organization to
demonstrate consistent ability to assure acceptable
quality of its software products or maintenance
services.
– In other words, Certification is a meaning that standards
are applied correctly and completely

Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004

 OHT 2.11

Certification of Standards
– Certification also help to obtain more business because
many customers require that organizations obtain
certain standards.
– Certification is granted by an external body.Third party
certification bodies provide independent confirmation
that organizations meet the requirements of a certain
standard and hence a certificate is given to that
organizations

Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004

 OHT 2.12
ISO 9000
• ISO 9000 is one of the popular standards. It is a written set of
standard which describe and define the basic elements/clauses of the
quality system needed to ensure that an organization’s products/or
services meet or exceed customer needs and expectations
ISO 9000 deals with the fundamentals of quality management
systems

 ISO 9000 is based on documentation and is based on the following:

- Document what you do;
- Do what your document;
- Prove it and improve it

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 OHT 2.13

ISO 9000
• Any organization wishing to adopt ISO standrds
should start be using ISO 9000 and then select the
appropriate standard according to the type of their
business
• The ISO 9000 standard is continually being
revised by standing technical committees and
advisory groups, who receive feedback from those
professionals who are implementing the standard.
The last version Is ISO 9000- 2008
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 OHT 2.14
Other ISO Standards
 ISO 9001 is the broadest standard and provides a model for
design, development, production, installation and servicing

 ISO 9002 is limited to production, installation and servicing

 ISO 9003 is further limited to inspection and testing

 ISO 9000-3 is further limited for software quality
 A company should first use ISO 9000 to design and to
implement a quality system. Once the quality has been
installed, the company may use the quality assurance
models of ISO 9001, ISO 9002, or ISO 9003 to demonstrate
the adequacy of the quality system.
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ISO 9000-3
 ISO 9000-3, the guidelines offered by ISO, represent
implementation of the ISO 9000 standards to the special
case of software development and maintenance.

 ISO 9000-3 is a standard for quality software systems.

 It is very short (approximately 30 pages) and very high

level (abstraction).

 It explains what to do and not how to do !!

 It can not be implemented until ISO 9000 is succesfully

implemented
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ISO 9000-3: Requirements

• The ISO 9000-3 includes about 20
requirements that relate to various aspects
of software quality management classified
into the following five groups:
– Quality management system
– Management responsibilities
– Resource management
– Product realization
– Measurement, analysis and improvement
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ISO 9000-3:
Principal areas of quality focus
• management responsibility • control of inspection, measuring,
• quality system requirements and test equipment
• inspection and test status
• contract review requirements
• control of nonconforming
• product design requirements products
• document and data control • corrective and preventive actions
• purchasing requirements • handling, storage, and delivery
• customer supplied products • control of quality records
• internal quality audit
• product identification and traceability
requirements
• process control requirements • training requirements
• inspection and testing • servicing requirements
• statistical techniques

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 OHT 2.18

IEEE 730:2002 Standard for software quality

Plan
• This is another example of a standard that is
used widely in software quality assurance
• The standard specifies the format and
content of software quality assurance plans
• It descries in details how a software quality
assurance plan can be implemenred

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 OHT 2.19

Other IEEE standards

• Quality measurement: IEEE Std 1061-1992
Standard for Software Quality Metrics
Methodology
• IEEE Std 1059-1993 Guide for Software
Verification and Validation Plans
• IEEE Std 1233-1996 Guide for Developing
System Requirements Specifications
• And Much more
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 OHT 2.20

Summary
• A standard might simply be defined as 'a set of
rules for ensuring quality'.
• Standards improve software quality by adopting
highest professional procedures
• There are several benefits for using standards
• Several organizations produce different standards
• Certification is important to ensure that standard
has been applied correctly and adequately

Galin, SQA from theory to implementation © Pearson Education Limited 2004