QA Processes
The main goal of Quality Process is to ensure the delivery of product or applications to the client or the customer that is concurrent to the specification of business requirements and the requirement specifications thereon. To ensure that this goal is achieved, Finite States concentrates on verification, validation, continuous reviews and periodic audits. Finite States also goes on to ensure that its quality process includes:-
- A process for reporting quality problems and reporting it to the concerned management and controlling further delivery of the product until the problem is corrected.
- A procedure for following corrective action to rectify defects.
- A procedure for defect detection and correction and re-test following the correction of the defect.
- A procedure documented accordingly for supporting processes that identify and define control changes, record the request for change of request, ensure completeness and correctness as also consistency in the deliverable item.
- A procedure for conducting internal audits
- Reviews with customer of the product or application to make them updated about the status of progress.
- Software tests using both verification and validation models. A check is also made regarding the completeness of the software and documentation and whether the documentation is perfect in acting as a user guide before the product is delivered.
Some guidelines towards obtaining ISO and CMM level certifications are provided hereunder.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ORGANISATION (ISO –9000)
ISO (International Standards Organization) was established to develop common international standards in many areas.
ISO 9000 is the most important quality standard as it controls Quality, saves Money .
The most important factor in ISO 9000 becoming the accepted standard for quality is the preference of the customers and the competitors use this accordingly. The main purpose of ISO 9000 is to facilitate international trade by creating a single set of standards that the customers accept and prefer to adopt. ISO 9000 applies to all kinds of organization in all kinds of areas.
To meet the ISO 9000:2000 standards and certified as the same, the quality management system formulated by the companies should meet the requirements specified by ISO 9001:2000 standards.
ISO 9001:2000 standards:
For a quality management system to be conforming to the requirements specified by the ISO 9001:2000 standards the essential requirements like Systemic Requirements, Management Requirements and Resource Requirements are being followed.
1.System Requirements
The systemic requirements are:-
1.1 Establish a Quality System
1.1.1 Develop Quality Management System
- Identify the processes and describe the processes making up the quality management system
1.1.2 Implement Quality Management System
- Use System processes and manage the performance of the processes
1.1.3 Improve Quality Management System
- Monitor and Improve Process Performance
1.2 Document Quality System
1.2.1 Develop Quality System Documents
- Develop documents to implement quality system and that reflects the Organization
1.2.2 Prepare Quality System Manual
- Document the procedures, describe how the processes interact and define the scope of the system
1.2.3 Control Quality System Ddocuments
- Approve documents before distribution
- Provide the correct version of documents
- Review and Re-approval of documents when changed
- Specify the current revision status of the documents
- Monitor of documents coming from external sources
- Prevent the use of obsolete documents
- Preserve usability of quality documents
1.2.4 Maintain Quality System Records
- Usage of records to prove that requirements have been met
- Developing a procedure to control records
2. Management Requirements
The management requirements are:-
2.1 Support Quality
2.1.1 Promote the importance of Quality
- Promote the need to meet customer, regulatory and statutory requirements
2.1.2 Develop a Quality Management System
- Support the document of Quality System
- Formulate quality policy of Organization
- Set the quality objectives of the Organization
- Provide Quality Resources
2.1.3 Implement the Quality Management System
- Provide resources to implement quality system.
- Encourage personnel to meet requirements of the quality system
2.1.4 Improve Quality Management System
- Perform Quality Management Reviews
- Provide resources to improve quality system
2.2 Satisfy customer requirements
2.2.1 Identify Customer Requirements
- Customer Requirements are identified
2.2.2 Meet Customers' Requirements
- Stiving to meet Customers' Requirements
- Customer Satisfaction is enhanced
2.3 Establish Quality Policy
2.3.1 Define Organization's Quality Policy
- Ensure that it emphasizes the need to meet customer requirements
2.3.2 Manage organization's quality policy
- Communicate the policy developed to the Organization
2.4 Quality Planning
2.4.1 Formulate Quality Objectives
- Ensure that the policy is set for functional areas and set at organisational levels
2.4.2 Plan Quality System
- Plan development and implementation of Quality Management System
2.5 Control Quality System
2.5.1 Define Authorities and Responsibilities
- Clarify and Communicate Responsibilities and Authorities
2.5.2 Appoint Management Representative
- Oversee and report on the status of quality management system and support the improvement of quality management system
2.5.3 Support Internal Communications
- Ensure that internal communication processes are established and take place throughout the organisation
2.6 Perform Management Reviews
2.6.1 Review Quality Management Plans
- Examine inputs of management reviews
- Generate management review outputs
3.Resource Requirements
The resource requirements are:-
3.1 Provide Quality Resources
3.1.1 Identify Quality Resource Requirements
- Identify resources to support quality system and improve customer satisfaction
3.1.2 Provide Quality System Resources
- Provide resources to support quality system and improve customer satisfaction
3.2 Provide Quality Personnel
3.2.1 Use competent personnel
- Ensuring that the personnel have right education, training, skill and experience
3.2.2 Support Competence
- Define acceptable levels of competence
- Identify Training and Awareness needs
- Deliver Training and Awareness programs
- Evaluate effectiveness of training and awareness
- Maintain a record of competence
3.2.3 Provide Quality Infrastructure
- Identify Infrastructure needs
- Identify building, workspace, hardware, software, equipment, utility and support service needs
3.2.4 Provide Needed Infrastructure
- Provide needed buildings, workspace, hardware, software, equipment, utility and support service needs
3.2.5 Maintain Infrastructure
- Maintain buildings, workspace, hardware, software, equipment, utility and support
service need
3.3 Provide Quality Environment
3.3.1 Identify needed work environment
3.3.2 Manage needed work environment
- Manage factors needed to ensure that products meet requirements
CAPABILITY MATURITY MODEL(CMM)
Capability Maturity Model(CMM) for software describes the principles and practices underlying software process maturity and is intended to help software organizations improve the maturity of their software processes.
CMM is generally categorized into five maturity levels:
Initial:
The software process is characterized as intermediate. Few processes are defined in this initial level.
Repeatable:
Basic project management processes are established to track cost schedule and functionality. The necessary process discipline is in place to repeat earlier successes on projects with similar applications.
Defined:
The software process for both management and engineering activities is documented, standardised and integrated into a standard software process for the organization.
Managed:
Detailed measures of the software process and product quality are collected. Both the software process and products are quantatively understood and controlled.
Optimizing:
Continuous process improvement is enabled by quantitative feedback from the process and from piloting innovative ideas and technologies.
Except Level 1,each maturity level is decomposed into several key process areas that indicate the areas an organization should focus on to improve its software process.
The key process areas at Level 2 focus on the software project's concerns related to establishing basic project management controls. They are Requirements Management, Software Project Planning, Software Project Tracking and Oversight, Software Quality Assurance and Software Configuration Management.
The key process areas at Level 3 address both project and organizational issues, as the organization establishes an effective infrastructure that integrates effective software engineering and management processes across all projects. They are Organization Process Focus, Organization Process Definition, Training Program, Integrated Software Management, Software Product Engineering and Peer Reviews.
The key process areas at Level 4 focus on establishing a quantitative understanding of both the software process and the software work products being built. They are Quantitative Process Management and Software Quantity Management.
The key process areas at Level 5 cover the issues that both the organization and the projects must address to implement continual, measurable software process improvement. They are Defect Prevention, Technology Change Management and Process Management.
Each key process area is described in terms of the key practices that contribute to satisfying its goals. The key practices describe the infrastructure and activities that contribute most to the effective implementation of the key process areas. |
