Software Quality Assurance

A formal definition of software quality assurance is that it is the systematic activities providing evidence of the fitness for use of the total software product. Software quality assurance is achieved through the use of established guidelines for quality control to ensure the integrity and long life of software. The relationships between quality assurance, quality control, the auditing function, and software testing are often confused.

Quality assurance is the set of support activities needed to provide adequate confidence that processes are established and continuously improved to ensure products that meet specifications and are fit for use. Quality control is the process by which product quality is compared with applicable standards and action taken when nonconformance is detected. Auditing is the inspection/assessment activity that verifies compliance with plans, policies, and procedures.

Software quality assurance is a planned effort to ensure that a software product fulfills these criteria and has additional attributes specific to the project, for example, portability, efficiency, reusability, and flexibility. It is the collection of activities and functions used to monitor and control a software project so that specific objectives are achieved with the desired level of confidence. It is not the sole responsibility of the software quality assurance group, but is determined by the consensus of the project manager, project leader, project personnel, and users.

Quality assurance is the function responsible for managing quality. The word assurance means that if the processes are followed, management can be assured of product quality. Quality assurance is a catalytic function that should encourage quality attitudes and discipline on the part of management and workers. Successful quality assurance managers know how to make people quality conscious and to make them recognize the benefits of quality to themselves and to the organization.

The objectives of software quality are typically achieved by following a software quality assurance plan that states the methods the project will employ to ensure that the documents or products produced and reviewed at each milestone are of high quality. Such an explicit approach ensures that all steps have been taken to achieve software quality and provides management with documentation of those actions. The plan states the criteria by which quality activities can be monitored rather than setting impossible goals, such as no software defects or 100 percent reliable software.

Software quality assurance is a strategy for risk management. It exists because software quality is typically costly and should be incorporated into the formal risk management of a project. Some examples of poor software quality include the following:

* Delivered software frequently fails.
* Consequences of system failure are unacceptable, from financial to life-threatening scenarios.
* Systems are often not available for their intended purpose.
* System enhancements are often very costly.
* Costs of detecting and removing defects are excessive.

Although most quality risks are related to defects, this only tells part of the story. A defect is a failure to comply with a requirement. If the requirements are inadequate or even incorrect, the risks of defects are more pervasive. The result is too many built-in defects and products that are not verifiable. Some risk management strategies and techniques include software testing, technical reviews, peer reviews, and compliance verification.