Team Software Process (TSP) - TSP Quality Management

Team Software Process (TSP) shows teams how to manage quality, teams must establish quality measures, set quality goals, establish plans to meet these goals, measure progress against the plans, and take remedial action when the goals are not met.

ELEMENTS OF TSP QUALITY MANAGEMENT

- Preparing a quality plan.
- Identifying quality problems.
- Finding and preventing quality problems.

PREPARING A QUALITY PLAN
TSP make a quality plan based on the estimated size of the product and historical data on defect injection rates, they estimate how many defects they will inject in each phase. Once the engineers have estimated the defects to be injected, they estimate defect removal,again using historical data or the TSP quality guidelines which are based on the yield for each defect removal phase. Once the injection and
removal estimates have been made, the team can generate the quality plan.

IDENTIFYING QUALITY PROBLEMS
TSP provides many quality measures one of them being is by comparing the data for any module or component with the quality plan. TSP introduces a series of quality measures like: Process quality index—PQI.
- Percent defect free—PDF: Comparing the PDF curves for several similar projects. Where there are problems, the quality manager can look at data on lower level components to identify the source of the problem and recommend what the team should do about it. PDF plot can only be produced for an overall system or large component.
- Defect-removal profile: The defect-removal profile can be drawn for the system, each of its subsystems, any component, or even down to the module level.
- Quality Profile: The quality profile measures the process data for a module against the organization’s quality standards. The five quality profile dimensions indicate module quality based on data for design, design reviews, code reviews, compile defects, and unit test defects.
- Process quality index—PQI: is produced by taking the product of the five dimensional values of the quality profile to produce a single quality figure of merit. With PQI values above about 0.4, program modules are generally defect free.

FINDING AND PREVENTING QUALITY PROBLEMS
The TSP quality measures can indicate likely quality problems even before the first compile. Once the problems are identified, they can be prevented by:
- Monitor the module during test to see if problems are found and then determine the remedial action.
- Reinspect the module before integration or system test.
- Rework on the module to fix suspected problems.
- Redevelop the module.

International Standard Organization ISO 9001:2000 Clause 8

Clause 8: Measurement, Analysis and Improvements

Clause 8.1: General
Metrics for product quality and process quality has to be defined by the management as they play a very important role in process improvement. The process effectiveness and improvement can be checked by the use of these metrics.

Clause 8.2: Monitoring and Measurement

Clause 8.2.1: Customer Satisfaction
The management has to define the metrics to measure the customer satisfaction as it is the most important objective for any organization.
Clause 8.2.2: Internal Audit
For the proper implementation of the quality management system across the organization, an internal audit has to be formed. Necessary training has to be provided to the internal audit team on the auditing process.
Clause 8.2.3: Monitoring and measurement of processes
Using metrics, each process that is defined in the quality management system has to be monitored and its effectiveness is measured.
Clause 8.2.4: Monitoring and measurement of product
The information obtained from the metrics for each product can be analyzed to study the effectiveness of the product's processes.

Clause 8.3: Control of non-conforming product

Appropriate action needs to be taken to ensure that the product that is found to be non-conforming is not delivered to the customer.

Clause 8.4: Analysis of data

To ensure the effectiveness of the quality management system, the management has to collect the data that can be obtained from customers, suppliers, process metrics, product metrics etc for the study.

Clause 8.5: Improvement

Clause 8.5.1: Continual Improvement
For continually improving the organization's performance, the quality management system should be continuously improved based on the inputs such as customer feedback, external and internal audit reports, supplier's feedback etc.
Clause 8.5.2: Corrective action
The corrective action is to be taken to remove the defects when a product has non-conformities.
Clause 8.5.3: Preventive action
Potential non-conformities are identified and preventive action is taken. Records of corrective action provides good inputs to take preventive actions.

International Standard Organization ISO 9001:2000 Clause 7 Part II

Clause 7.4: Purchasing

Clause 7.4.1: Purchasing Processes
There should be some defined procedures for the selection of suppliers and verification of purchased products.
Clause 7.4.2: Purchasing Information
When you purchase a product, the manager has to specify the product specifications, the quality management system requirements and many other requirements such as installation, warranty, maintenance etc.
Clause 7.4.3: Verification of Purchased Product
The project manager has to specify the acceptance criteria for the proposed product and when the supplier gives the product, the verification has to be done as per procedure.

Clause 7.5: Production and Service Operations

Clause 7.5.1: Control of production and service provision
Proper planning has to be done to make multiple copies, installation, and later maintenance of the product when delivered to the customers.
Clause 7.5.2: Validation of processes for production and service provision
Process has to be established to obtain the feedback on the performance of the product from the customer in cases where the verification is not possible.
Clause 7.5.3: Identification and traceability
The product should be identified and traceable during all stages of production, delivery, and installation.
Clause 7.5.4: Customer Property
The customer may give some of its property to the developer. In such cases, the development organization has to take proper care of the customer's property.
Clause 7.5.5: Preservation of the product
A process has to be defined for identification of the product, packaging, storage, and protection.

Clause 7.6: Control of monitoring and measuring devices

It is necessary to ensure that the test and measuring instruments such as oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers etc uses to ensure that the product meets the requirements are working well.

International Standard Organization ISO 9001:2000 Clause 7 Part I

Clause 7: Product Realization

Clause 7.1: Planning of Product Realization
Quality manual gives the overall processes to be followed in the organization. A separate project plan is developed. The project plan gives the details of the quality objectives to be met, processes to be followed etc.

Clause 7.2: Customer Related Processes

Clause 7.2.1: Determination of requirements related to the product
A SRS document is maintained from the requirements that are to be obtained by the customer. This is done by the project team.
Clause 7.2.2: Review of requirements related to the product
The project team has to ensure that the requirements of the customer are well defined, documented and can be implemented. A written agreement should be there between the customer and the development organization on the requirements specifications.
Clause 7.2.3: Customer Communication A procedure for communication with the customer should be formalized by the project team.

Clause 7.3: Design and Development

Clause 7.3.1: Design and development planning
Interfaces should be defined, identify inputs and outputs, review process, verification and validation of design and controlling the design changes.
Clause 7.3.2: Design and development inputs Inputs that are required for design and development of the product should be identified.
Clause 7.3.3: Design and development outputs
The outputs of the design and development phase should include the product that meets the requirements, product acceptance criteria and user manuals.
Clause 7.3.4: Design and development review
To ensure that the work is progressing in the right direction and the end product is meeting all requirements as specified in SRS, the design and development has to be periodically reviewed.
Clause 7.3.5: Design and development verification
The project manager has to carry out the necessary verification of the design and development so that each and every requirement of the SRS is met.
Clause 7.3.6: Design and development validation
To ensure that the project is implemented as per plan, validation is done.
Clause 7.3.7: Control of design and development changes
During design and development, a number of changes are likely in SRS document are already prepared. Whenever a change is made, that change has to be estimated and conscious decision has to be taken.

International Standard Organization ISO 9001:2000 Clause 6

Clause 6: Resource Management

Clause 6.1: Provision of resources The resources that are necessary to implement the quality management system should be in place. This should be ensured by the management.

Clause 6.2: Human Resources

Clause 6.2.1: General By selecting the right people and by imparting the necessary training, the management has to ensure that the people have the necessary competence.
Clause 6.2.2: Competence, awareness and training:
The management has to ensure that each and every employee has the necessary understanding of the quality, development processes and the products.

Clause 6.3: Infrastructure

The management has to provide the necessary hardware , software, testing tools and also supporting services such as communication facilities, Internet access etc. so that the employees can carry out their responsibility to meet the quality requirements.

Clause 6.4: Work environment

A friendly work environment is a must to deliver quality products and the management has to provide such a work environment.

International Standard Organization ISO 9001:2000 Clause 5

Clause 5: Management Responsibility

Clause 5.1: management Commitment
The measurable quality objectives that are meant to meet customer requirements should be defined and communicated the quality objectives to employees.
Clause 5.2: Customer Focus
The management has to ensure that the customer's requirements are well understood and the customer is well satisfied with the product.
Clause 5.3: Quality Policy
The quality policy reflects the commitment of the management. The quality of the policy has to be signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the organization.

Clause 5.4: Planning

Clause 5.4.1: Quality Objectives
Quality objectives such as increasing productivity, reducing defects etc. has to be defined by the management based on the quality policy of the management.
Clause 5.4.2: Quality management system planning
A quality management system has to be planned by the management to meet the quality objectives. The details of the processes are to be defined.

Clause 5.5: Responsibility, Authority and Communication

Clause 5.5.1: Responsibility and Authority
The quality management system makes it compulsory that a proper and a clear organization chart is drawn, indicating the reporting structure and the responsibilities and authorities of each individual.
Clause 5.5.2: Management Representative
The management representative should be appointed who has the responsibility and authority to implement the quality management system.
Clause 5.5.3: Internal Communication
To avoid lack of communication among team members, a proper procedure for internal communication should be established so that all the employees are in unison.

Clause 5.6: Management Review

Clause 5.6.1: General
Quality policy, quality objectives and quality manual should be periodically reviewed to discuss the effectiveness and possible improvements.
Clause 5.6.2: Review Inputs
The inputs have to be obtained from customers, external auditors, and internal auditors.
Clause 5.6.3: Review output
The outputs will be the action points needed for effective quality management system implementation. This is done after the management review.

International Standard Organization ISO 9001:2000 Clauses 1-4

ISO 9001:2000 standard gives the requirements to develop a quality management system. The standard has eight clauses.

Clause 1: Scope
The first clause specifies the scope of the document which defines the quality management system to deliver a quality product.
Clause 2: Normative Reference
All the references to the document are specified in this clause.
Clause 3: Terms and Definitions
All the terms and conditions that are specified in ISO 9000:2000 are specified in this clause.
Clause 4.1: General Requirements
To deliver a quality product, the management should have a well-defined and documented quality management system that defines the processes to be followed. The processes should include both technical and managerial processes.
Clause 4.2: Documentation Requirements
Quality policy, Quality manual, Detailed definition of procedures mentioned in quality manual, Quality records are included in the documentation of quality management.
Clause 4.2.2: Quality Manual
All the processes that are to be followed for the entire software development life cycle should be described in quality manual. The quality manual can refer to other documents that gives details of the process definition.
Clause 4.2.3: Control of documents
A procedure should be established for controlling the documents as the documents related to the processes and projects will change time to time.
Clause 4.2.4: Control of records
It is necessary to maintain records to give evidence to the external auditing agencies that the quality system is being effectively operational.

ISO 9000:2000 - The International Quality Standard

To deliver the product that is in terms with the specifications given by the customer should be the main objective of the project manager, every team member as well as the senior management.
The management of every organization has to adapt quality standards so that quality is ensured in every product that is delivered. In any standardization process, metrics play an important role. For software engineering, ISO 9000 and Capability Maturity Model Integration are the most widely used international standards.
The quality management system to be developed as per ISO 9000 guidelines is used for quality assurance.
The ISO 9000 quality management system is generic in nature and applicable to
all companies, regardless of the type and size of the business, including small and
medium enterprises (SMEs), and they are applicable to all categories of products,
whether hardware, software, processed materials or services.

ISO 9000:2000
- It establishes a starting point for understanding the standards.
- It defines the fundamental terms and definitions used in the ISO 9000 family to avoid confusion in their use.
- The ISO-9000:2000, being process-oriented, can be applied to virtually any industry worldwide, and is certainly widely embraced in the semiconductor industry.
- This standard describes the concepts of a quality management system (QMS) and
defines the fundamental terms used in the ISO 9000 family.
- The standard also includes the eight quality management principles which were used to develop ISO 9001 and ISO 9004.
- This standard replaces ISO 8402:1994 and ISO 9000-1:1994.

ISO 9001 - The International Standard for Quality Management

The standard covers all aspects of an organization’s activities including: identifying its key processes, defining roles and responsibilities, its policies & objectives, and documentation requirements. It also covers the importance of understanding & meeting customer requirements, communication, resource requirements, training, product & process planning, design processes, purchasing, production & service, monitoring and
measurement of products & processes, customer satisfaction, internal audit, management review, and improvement processes. ISO 9001 is based on the following eight Quality Management Principles, which are incorporated within the requirements of the
standard, and can be applied to improve organizational performance:
- Customer focus,
- Leadership,
- Involvement of people,
- Process approach,
- System approach to management,
- Continual improvement,
- Factual approach to decision making, and
- Mutually beneficial supplier relationships.

Benefits of implementing ISO 9001

- Implementing a Quality Management System will motivate staff by defining their key roles and responsibilities.
- Cost savings can be made through improved efficiency and productivity, as product or service deficiencies will be highlighted.
- From this, improvements can be developed, resulting in less waste, inappropriate or rejected work and fewer complaints.
- Customers will notice that orders are met consistently, on time and to the correct specification. This can open up the market place to increased opportunities.

Software Quality Assurance - SQA

Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is defined as a planned and systematic approach to the evaluation of the quality of and adherence to software product standards, processes, and procedures. SQA includes the process of assuring that standards and procedures are established and are followed throughout the software acquisition life cycle. Compliance with agreed-upon standards and procedures is evaluated through process monitoring, product evaluation, and audits. Software development and control processes should include quality assurance approval points, where an SQA evaluation
of the product may be done in relation to the applicable standards.

STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES :
Establishing standards and procedures for software development is critical, since these provide the framework from which the software evolves. Standards are the established criteria to which the software products are compared. Procedures are the established criteria to which the development and control processes are compared.
Standards and procedures establish the prescribed methods for developing software; the SQA role is to ensure their existence and adequacy. Proper documentation of standards and procedures is necessary since the SQA activities of process monitoring, product evaluation, and auditing rely upon unequivocal definitions to measure project compliance.

SQA ACTIVITIES :
Software quality assurance is composed of a variety of tasks associated with two different constituencies - the software engineers who do technical work and an SQA group that has responsibility for quality assurance planning, oversight, record keeping, analysis, and reporting. Product evaluation and process monitoring are the SQA activities that assure the software development and control processes.
Product evaluation is an SQA activity that assures standards are being followed. Product evaluation assures that the software product reflects the requirements of the applicable standard(s) as identified in the Management Plan.
Process monitoring is an SQA activity that ensures that appropriate steps to carry out the process are being followed.
A fundamental SQA technique is the audit, which looks at a process and/or a product in depth, comparing them to established procedures and standards. Audits are used to review management, technical, and assurance processes to provide an indication of the quality and status of the software product.

ROLE OF AN SQA GROUP :
- Prepares an SQA plan for a project.
- Participates in the development of the project's software process description.
- Reviews software engineering activities to verify compliance with defined software process.
- Audits designated software work products to verify compliance with those defined as part of software process.
- Ensures that deviations in software work and work products are documented and handled according to a document procedure.
- Records any noncompliance and reports to senior management.

Quality Management - Overview

Software quality management is an umbrella activity - incorporating both quality control and quality assurance - that is applied at each step in the software process. SQA encompasses procedures for the effective application of methods and tools, formal technical reviews, testing strategies and techniques, procedures for change control, procedures for assuring compliance to standards, and measurement and reporting mechanisms.
SQA is complicated by the complex nature of software quality - an attribute of computer programs that is defined as "conformance to explicitly and implicitly specified requirements. But when considered more generally, software quality encompasses many different product and process factors and related metrices.

Software reviews are one of the most important quality control activities. Reviews serve as filters throughout all software engineering activities, removing errors while they are relatively inexpensive to find and correct. The formal technical review is stylized meeting that has been shown to be extremely effective in uncovering errors.
To properly conduct software quality assurance, data about the software engineering process should be collected, evaluated, and disseminated. Statistical SQA helps to improve the quality of the product and the software process itself. Software reliability models extend measurements, enabling collected defect data to be extrapolated into projected failure rates and reliability predictions.

Software quality assurance is the mapping of the managerial precepts and design disciplines of quality assurance onto the applicable managerial and technological space of software engineering. The ability to ensure quality is the measure of a mature engineering discipline. When the mapping is successfully accomplished, mature software engineering is the result.