CS3007A Software Project Management

Problem Sheet 7

Lecturer: Dr Robert Macredie

E-mail: Robert.Macredie@brunel.ac.uk,

Introduction

In the seventh session we talked about quality and quality assurance in software projects. We looked at why quality has become such an important and pervasive issue and critically discussed definitions of quality with respect to software projects. This led us to look at TQM as a holistic approach to quality improvement, whilst questioning its relevance for software projects. We also looked at Quality Management Systems and the emphasis that they place on the production of a formal quality plan. We then considered costs associated with avoiding poor quality at different points in the software projects lifecycle, focusing on activities that might help us avoid poor quality. Inspection and testing were two of the areas which we looked at.

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes for the problem sheet are as follows:

(i)     you should be able to explain the relevance and importance 
        of quality and quality assurance to SPM;

(ii)    you should be able to critically discuss definitions of quality 
        from an SPM perspective, drawing on relevant examples from 
        software projects;

(iii)   you should be able to argue for the importance of Quality 
        Management Systems (QMSs), and explain the value of 
        quality plans to SPM;

(iv)    you should be able to list and critically discuss four basic 
        measurement categories of cost associated with avoiding poor 
        quality, explaining their relation to the SPM lifecycle and justifying 
        activities which may fall within them.

Questions

(i)     Why do you think that quality has become so important in SPM?  
        How does quality assurance help SPM.  Try to find examples as 
        justification of your arguments.  

(ii)    Find two definitions of software quality from literature in the area.  
        To what extent do you think each one is a reasonable definition?  
        From your criticisms try to provide a definition which you feel is better. 

(iii)   Why are QMSs useful in software projects? What are the key 
        benefits of producing a quality plan? And why do you think the 
        line between the quality plan and the project plan might be 
        becoming blurred?

(iv)    Explain what you understand by the following categories for 
        avoiding poor quality: (i) prevention costs; (ii) appraisal costs; 
        (iii) internal failure; (iv) external failure.  What activities might be 
        undertaken in avoiding or dealing with poor quality within each 
        of the categories?

I would encourage you to work in groups of around five for this and subsequent exercises.

Robert Macredie

6 November 1998