SQA DefinitionSoftware Quality Assurance and Software Quality Control terms and definitions in the context of a Software Process Improvement (SPI) framework.Formal SQA DefinitionThe correct definition of Software Quality Assurance goes something like:-The function of software quality that assures that the standards, processes, and procedures are appropriate for the project and are correctly implemented.This definition is taken from Software Definitions at NASAThe problem with this, and similar, definitions for commercial SQA practitioners are:-It tells us little about what SQA is other than repeating the definition. That is, it uses the defined terms 'assures' and 'software'.It doesn't provide a scope for someone responsible for Software Quality Assurance.It doesn't address the role, or relationship, with Software Testing.In its pure form under which a separate 'audit' style group needs to be established it is difficult to apply to a small development environment.What is QA and QC?The so called Quality Movement, which was first established in Japan in 1946 by the U.S. Occupation Force's, was based on W. Edwards Deming (USA) research and papers on Statistical Process Control (SPC).The various definitions and approaches to Quality Assurance come from Deming and other so called Quality Gurus.The important point, for this discussion, is that these methods were applied to industrial production.That is the production of something tangible. Fujitsu's slogan Quality built-in, with cost and performance as prime consideration,typifies this approach. Under this approach the production process was broken down and specified. Each process would have an output (or component) that would have a required specification (measurement, weight etc.) and these would be verified as the main product was being built.It would be a separate group Quality Control (QC) that would measure the components, at various manufacturing stages. QC would make sure the components were within acceptable 'tolerances', i.e. they did not vary from agreed specifications.
The Quality Assurance (QA) group would not take any part in the manufacture process itself (including Quality Control of the product) but would audit the process to make sure the established guidelines and standards were being followed. The QA group would then give input (metrics or measures) into a process of continuous improvement.
It is worth noting here that in manufacturing QC (or test and inspection) is easy to distinguish from Quality Assurance QA which is concerned with process compliance.
These QA and QC methods, in manufacturing, proved themselves to work (in Sales, Customer satisfaction and the right cost of production, i.e. PROFIT) and were adopted all over the world. QA and QC groups (for manufacturing) became the norm.
So far we are in great shape with QA and QC in the world of manufacturing, then someone came up with the bright idea
Why don't we apply these proven Quality Management processes to Software?
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