People Involved in SQA

SQA does not only involve the SQA managers and team members. There are also people who are not part of the team that also has an important role in SQA:

Top Management – In every step of the way, the upper management is always involved in any movements of the software development team. That does not leave out the SQA team as well. They provide support, general and managerial functions to ensure that the SQA team will focus on their functions.

SCM or Software Configuration Manager – In a well structured software development environment, the SQA managers do nOt talk or communicate directly to the developers. The relay their findings instead to the software configuration manager. As the name suggests, they work on the possible changes that were done in an application. SCMs do not only concern themselves with the available updates but right from the start, SCM are aware of the minor changes or errors that were found in the application.

Developers – Surprisingly, the developers takes on a non-direct role in SQA. However, that does not mean the developers do not have to work with SQA. Software control is not only about testing but ensuring that the process of software development is according the industry standard. To put it clearly, SQA is not part of the development team since they are the overseeing group that ensures every step in software development is according to plan and nothing is left out.

Software Quality Measurements

Aside from general expectations from SQA team, large IT companies have come out and presented their idea as on how to measure a good software.

IBM: The company uses the CUPRIMDSO formula to ensure their software has lived to their expectations. The acronym stands for the following: Capability, Usability, Performance, Reliability, Installability, Maintainability, Documentation, Service and Overall. The list undoubtedly is a handful since this ensures that the intended software will work as planned. From performance to the ability to handle stress, IBM emphasizes in giving the software a thorough check before it could even be launched and presented to the general pubic. SQA in IBM takes on the central role in software development as SQA becomes involved in any software development stages.

HP: On the other hand, this company uses the FURPS formula: Functionality, Usability, Reliability, Performance and Service. Although the list is not as extensive compared to IBM, HP has ensured that the most important aspects of the application are covered. HP focuses more on the users’ reaction of the application.

Although the developers’ side are only covered a little bit, it does not mean HP does not care about proper development. In fact, since the focus of HP is on the customers, it is just logical that the application should be built carefully. Using the measurement of HP, developers could still build an application that will work for them. SQA will be a part of that development, ensuring that the application developed is according to plan and the ideals of the industry standards.

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