Software Quality:
Quality software should reasonably be bug-free, delivered on time and within budget. It should meet the given requirements and/or expectations, and should be maintainable.
In order to produce error free and high quality software certain standards need to be followed.
Quality Standards
ISO 9001: 2000 is Quality Management System Certification. To achieve this, an organization must satisfy ISO 9001: 2000 clauses (clauses 1 – 8).
Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology focused on reduction in variation of the processes around the mean. Its objective is to make the process defect free.
SEI CMM is a defacto standard for assessing and improving processes related to software development, developed by the software community in 1986 with leadership from SEI. It’s a software specific process maturity model. It provides guidance for measuring software process maturity and helps process improvement programs.
SEI CMM is organized into 5 maturity levels:
- Initial
- Repeatable
- Defined
- Manageable
- Optimizing
1)Initial
The software process is characterized as ad hoc, and occasionally even chaotic. Few processes are defined, and success depends on individual effort and heroics.
2) Repeatable:
Basic project management processes are established to track cost, schedule, and functionality. The necessary process discipline is in place to repeat earlier successes on projects with similar applications.
3) Defined:
The software process for both management and engineering activities is documented, standardized, and integrated into a standard software process for the organization. All projects use an approved, tailored version of the organization’s standard software process for developing and maintaining software.
4) Managed:
Detailed measures of the software process and product quality are collected. Both the software process and products are quantitatively understood and controlled.
5) Optimizing:
Continuous process improvement is enabled by quantitative feedback from the process and from piloting innovative ideas and technologies.
Comparison of CMM and ISO
|
Features
|
CMM
|
ISO 9000
|
|
Assess process maturity
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Emphasizes continuous improvement
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Provides self-assessments
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Applicable to projects
|
Software only
|
No
|
|
Applicable to programs
|
Software only
|
Yes
|
|
Applicable to organizations (operations)
|
Software only
|
Yes
|
|
Requires a quality management system
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Conclusion:
CMM ensures that the process followed for developing a product produces error free product. A company which is process driven is more successful than the company which is people driven. Hence a company needs to have a good process for software development for it to be successful.
