Chapter 1.

Quality Assurance
Basics ............................................................... 1
What Is Quality? Specifications
Definition of Quality from the Standpoint of the
Provider ........................... 4
Quality and Reliability
Evolution of the Concepts of
Quality ............................................................... 8
Quality Gurus
Total Quality
Management ........................................................................
.......
Are We Giving Adequate Importance to Quality in Organizations? ........... 17
Organizational Goals and Quality
Goals ......................................................... 20
The Present Scenario in Software Development Organizations ................... 23

Chapter 2. Four Dimensions of

Quality ........................................................ 25
Specification Quality
Design Quality
Development (Software Construction)
Quality .............................................. 29
Conformance Quality
Ensuring Quality in
Specifications ...................................................................
31
Ensuring Quality in
Design ............................................................................
..
Ensuring Quality in Development (Software Construction) ........................ 33
Ensuring Conformance
Quality ....................................................................... 33

Chapter 3. Software Product

Quality ............................................................ 35
Functionality Standpoint
White Box (Glass Box)
Standpoint ................................................................. 38
Presence of Defects in the
Product ................................................................. 41
Program Quality
Measurement of Product
Quality .................................................................... 48

Chapter 4. Organizational Environment that Fosters a Quality

Culture
Quality and Organizational
Environment ....................................................... 61
Need for an Independent Quality Assurance Department ........................... 62
The Role of the Quality Assurance
Department ............................................ 64
The Position of the Quality Assurance Department in an Organization ... 66
Organization of the Quality Assurance
Department ..................................... 68
Organization and Staffing of the Quality Assurance Department ............... 74
A Well-Defined and Institutionalized Software Development Process ....... 76
Explicit System of Rewards and Recognition for Achieving Excellence
in Quality
Commitment and Involvement of Senior Management in Fostering a
Culture of Quality in the
Organization .......................................................... 82
Final Words

Chapter 5. Software
Verification ....................................................................
85
Verification
Walkthroughs (Peer
Reviews) ..........................................................................
89
Inspections
Audits
Verification Process
Implementation of Verification Activities in
Projects ................................. 126

Chapter 6. Validation
Definition of Validation
Validation of Software
Designs ...................................................................... 132
Validating the Product
Specifications ............................................................ 133
Validating the Software
Product .................................................................... 133
Testing Different Types of Software
Products ............................................. 135
Testing
Basics ............................................................................
....................... 139
Approaches to
Testing ...........................................................................
.......... 143
Test Case
Design ............................................................................
.................. 146
Test
Environment .......................................................................
..................... 161
Testing
Scenarios .........................................................................
.................... 163
Project Testing or Embedded
Testing ........................................................... 163
Product
Testing ...........................................................................
..................... 169
Best Practices in
Testing ...........................................................................
...... 178
Automation of Testing and Use of Testing
Tools ....................................... 183
Final Words about Software
Testing ............................................................. 186

Chapter 7. Software Product Quality:

Reliability ...................................... 187
Software
Disasters .........................................................................
................... 187
Software
Reliability .......................................................................
................... 189
Cause of Software
Failures ..........................................................................
... 192
Prediction of Software
Reliability .................................................................. 194
Software Reliability
Improvement .................................................................. 195

Chapter 8. Process
Quality ...........................................................................
. 197
Process Quality
Evolution .........................................................................
...... 197
Process ...........................................................................
.................................... 199
Process
Quality ...........................................................................
...................... 200
Process
Definition ........................................................................
.................... 201
Aligning the Process with a Process
Model .................................................. 205
Process
Improvement .......................................................................
............... 206
Process
Stabilization .....................................................................
................... 209
Software Development
Process ...................................................................... 211
Components of a
Process ...........................................................................
.... 211
Process
Certification .....................................................................
................... 213

Chapter 9. New Paradigm for Software

Quality ........................................ 217
Current Certification
Paradigms .................................................................... 217
The Fallacy of
Certifications ....................................................................
....... 219
Criticisms of Maturity
Models ....................................................................... 221
A New Paradigm for Software Quality
Assurance ....................................... 228
Final
Words .............................................................................
......................... 233
Appendix A. Audit
Process ...........................................................................
. 235
Appendix B. Defect Resolution
Methodology ............................................ 247