Page 265 - DCAP304_DCAP515_SOFTWARE_PROJECT_MANAGEMENT

Unit 13: Software Quality

SQA is not the only checking activity in a project. Whereas SQA checks procedures against plans Notes
and output products against standards, Software Verification and Validation (SVV) checks output
products against input products. Figure 13.1 illustrates the difference.
Figure 13.1: Differences between SQA and SVV

Standards
Plans SQA SQA
Check output products reports
against standards and
plans

Input Products Output
Products
Development Activity

SVV
SVV Check output reports
products against input
products

13.1 Software Quality

Formal SQA Definition

The 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.
The 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.

There are many definitions of these Software Quality Attributes but a common one is the
FURPS+ model which was developed by Robert Grady at Hewlett Packard.
Under the FURPS, the following characteristics are identified:

1. Functionality: The F in the FURPS+ acronym represents all the system-wide functional
requirements that we would expect to see described. These usually represent the main
product features that are familiar within the business domain of the solution being
developed. For example, order processing is very natural for someone to describe if you

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