Software Process Improvement in a Changing Environment

1. Software Process Improvement in a Changing Environment Dr. Katalin Balla Technical University Budapest Department of Control Engineering and Information Technology

2. Contents • About software quality • Why is it so important? • What do we mean by it? • Why is it difficult to deal with it? • The QMIM framework • Goal, scope, elements • Case study • Using QMIM in a software company • Using QMIM in a changing environment • Conclusion

3. About software quality Why is software quality so important? • A software doing something else than we wanted can cause considerable damage • Errors in software can cause considerable damage • Companies are forced to prove the good quality of their products • Good quality is a condition of staying in the market

4. About software quality What do we mean by software quality? • Q = Deliverables / Expectations • The software is good if it is … … ready on time …cheap …doing what the user wants it to do …available 24 hours a day …user friendly, easy learnable …responding always to a user request in less than 5 seconds …delivered after a testing that had 99% code based coverage and 100% requirements based coverage …easy to run in a new environment … ?

5. About software quality Why is it difficult to deal with software quality? • It is not clear what we mean by it • It is not one, universally usable quality! • Quality profiles have to be defined taking into account the characteristics of each particular case • Using models, standards, good approaches could help, but… • Many approaches exist, different in many ways: terminology, basic elements, structure… • The different approaches emphasize different elements of software quality • A quality manager will not find any aid or guidance in making the right choice among the models

6. QMIM An approach that could help • Define the important elements of software production! • Understand the important elements and their interconnections! • Understand existing, popular quality models and standards! • Be able to connect quality models and standards to objects of software production! • Analyse the business needs of your company and choose the most appropriate quality approaches! • Instead of choosing one model, use more models in a synergic way, according to the specific needs of the company!

7. QMIM The quality framework Characteristics Metric Quality attribute Definition Objects Product Process Resource

8. GQM ISO 9126 (Boehm, McCall)... Metric ISO 9001:2000 CMM, SPICE CMMI ISO 15504 TSP, PSP Quality attribute Definition P-CMM, Weinberg... Product Process Resource Methodologies (RUP, Prince...), Life-cycle support Different approaches towards software quality Characteristics Objects

9. QMIM The QMIM framework • Scope: give a solution to the problems mentioned before • Framework (not the n+1-th approach!) • Was developed during a case study • Helps identifying the important elements of software quality • Helps finding one’s way among the existing software quality models, standards, approaches • Supports software process improvement by following small steps

10. QMIM Elements of the QMIM model

11. QMIM Elements of the QMIM model Metric Quality attribute Definition PM process Product TechnicalProcess

12. QMIM Static aspects of QMIM • Generic data model

13. QMIM Dynamic aspects of QMIM • The framework helps in defining the company’s own process model • Using QMIM • Differences can be is: • The set of elements defined in the beginning • The degree of detail in the definitions • The chosen approaches to software quality • The characteristics of the organisation (maturity level, business goals, priorities, magnitude of change accepted …)

14. QMIM Dynamic aspects of QMIM Possible approaches of using QMIM: Characteristics Characteristics Metric Metric Quality attribute Quality attribute Definition Definition Objects Product Objects PM processs Technical process PM process Product Technical process • Important: always keep in mind all elements!

15. QMIM Dynamic aspects of QMIM Characteristics • Improvement by QMIM Metric Quality attribute Definition Characteristics Metric Objects Product PM processs Technical process Quality attribute Definition Objects Technical process Product PM processs

16. QMIM Guidelines for using QMIM • High level guidelines Create (identify) a platform for the quality management activities To be detailed Assess current situation Make a change Add a low level data gathering program Consolidate the change

17. QMIM Guidelines for using QMIM Create (identify) a platform for the quality management activities • Middle level guidelines (1): • Decide on what type of change to make? Assess current situation Make a change What change to make? PM TP P Complete the QMIM framework Add a low level data gathering program for the elements introduced Consolidate the change

18. QMIM Define TP Define PM • Create (identify) a platform for the quality management activities Guidelines for using QMIM • Assess the current situation • Use CMM for assessment • Middle level guidelines(2): decide on what type of change to make? Make a change = 2 < 2 Maturity level >=3 No Maturity level >= 4 Define P Yes Add data gathering program for the elements introduced Use literature support to find appropriate metrics Consolidate the change

19. Case study Using QMIM in a software company • IQSYS Ltd., Budapest , Hungary • One of the main representatives of software industry in Hungary • Legal successor of IQSOFT • Established in 1990 • Joined KFKI Holding in 2000 • Experienced a huge reorganisation in 2003: IQSOFT, Classys, part of ISYS and ICON formed IQSYS • Medium sized, 150 employees • Main activity types: • software development • high value-added software distribution • system integration

20. Case study Using QMIM at IQSOFT

21. Case study SPI at IQSOFT • IQSYS (IQSOFT) has a „fair” past in software quality management and SPI • Start dealing with software quality (1993-1994) • Introducing a company-wide PM system, using PM2 methodology ( 1995 - mid 1997) • ISO 9001:1994-based QMS (mid 1997- April 1998) • Continuous process improvement (May 1998- 2001) • ISO 9001:2000-based QMS and SPI (May 2001-2003) • Informal CMM –based assessment (November 2001) • Results of maturity assessments • Bootstrap assessments: 1994 1997 SPU 2.25 3 Process description 2 3.25 Process control 1.5 3 Project management 2.75 3.5 Development model 2.5 3 Detailed design& implementation 2.25 4

22. Case study Linking quality goals to business goals (Using representation suggested by Reo, D.: Balanced IT Scorecard. ESI Commercial Network presentation. 2000.)

23. Case study Product characteristics • Basic need: better estimates! • Identifying product-types: banking, insurance, telecom • Quality profiles by product type – using ISO 9126 • Compliance, suitability • „Few errors and faults” • Banking, insurance software: integrity, reliability, correctness • Telecom : portability, testability, changeability • Using Cosmic FFP

24. Case study CMM-based SPI: gap analysis

25. Case study CMM-based SPI, 2002: successes and challenges • Dealing with the activities related to all KPA-s in the model were identified as internal need also • Management processes • Phase SQA activities to project activities • Complete project planning and tracking processes • Estimation process • Measurement. Planning and follow-up of software product size • Resource management process • Peer reviews • Training • Intergroup coordination process • Software subcontractor management • Requirements management procedure • Configuration management procedure • Project data-base • Life cycle, project models, technical guidelines • Project types • Project life cycle • Tailoring guidelines • Methods and tools used in development • „Other issues” (IQKM) • Deriving processes for the concrete projects • Software product management

26. Case study Project data-base • Contains all important elements of software quality

27. Case study ÁKI P ST IK M IKK TEM BIT MST EAD IQSYS Units affected by CMM HR Finance QA Managing director Cohesive force of a SPI • The CMM-based SPI project has been reorganised with the company • Current situation assessed on ISO 9001:2000 and, for the projects, on CMM basis • A common framework in the company: QMS • Common framework for project execution in Back Offices: PM framework • Differences in project type models, methodologies and tools: to be described by the different teams • The QMS of the new company was functional within 1 month Former IQSOFT

28. Conclusion • Companies are forced to deal with software quality, if they want to stay in the market • It is difficult to deal with software quality, because: • There are many elements to take into consideration • There are many approaches that cover different elements • QMIM: a framework that could help in choosing the right direction for your SPI • Basic ideas: • Connect your SPI to your business needs • Try to use more approaches in a synergic way • A good understanding of the important elements and directions in software production can help in surviving also in a changing environment

29. Questions?

30. Thanks for your attention! balla.katalin@iit.bme.hu