Modelling software quality in the commercial environment

Achieving quality is a perennial problem in software development. It is commercially significant because of the large sums of money spent correcting problems within information systems. The literature shows how various theoretical treatments have developed since the late 1970s. However, many of these models are of academic interest only, because they are not perceived by IT professionals to meet their needs.This article describes a study which examined the nature of quality in six different commercial environments. The aim of the study was to provide models of quality appropriate to individual commercial environments and to examine similarities between them. The results, expressed in terms of quality criteria and the relationships between them, highlight the limitations of many theoretical treatments, in particular, the highly technical view of software quality enshrined in early models, and the need for criteria contributing to business correctness.The results from the study are used to highlight some of the important issues in software quality within commercial environments and some of the reasons why quality is often poor.     

软件研发中的项目质量管理过程研究

重点介绍了软件研发中的项目质量管理知识体系,涉及软件质量计划编制、软件质量保证、软件质量控制等过程。     

Reported effects of rapid prototyping on industrial software quality

Empirical data are required to determine the effect of rapid prototyping on software quality. We examine 34 published and unpublished case studies of the use of rapid prototyping in real-world software development. We identify common observations, unique events, and opinions. We develop guidelines to help software developers use rapid prototyping to maximize product quality and avoid common pitfalls.A protion of the results in this paper were reported in a previous paper entitled Rapid Prototyping and Software Quality: Lessons From Industry, that was presented at the 1991Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference, Portland, Oregon, 1991.     

The impact of software evolution and reuse on software quality

This paper presents a case study of a software project in the maintenance phase. The case study was based on a sample of modules, representing about 1.3 million lines of code, from a very large telecommunications system. Software quality models were developed to predict the number of faults expected from the coding through operations phases. Since modules from the prior release were often reused to develop a new release, one model incorporated reuse data as additional independent variables. We compare this model's performance to a similar model without reuse data.Software quality models often have product metrics as the only input data for predicting quality. There is an implicit assumption that all the modules have had a similar development history, so that product attributes are the primary drivers of different quality levels. Reuse of software as components and software evolution do not fit this assumption very well, and consequently, traditional models for such environments may not have adequate accuracy. Focusing on the software maintenance phase, this study demonstrated that reuse data can significantly improve the predictive accuracy of software quality models.     

Supporting software quality in an integrated safety-critical systems development environment

Research is described, aimed to support traceability in the design of software for safety-critical applications, through the provision of an on-line design journal enabling design decisions and actions to be traced and recorded. The design environment, within which various software design tools may be encapsulated, enables protocol between the user and the design tools to be trapped. This provides software engineering support at the conceptual design stage. An important aim of the research is to enable inferences to be made from the captured protocol, for which the application of artificial intelligence methods is being investigated.     

Code quality analysis in open source software development

Abstract Proponents of open source style software development claim that better software is produced using this model compared with the traditional closed model. However, there is little empirical evidence in support of these claims. In this paper, we present the results of a pilot case study aiming: (a) to understand the implications of structural quality; and (b) to figure out the benefits of structural quality analysis of the code delivered by open source style development. To this end, we have measured quality characteristics of 100 applications written for Linux, using a software measurement tool, and compared the results with the industrial standard that is proposed by the tool. Another target of this case study was to investigate the issue of modularity in open source as this characteristic is being considered crucial by the proponents of open source for this type of software development. We have empirically assessed the relationship between the size of the application components and the delivered quality measured through user satisfaction. We have determined that, up to a certain extent, the average component size of an application is negatively related to the user satisfaction for this application.     

应用软件质量模型的建立与研究

应用软件在我国有着广阔的市场。怎样切实保证软件产品的质量，是我国软件业的一项十分重要的任务。在分析了软件质量模型的基础上，提出了在根据应用软件不同环境的基础上建立实用的软件质量模型的方法，并定性研究了软件质量模型中目标及属性的测定方法。     

软件研发中的项目质量管理工具与技术

重点介绍了软件研发中的项目质量管理常用的工具与技术,涉及配置管理、软件测试技术、帕累托分析、质量功能分布图等质量管理工具。     

一种基于交流成本的全球软件任务调度方法*

在全球软件开发中,由于时区、地理位置、文化和语言等各种因素,交流和协作变得非常困难,如果在进行任务调度的时候不考虑交流对整个项目所造成的影响,则有可能使整个项目开发的总成本增加,从而给项目带来很大的风险。通过采用基于交流成本的任务调度方法,在项目初期就考虑交流风险,并对任务进行调度,从而能有效减少该风险对项目可能造成的损失。通过一个示例项目将该方法与传统的基于阶段的方法进行对比,说明了交流成本对整个项目成本的确有很重要的影响,并且使用基于交流成本的任务调度方法能有效降低项目开发的总成本。     

Adapting traditional software processes to virtual environments development

Virtual environments (VEs) are special kinds of interactive systems currently used in many fields such as education, training and medicine. However, as VE development is relatively recent, there is little experience in the area. Software engineering, the discipline which assures quality software, has not been successfully applied to date. In developing VEs, the object‐oriented software engineering paradigm is the most suitable even though principles and techniques are insufficient. In this paper, we will demonstrate this inadequacy through the development of two different VEs, identify the processes to be improved, offer a set of guidelines to improve them (coined SENDA), and present the results obtained with SENDA. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of intra-group conflict on packaged software development team performance

Abstract. Data from 40 packaged software development teams are used to test a path model that relates three antecedents, the presence of intragroup conflict and the level of conflict management to software development team performance. Findings indicate that a combination of the team's characteristics, team member characteristics and existing levels of intragroup conflict accounts for nearly one-half of the variance between the best and worst-performing teams. Furthermore, the level of conflict management moderates the relationship between existing levels of intragroup conflict and performance. These results highlight both the complexity of the social processes of packaged software development and the value of this perspective for gaining insight on software development performance.     

Process improvement: an alternative to BPR for software development organizations

Whereas BPR (Business Process Re-engineering or Business Process Re-design) is being offered as a means by which organizations may be able to respond to the challenge of increased competition, Process Improvement, on the other hand aims to improve productivity, product quality and competitive advantage. Fundamentally, both activities offer a means by which organizations may be able to deal with a rapidly changing business environment, through internal change. BPR extends the concept of process change (albeit rapid change through innovation) to include changes to the basic assumptions and principles of management. The results, however are not positive: estimates of between 50 and 70% of firms fail to achieve the expected dramatic gains from BPR. An alternative to BPR for software development organizations is Process Assessment and Process Improvement. This paper presents a Process/Product Quality Model which incorporates three separate evaluations: process conformance, process effectiveness and product quality as a means of evaluating what is, i.e. the current status of activities, within a software development organization. The model aims to identify possible areas for process improvement and to uncover all relevant issues which may affect attempts to implement improvement initiatives. Preliminary findings from a set of case studies conducted within software development organizations in Australia are presented in support of the usefulness of the model.     

结合PSP、TSP和CSE方法生产高质量软件

介绍了个体软件过程、小组软件过程和净室软件工程,阐述了它们之间相辅相成的关系,并讨论了如何在软件项目开发中以小组软件过程为指导,结合个体软件过程及净室软件工程提供的技能与方法,以达到改善软件开发组织的软件过程,提高软件质量与生产率的目的。     

Perceptions of software quality: a pilot study

Many software quality initiatives fail because they do not take account of the range of views that people have of quality. New approaches to software quality improvement will not work unless software developers believe in them, no matter how enthusiastic managers may be. This paper reports on a pilot study using the repertory grid technique that found evidence to support these assertions. The study findings justify further work and show that while the repertory grid technique is an appropriate instrument in this area it is resource intensive to apply and may not be practical in a wider study of a representative sample of the IT industry. The paper has practical recommendations for successful introduction of new software quality programmes. These recommendations stress the need for effective communication, leading to a shared understanding of quality, and for realistic goals that recognize the pressure of development schedules.     

Software quality management in turbulent times – are there alternatives to process oriented software quality management?

Software Quality Journal - There is a widely accepted paradigm of successful software development, called process oriented software quality management (PSQM). The proponents of PSQM claim that it...     

A meta-model for formulating knowledge-based models of software development

In this paper, we introduce a knowledge-based meta-model which serves as a unified resource model for integrating characteristics of major types of objects appearing in software development models (SDMs). The URM consists of resource classes and a web of relations that link different types of resources found in different kinds of models of software development. The URM includes specialized models for software models for software systems, documents, agents, tools, and development processes. The URM has served as the basis for integrating and interoperating a number of process-centered CASE environments. The major benefit of the URM is twofold: First, it forms a higher level of abstraction supporting SDM formulation that subsumes many typical models of software development objects. Hence, it enables a higher level of reusability for existing support mechanisms of these models. Second, it provides a basis to support complex reasoning mechanisms that address issues across different types of software objects. To explore these features, we describe the URM both formally and with a detailed example, followed by a characterization of the process of SDM composition, and then by a characterization of the life cycle of activities involved in an overall model formulation process.     

用于软件开发工作量估算的IOP模型

软件开发工作量估算可以为多项与组织决策和项目管理相关的任务提供有效的支持.根据工作量估算的不同目标,通过对COCOMO Ⅱ成本驱动因子进行扩充和对国内外最新软件项目数据进行回归分析,建立了一个用于工作量估算的IOP模型.该模型采用统一框架,分别从行业水平、组织水平和项目特征3个层次实现基于规模的软件开发工作量估算,以满足针对软件行业、软件组织和特定软件项目的不同的估算目标,例如项目招标、软件组织不同项目的管理和具体软件项目的管理等.最后,给出了IOP模型应用的若干实例.     

Classification techniques for metric-based software development

Managing software development and maintenance projects requires predictions about components of the software system that are likely to have a high error rate or that need high development effort. The value of any classification is determined by the accuracy and cost of such predictions. The paper investigates the hypothesis whether fuzzy classification applied to criticality prediction provides better results than other classification techniques that have been introduced in this area. Five techniques for identifying error-prone software components are compared, namely Pareto classification, crisp classification trees, factor-based discriminant analysis, neural networks, and fuzzy classification. The comparison is illustrated with experimental results from the development of industrial real-time projects. A module quality model — with respect to changes — provides both quality of fit (according to past data) and predictive accuracy (according to ongoing projects). Fuzzy classification showed best results in terms of overall predictive accuracy.     

多媒体教学软件原型法开发模型研究

用软件工程方法,对一般软件与多媒体教学软件开发过程进行了研究,指出了多媒体教学软件开发过程的特殊性,建立了多媒体教学软件原型法开发模型.该模型解决了多媒体教学软件开发过程中多媒体元素制作的复杂性,实现了多媒体元素并行开发,提高了多媒体教学软件开发效率;使用原型化方法对多媒体教学软件进行开发,使开发出的多媒体教学软件真正符合教学规律,反映教学策略,提高了多媒体教学软件的开发质量.     

A novel approach to software quality risk management

Software quality is very important in today's competitive business environment. It is a critical constraint on software projects. Software organizations’ major objectives are delivering products on time and achieving quality goals. Quality is directly dependent on software processes, which are inherently variable and uncertain, involving substantial risk. Managing quality risk is an important challenge. The conventional approach to quality risk management for ongoing software processes has two major deficiencies: static analytic models are used, and structured methodologies to enhance processes and improve quality are not systematically applied. This new practical method uses Six Sigma and Monte Carlo Simulation for ongoing quality risk management. DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) is systematically applied as a tactical framework to enhance the process and improve quality. Simulation predicts quality (reliability) at the expected process end and identifies and quantifies risk. DMAIC is a verified structured methodology for systematic process and quality improvements. Monte Carlo Simulation is superior to conventional risk models. These synergetic enhancements eliminate observed deficiencies. The method has been successfully proven and applied practically on real in‐house projects. Substantial savings, quality and customer satisfaction have been achieved. An application on an internal project and obtained results are presented. The method is simplistically elaborated on a published third‐party project answering key research questions from practical perspectives. This CMMI® compliant method offers important benefits including savings, quality and customer satisfaction. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.