Process 6.3: Quality assurance

Quality criteria

Software quality in UMP is defined in accordance with the ISO/IEC-9126 standard by the set of criteria and characteristics.

Quality assurance process

UMP software quality assurance (SQA) management in a maximum extent is embedded into development process. This means that each UMP task has quality aspects which must be implemented, such as:

• Task quality metrics or
• Task shall be implemented along with the specified quality related tasks, for instance development evaluation tasks shall be implemented together with the verifications.

UMP requires the following quality related process / activities shall be implemented:

• Quality assurance process (6.3) — to achieve established quality criteria, both for products and process. The 12207 standard requires that SQA tasks to be implemented by the party, independent from the developer. UMP does not require this and moreover encourages the developers to follow the established quality assurance plan, which actually is embedded in UMP development tasks itself.
• Verification process (6.4) — to confirm that activity output artifacts conform activity input artifacts. The verification tasks shall be implemented along with the correspondent development evaluation tasks. Evaluation provides in a systematic way the rate of the output artifacts conformity with the established criteria. Evaluation & Verification are complementary activities.
• Validation process (6.5) — to define the final product capability to realize the end user tasks in a real operational conditions. UMP limits the validation process by the beta—testing activities.
• Testing (5.3.7.2) — to find maximum number of errors in programmed software unit under established testing conditions and timeframe. Testing is part of the software programming & testing activity and comprises coding—testing—correction cycle.
• Qualification testing (5.3.9.1) — to find maximum number of errors in integrated software product under established testing conditions and timeframe. Qualification testing is part of the software development process.
• Joint review process (6.6) —although this process is considered in 12207 as process between 2 independent parties (which ia not applicable for UMP projects type), UMP uses this process to find solutions during Problem resolution process.

The audit process is not used in umP. According to 12207 the audit process is used to get an independent [from developer] assessment of the product (process) against the established requirements.

The table below presents the different views on the quality related processes and tasks.