Software Certification CSQA Book

The Check process incorporates the process controls needed to be assured the “Do process” was performed correctly. Process control identifies the appropriate types of quality controls needed within a process, and designs and incorporates them as Check procedures into the process. Check procedures describe how to evaluate whether the right work was done (output meets needs) and whether the work was done right (output meets standards). Controls should be designed based on the criticality of the process and what needs to be checked.

Check procedures are defined in the same way as Do procedures. If the playscript format is used, Check procedures should be incorporated to the taskflow diagram or flowchart at the appropriate spot. For example, a quality control checklist associated with programming would have questions such as, "Was a flowchart produced that describes the processing of the program?" or “How much quality control is enough?”

The challenge is to install the appropriate amount and types of controls to minimize cost, effort, and cycle time; and to minimize the risk that defects will go undetected and "leak" into other processes.

Some guidelines for selecting and sequencing change approaches are:

Select approaches that are most acceptable to the culture (poor approaches that are acceptable may be more effective than optimal approaches that are resisted).

Select approaches that have the highest probability of success, first.

Select approaches that will provide both short-term and long-term results. Select an implementation strategy that will use the best people and the best projects, as opposed to trying to improve the poorest projects with the least effective staff.

Implement the prerequisites to the approach before implementing the approach.

Use tools such as risk ranking, analysis, or return on investment.

Vision:

It states what the organization intends to achieve.

Senior Management (CIO)

“To become Global Top 10”

Value:

It states how to run the business.

Senior Management

“Will satisfy customer needs”

Goal:

It states how the vision will be achieved.

Senior Management

“Establish a customer vision group”

At a minimum, the tool selected should support the recording and communication of all significant information about a defect. For example, a defect log could include:

ƒ Defect ID number

ƒ Descriptive defect name and type

ƒ Source of defect - test case or other source that found the defect

ƒ Method – SDLC phase of creation

ƒ Phases – SDLC phase of detection