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Assessment
(see Quality Audit)
Assurance
(see Quality Assurance)
Audit
(see Quality Audit)
Authorisation procedures
will not be obeyed if they demand too many signatures: The Paper Juggernaut
Brochure
printable form of this site's contents; can be downloaded as a PDF file: Brochure - for Printing
Brooks, Frederick P
"The Tar Pit" (in The Mythical Man Month): The Need for Change
Bureaucracy
(see Authorisation procedures; Documentation of Quality Management System)
Call-outs, on-site
due to shipment of faulty product; cause loss of revenue and knock-on effects to other products: The Product that Should Not have been Released
Capability Maturity Model (CMM)
a Quality Management model for software; popular in the USA and with U.S.-based organisations: Other Standards
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
(see Capability Maturity Model (CMM))
Certification
consultant can advise on organisation's readiness for: What the Auditors are Looking For; Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
through Quality Audit conducted by external certification body: Types of Audit
to EFQM Business Excellence Model; by self-assessment: Other Standards
to ISO 9001; needs documentation and records - but less than often thought: The Paper Juggernaut
to recognised standard such as ISO 9001; benefits of; not too hard if good practices followed: Standards and Certificates
(see also Quality Audit)
Change Control
required by quality system - not to prevent change but to ensure consequences are understood: Late Delivery
Collins & Bicknell
"Not all computing projects fail - only most of them": The Need for Change
Command and Control
out-of-date attitude; some commentators claim ISO 9000 institutionalises: Help or Hindrance?
Competitive advantage
by learning from mistakes and so avoiding project failures: The Need for Change
through reliable delivery of products and services; aided by good Quality Management: What is Quality Management?
Configuration Management
an important part of software Quality Management System: What software is this?
Consistency and reliability
ensured by a systematic approach to Quality Management: What is Quality Management?
Consultancy, Consultant: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
can advise on designing the Quality System so as to suit the organisation and the type of work it does: What is the Right Quality System?
can advise on readiness for certification audit (assessment): What the Auditors are Looking For
can help interpret standards, such as ISO 9001, in software terms: ISO 9001 in a Nutshell
can provide training to bridge the gap between software and quality management disciplines: Software and Quality
can review your existing system to determine how it measures up against requirements: Where Are We Now?
is one of several approaches to setting up a Quality Management System: Getting Started
why it may help and what it can contribute: Home Page
Continuous Improvement
(see Performance Improvement)
Control
(see Command and Control; Change Control; Project Control)
Correction costs
(see Cost of Quality)
Corrective Action
improves quality by analysing and correcting the root causes of quality failures: When things go wrong
Cost and timescale slippage
caused by bad estimating, lack of suitable resources, trying to implement an over-ambitious system, or feature creep: Late Delivery
Cost of consultancy
need not be very expensive if carefully used: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
Cost of Quality
incurred through correction and re-testing due to software faults: The Cost of Poor Quality
saved by better Quality Management reducing rework, support and maintenance: How Quality Management Helps
Courses, Training
(see Training)
Crosby, Philip
"Quality is Free": How Quality Management Helps
Customer
is too often disappointed by software that is delivered late or performs poorly: The Need for Change
needs to be kept informed, especially in times of crisis: Keeping the Customers in the Dark
should be the focus of the Quality system; you need to listen to what they are telling you about Quality, because the things that matter to them may not be the same as what you think is most important: Customer Focus
Customer Audit
external audit against contract requirements; carried out by customer: Types of Audit
(see also Quality Audit)
Decision-making
conscious and based on facts in a Quality company: How Quality Management Helps
Delayed revenue
due to hold-up of new work because Engineers are fixing previous product: The Product that Should Not have been Released
Dependencies
(see Project Control)
Developing the Quality Management System
adherence to timescales controlled through consultant keeping client informed of progress: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
best to do a bit at a time, rather than try to do too much at once and not get any of it working: Where Are We Now?
can be partly out-sourced to consultant but still needs your people's input: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
how long it will take depends on various factors; may be wise to do in phases if starting from scratch: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
means more than just writing procedures; they must be brought into use; aided by user feedback: Procedures
needs to be planned like a software project to estimate what it will cost and how long it will take: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
DISC
(see TickIT)
Documentation of Quality Management System
does not usually need rewriting for certification audit, if it does what the company needs: Adapting a Pragmatic Quality System
reviewed as part of Quality Audit: Documentation Review
sketched out during consultancy visits and written up between visits: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
(see also Results of Quality Management System development)
sometimes excessive in systems designed to satisfy ISO 9001: The Paper Juggernaut
Downloading
(see Brochure; ZIP Archive)
Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)
(see Rapid Application Development (RAD))
European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM)
excellence model for whole business: Other Standards
Factual Approach to Decision-making
(see Decision-making)
Failure costs
(see Cost of Quality)
Feedback from Users of Quality System
(see Developing the Quality Management System)
Field Performance of software products
(see Customer)
Frequently Asked Questions
on how consultancy works, what it costs and what it can deliver: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
Guidance on ISO 9001 for software
(see TickIT; Consultancy, Consultant)
Human Resources
(see People)
Implementing the Quality Management System
(see Procedures)
Innovation
imagination and flair can be devoted to creative work when the Quality system takes care of administrative detail: What is Quality Management?
Inspection-based Quality Management
failed approach which some commentators consider to be a harmful result of ISO 9000: Help or Hindrance?
Internal Quality Audit
must be in evidence to satisfy external auditors: During the Visit
self-audit by organisation against its own Quality Management System: Types of Audit
(see also Quality Audit)
ISO 9000, ISO 9001
arguments for and against; author considers useful if sensibly applied: Help or Hindrance?
changes in ISO 9000:2000 edition from previous (1994) edition: What's New in ISO 9000:2000?
does not demand heavy documentation, over-prescriptive rules or very formal authorisation procedures: The Paper Juggernaut
summary of requirements: ISO 9001 in a Nutshell
(see also TickIT; Consultancy, Consultant)
Knowledge and Skills
transferred by consultant
(see Results of Quality Management System development)
Large organisation
needs comprehensive written Quality Management procedures: Large Organisation
Late Delivery
due to bad estimating, resource problems, over-ambition, feature creep and other causes: Late Delivery
(see also Change Control)
Management
responsible for ensuring there is a defined Quality System; need to give a consistent message about Quality: Management
Mix-ups between software versions
(see Configuration Management)
Non-compliance
classified as minor or major; must be corrected before certificate granted: After the Audit
noted by auditors during visit: During the Visit
Offline Browsing (this site)
by downloading ZIP archive of visual or aural version: Site Archives - for Offline Browsing
Out-sourced Quality Management System Development
can be provided by consultant: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
Ownership
of procedures by staff makes it easy to bring them into use: Organisation with Existing Practices
of Quality System by you makes it easy to alter: The Benefits
Paper (documentation and records)
generated to excess in belief that ISO 9001 demands it: The Paper Juggernaut
People
can devote innovative skills, flair and imagination to creative work when there is a Quality System in place: What is Quality Management?
find the Quality company is a good place to work: Software and Quality
should be trusted to make their own judgments, rather than having rigid rules for everything: People
Performance Improvement
through measurement and analysis of performance data: Performance Improvement
Personnel
(see People)
Planning the Quality Management System
to estimate what it will cost and how long it will take; similar to planning a software project: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
Printing contents of this site
by downloading the brochure, which is available as a PDF file: Brochure - for Printing
Problems
are inevitable, but cost time and money, so we need to avoid if possible: The Need for Change
root causes need to be identified and cured: When things go wrong
Procedures
are what people do, not just pieces of paper; bringing into use involves persuasion, listening and revision: Procedures
(see also Documentation of Quality Management System)
Project Control
can give early warning of problems: The Product that Should Not have been Released
helps control dependencies and risks: Let Down by Others
Projects, Software
are different from processes that non-software QA people may be familiar with - but not much: Software is Different - But Not Very
Quality Management can make the difference between success and failure of: Software and Quality
QMS
(see Quality Management System)
Quality
must focus on the customer's needs; only the customer can say what these are: Customer Focus
(see also Quality Management; Quality Management System)
Quality Assurance
assurance of consistent delivery of products and services that do what users need and expect: What is Quality Management?
Quality Audit
involves interviews with staff and examination of records: During the Visit
is an independent assessment of how the Quality System works, by a certification body, a customer or own organisation: Types of Audit
report includes Audit Findings - classified list of non-compliances: After the Audit
Quality Control
(see Quality Management)
Quality Costs
(see Cost of Quality)
Quality Improvement
(see Performance Improvement)
Quality Management: Managing for Better Quality
can give competitive advantage through increased customer confidence, reduced failures and rework, and ISO 9000 or other certificate; requires a system: What is Quality Management?
can make difference between success and failure of a software project: Software and Quality
Quality Management System: Some Features of a Quality Management System
(see also Developing the Quality Management System)
audited by Certification Body to determine compliance with standard: Types of Audit; Standards and Certificates
cannot successfully be imported from elsewhere: Is There a Short Cut?
if right for your business, will focus attention on things that matter; be understood and accepted; proceduralise routine tasks; leave room for initiative; and be easy to alter: The Benefits
needs to be right for the business, or else can hinder rather than helping: What is the Right Quality System?
needs to be tailored to suit the nature of the business: How the Type of Business Affects the Quality System
needs to be tailored to suit the type of the organisation: How the Type of Organisation Affects the Quality System
will never be problem free, but we can improve it by learning from problems when they occur: The Need for Change
works best if it incorporates, rather than supersedes, existing good practice: Organisation with Existing Practices
Quality Management System, Software
adapted from existing working procedures: Adapting a Pragmatic Quality System
added on to company-wide quality system: Extending the Quality System to Software
created specially for software organisation: Developing a Quality System from Scratch
Quality Manager
can be an expert recruited from outside, but you need to decide whether to disseminate knowledge more widely in your organisation: Getting Started
needs to understand the different nature and terminology of software: Software is Different - But Not Very
requires experience and authority, so should not be too junior a member of staff: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
role as advisor, coach, evangelist etc: Quality Manager
Quality Manual
required if you are going for ISO 9001: Quality Manual
Quality System
(see Quality Management System)
Rapid Application Development (RAD)
an approach to software development, designed to cope with uncertain or changing requirements: Late Delivery
Records
burden can be eased and records can have unexpected uses: Records
required for audit, to show compliance with Quality System in practice: What the Auditors are Looking For; During the Visit
required to show compliance with ISO 9001 - but less than often thought: The Paper Juggernaut
showing track record of Quality System in use: Before the Audit
Registration
(see Certification)
Release
of software before it is ready, can have opposite effect to that intended: The Product that Should Not have been Released
Reliance on software
increasing; so assured Quality becomes more important: What is Quality Management?
Reports
by consultant
(see Results of Quality Management System development)
Reputation for quality
backed up by independent certification: Standards and Certificates
through good Quality Management; can give competitive advantage: What is Quality Management?
Results of Quality Management System development
comprise Quality System documents, consultancy reports, transferred knowledge and skills, and working Quality System: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
Risks
identified, analysed and controlled through good Quality Management: Let Down by Others
Rules
ignored if over-prescriptive: The Paper Juggernaut
Second-party Audit
(see Customer Audit)
Security of company
can be threatened by quality problems: The Cost of Poor Quality
Signatures, Too many
(see Authorisation procedures)
Small organisation
needs a lightweight quality system: Small Company
Software
different from other fields where Quality Management is applied: Software is Different - But Not Very
Software Components
Quality System needs to focus on configuration management and inter-project interfaces: Software Components
Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
(see Capability Maturity Model (CMM))
Software Products
custom and customised; Quality System focus on customer interactions: Custom and Customised Software Products
packaged; Quality System provides internal controls to replace discipline of having an actual customer: Packaged Software Products
Software-related Services
Quality System needs to concentrate on people issues: Software-related Services
Staff
(see People)
Standards, Quality Management: Quality Management System Standards
can be hard for non-quality specialist to interpret, so either guidance documents or consultancy may be useful: ISO 9001 in a Nutshell
(see also TickIT)
Capability Maturity Model (CMM); European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM): Other Standards
ISO 9001: ISO 9001 and Software Quality
recognised yardsticks against which organisation can be assessed: Standards and Certificates
Starting Quality System development
various approaches can be used singly or in combination: Getting Started
Technology
is not the whole product; some low-tech components may be just as vital: Customer Focus
Third-party Audit
(see Certification)
TickIT
guidance documents and framework for application of ISO 9001 to software: TickIT versus ISO 9000
guide to interpreting ISO 9001 for software: ISO 9001 in a Nutshell
Time to set up Quality System
depends on organisation size, current state and other factors: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
(see also Track Record)
Timescale Slippage
has often been a feature of software projects: The Need for Change
(see also Late Delivery)
Track Record
required to demonstrate that Quality System is being used and is effective: Before the Audit
Training
part of the Quality project results: Consultancy - Frequently Asked Questions
ZIP Archive
of this site, in either visual or aural form, for offline viewing or listening: Site Archives - for Offline Browsing

Further links.

This page is part of the site Richard Stonehouse - Software Quality Consultant.

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Copyright: 2004 by V. Sharp and R. Stonehouse.