Building Quality into Software Through Management Systems

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Building Quality into Software Through Management Systems

Software Engineering · Chapter 14: Project Estimation, Configuration, and Change ControlSection 14.2 · lesson 87 of 1036 min · free with a free account

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In this lesson

Confirming that quality is actually happening - consistently, across the whole project.

  • Explain SQA, as distinct from testing or writing reliable code
  • Describe what a quality plan defines, and why standards matter
  • Explain why SQA audits depend on independence
  • Identify the core activities of an SQA function

Transcript

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Project Estimation, Configuration, and Change Control

Building Quality into Software Through Management Systems

Writing good tests and writing reliable code both help quality happen. But neither one, by itself, confirms that quality is actually happening consistently, across an entire project. This section covers the management system that does.

Not a Testing Technique

SQA Is a Management System

Software quality assurance, or S Q A, does not write tests, and it does not fix code. It is the management system that makes sure quality-related practices are actually being followed, consistently, across the whole effort. That distinction matters. A team can have skilled developers and a thorough set of tests, and still have no reliable way to know whether every part of the project meets its intended standards. S Q A exists to answer that broader question.

3 Components

Plan, Standards, Audits

S Q A works through three components. A quality plan, which writes down what quality means for this particular project. A set of standards, which are the yardstick that quality is measured against. And independent audits, which verify that the standards are actually being followed.

The Quality Plan

Giving Quality an Owner

A quality plan is a written document stating what quality means for a specific project. It typically names the applicable standards, and describes the review and audit activities that will confirm they are being followed. And it assigns clear responsibility for each of those activities. That turns quality from an aspiration into something with an owner. Without a quality plan, quality stays a vague, shared assumption, rather than something anyone can actually verify.

Standards

The Yardstick

A standard is a concrete, agreed-upon rule that work is expected to follow. It might be a coding standard, a documentation standard, or a broader industry standard the project has adopted. Standards exist so that the question, is this good, has an answer that does not depend on whoever happens to be asked. Without a standard to check against, an audit has nothing objective to measure. A disagreement about quality becomes a matter of opinion, rather than a checkable fact.

Figure 1

Outside the Chain of Command

An S Q A audit checks a project's actual work products against its stated standards. What makes an audit meaningful is who performs it. Here, the development team and the S Q A group both report to project management, separately. The S Q A group audits the development team's work, without sitting in its chain of command.

Why Independence

Who Performs the Audit Matters

This independence is not a formality. A developer checking their own work against a standard has every incentive, even unconsciously, to read an ambiguous case in their own favor. Someone with no stake in that particular piece of work has no such incentive. And that is what gives an S Q A audit's findings their credibility.

The SQA Cycle

Continuous, Not a Milestone

Put together, the quality plan, standards, and audits form a repeating cycle. Standards are defined in the quality plan. The development team builds the work. Then the work is checked against those standards, through reviews and independent audits. Findings drive corrective action, and the cycle continues through the life of the project. That is what keeps S Q A a genuine management system, rather than a single milestone to check off.

Table 1

Core SQA Activities

Here are the core activities an S Q A function is responsible for. Preparing the quality plan, which documents which standards apply, and how compliance will be verified. Participating in reviews of work products, alongside the development team. Auditing designated work products, by independently checking specific work against the stated standards. And tracking and escalating deviations. That means recording departures from the standards, and raising unresolved ones to management.

Apply It

"We're Sure It Meets Every Standard"

Let's apply that. A development team argues that an S Q A audit is unnecessary. They are confident their code already meets every applicable standard. Does the audit still add anything? It does. Confidence is not the same as verification. The value of an audit does not come from assuming the team is wrong. It comes from having someone without a stake in the outcome confirm that it is right.

Key Terms

The Vocabulary of This Section

Let's lock in the key terms. Software quality assurance is the management system that verifies quality-related practices are being followed consistently across a project. A quality plan states which standards apply, how compliance will be checked, and who is responsible for checking it. A standard is a concrete, agreed-upon rule that gives quality an objective measure. An S Q A audit is an independent check of work products against those standards. And independence means the audit is performed by people with no stake in the outcome, which gives its findings credibility.

Key Takeaways

What to Carry Forward

To pull this together. S Q A is a management system. It is not a testing technique, and it is not writing reliable code. A quality plan documents which standards apply, how compliance is checked, and who is responsible. Standards give quality an objective yardstick, rather than leaving it a matter of opinion. Independent audits are what give S Q A findings their credibility. And the whole thing runs as a continuous cycle, not a one-time check.

About Software Engineering at UPI Study

Software Engineering (Computer Science 301) is a self-paced online course of 103 video lessons in 15 chapters, from process models and agile to requirements, design, user interfaces, reliability, security and project management. It carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits.

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Why take it here

Why students take Software Engineering with UPI Study

How professional software gets builtSoftware Engineering covers how teams turn requirements into working, maintainable software: process models, agile, requirements, design, testing, reliability and project management. It is a core course in computer science and software degrees.
Credit at a fraction of the priceThe same 3 credits can cost $750 or more at a US college. Here it is one payment, self-paced, with lifetime access.
Finish your degree soonerTransfer credits reduce the courses you still owe, so you can graduate earlier or lighten a heavy semester.
Strengthen an applicationA completed college-level course on an official transcript shows admissions and scholarship committees you can do the work.
Study on your own scheduleNo start dates, no deadlines. Watch the lessons, practice, and take the final when you are ready.
130,000+students helped with college creditsACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Where the credit goes

Universities that work with NCCRS

Software Engineering carries a NCCRS credit recommendation. These universities work with NCCRS; some are UPI Study's signed partners. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Thomas Edison State UniversityThomas Edison State UniversitySigned partnerUniversity of the PeopleUniversity of the PeopleSigned partnerCharter Oak State CollegeCharter Oak State CollegeSigned partnerStrayer UniversityStrayer UniversitySigned partnerColumbia Southern UniversityColumbia Southern UniversitySigned partnerIndiana TechIndiana TechSigned partnerPenn StatePenn StateWorks with NCCRSSouthern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire UniversityWorks with NCCRSSUNYSUNYWorks with NCCRS +many more cooperating universitiesFind my college →

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FAQ

Questions students ask us

About Building Quality into Software Through Management Systems

What is the difference between software quality assurance and software testing?
Software quality assurance (SQA) is a management system that verifies quality-related practices are followed consistently across a project, while testing is one of those practices. SQA does not write tests or fix code. It answers a broader question: whether every part of the project actually meets its intended standards, which skilled developers and thorough tests alone cannot confirm.
What does a software quality plan include?
A software quality plan states what quality means for a specific project. It typically names the applicable standards, describes the review and audit activities that will confirm those standards are followed, and assigns clear responsibility for each activity. That gives quality an owner, turning it from a vague shared assumption into something that can actually be verified.
Why should SQA audits be independent of the development team?
Independence gives SQA audit findings their credibility. A developer checking their own work has an incentive, even unconsciously, to read ambiguous cases in their own favor, while an auditor with no stake in the outcome does not. For that reason the SQA group audits the development team's work without sitting in its chain of command. Confidence in the code is not the same as verification.
What are the core activities of a software quality assurance group?
An SQA function typically prepares the quality plan, participates in reviews of work products alongside developers, independently audits designated work products against stated standards, and tracks deviations, escalating unresolved ones to management. These activities run as a continuous cycle in which audit findings drive corrective action, so SQA stays an ongoing management system rather than a single milestone.

About the Software Engineering course

How many college credits is Software Engineering?
Software Engineering (Computer Science 301) carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
How much does Software Engineering cost and what is included?
$250, paid once, with lifetime access: all 103 video lessons, a practice quiz after each, the graded work and final exam, and an official transcript when you finish. Students who want several courses choose UPI Study PRO instead.
Which universities accept UPI Study credits?
UPI Study has signed partner agreements with universities such as Thomas Edison State University, University of the People and Charter Oak State College, and works with universities such as Penn State, SNHU and SUNY. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Use "Find my college" on this page to check yours.
How long does Software Engineering take?
It is self-paced with no deadlines. The 103 lessons total about 11 hours of video; most students add reading and practice time and finish in a few weeks to a few months, on their own schedule.
How are the exams done?
Quizzes and assignments are online in the course. The final exam is taken online with proctoring; a person on the UPI Study team checks assignments, usually within two days.
How do my credits reach my college?
When the course shows 100% complete, request the official transcript from your dashboard. It is sent to the college you name, and you can send it to more than one. Check your college first with "Find my college" on this page, or ask Athena.

Ready for the full course? Earn 3 credits in Software Engineering.

103 video lessons, a quiz after each one, and the graded work that earns the credit. Recommended for credit by NCCRS.

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