Software Quality Assurance(SQA): Plan, Audit & Review

Details

After completion of the seven phases of testing, the results look good. No significant issues occurred in the project gtupapers Bank. You managed the project well, and you were proud of the success of this project

Unfortunately, the Management Board thinks different You don’t have any evidence to show that you managed this project well. You asked an advisor for a solution. Here is the answer This answer is a start, but you still have following questions -

  • Audit: An audit is the examination of the work products and related information to assesses whether the standard process was followed or not.

    • Why do we need SQA in Test Management process?

    To understand this, consider the following scenario-

    In the project gtupapers Bank, handles various test phases like - As a Test Manager, you are the person who takes in charge these activities. However, you are at the highest position in the project team. Who will review your tasks and check the project management activities are executed to the highest standard?

    Well, SQA auditor is the person who reviews and checks the project management activities are executed to the highest possible standard. Only through the result of this review, the Management Board can evaluate the quality of your project handling.

    This is the reason why we do need Management Review or SQA in Test Management process.

    The SQA interviews you, the Test Manager, to benchmark the project against set standards.

    Benefits of SQA are -

    How to implement the quality assurance?

    Testing activity needs Test Plan likewise SQA activity also needs a plan which is called SQA plan.

    The goal of SQA plan is to craft  planning processes and procedures to ensure products manufactured, or the service delivered by the organization are of exceptional quality.

    During project planning, Test Manager makes an SQA plan where SQA audit is scheduled periodically.

    In the SQA Plan, the Test Manager should do as following In a project team, every member must have responsibility for the quality of his or her work.  Each person has to make sure their work meet the QA criteria.

    The SQA team is the group of person who plays the major role in the project. Without QA, no business will run successfully. Therefore, the Test Manager has to make clear the responsibility of each SQA member in SQA plan as below:

    For example, in the SQA Plan of the project gtupapers Bank, you can create the list members of SQA team as below

    No

    Member

    Roles

    		1 Peter SQA Leader Develop and document quality standard and process for all management process
    Manage software quality assurance activities for the project
    2 James SQA auditor Perform SQA tasks, report to SQA leader the result of SQA review.
    3 Bean SQA auditor Perform SQA tasks, report to SQA leader the result of SQA review.

    Step 1.2) List of the work products that the SQA auditor will review and audit

    The Test Manager should

    For example, for the project gtupapers Bank, you can list out the work products of each Test Management Process and define permission for SQA members to access these work products as per the following table

    No Management Phases Work product Path Permission Grant to Person
    1
    Risk analysis     		Risk Management document [Server path] Read All SQA team members
    2
    Estimation     		Estimation and Metrics report … Read
    Peter
    3
    Planning     		Test Planning document … Read All SQA team members
    4
    Organization     		Human resource plan, training plan … Read All SQA team members
    5 Monitoring and Control Collected metrics of project effort … Read
    Bean
    6 Issue Management Issue management report … Read
    James
    7
    Test report     		Test Report document … Read All SQA team members

     

    Step 1.3) Create the schedule to perform the SQA tasks

    In this step, the Test Manager should describe the tasks to be performed by SQA auditor with special emphasis on SQA activities as well as the work product for each task. 

    Test Manager also creates the scheduling of those SQA tasks. Normally, the SQA schedule is driven by the project development schedule. Therefore, an SQA task is performed in relationship to what software development activities are taking place.

    In the SQA plan, Test Manager makes the schedule for management review. For example

    Date

    SQA Tasks

    Personal in charge

    		 

    Step 2) Define the standards/methodology

    To review the Management activities against the standards process, you should do the following steps

    1. Define the policies and procedures intended to prevent defects from occurring in the management process
    2. Document the policies & procedures
    3. Inform and train the staff to use it
    Review project activities to verify compliance with the defined management process. In the management review, the SQA members have to perform 5 SQA reviews as following Review time for SQA depends on the project’s development lifecycle model. In case of the project gtupapers Bank, the review schedule should be following In each SQA phase, the SQA members provide consultation and review of the project plans, work product, and procedures regarding compliance to defined organizational policy and standard procedures.

    During Audit, the SQA members should use SQA review checklist

    After you walk through the 3 steps of software assurance implementation, you have the result of Test Management Review & Audit. This is the evidence to show to your stakeholders about your management quality.

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