Editorial
1
Software Quality Journal 5, (1996) Editorial We celebrate the end of our fifth year with a mix of papers, one of which seems to me to be very important for its clear cautionary message: Tracy Hall and Norman Fenton's 'Software quality programmes: a snapshot of theory versus reality' shows up the huge difference between managers' beliefs and reality. It also finds that reviews and inspections, which are known to be very effective, are not widely used even on safety critical software. To me, this finding is one of the most powerful indictments against our industry that I have seen for some time: my own experience agrees with that of the authors. Alan Jones' 'ISO 12207 Software life cycle processes - fit for purpose?' is also important, because it describes how ISO 12207 is related to ISO 9001 and ISO 9000-3. It operates within the provisions of the former and attempts to address some of the perceived limitations of the latter, by allowing more flexibility in tailoring processes to produce a desired life cycle model. As such it is potentially very useful, especially if (when) ISO 9001 is revised and clarified using SPICE concepts. Christof Ebert's 'Classification techniques for metric-based software development' suggests that fuzzy classifica- tion provides better predictions of components of a software system that are likely to have a high error rate or need high development effort than alternative techniques. Although this does not help to make life easier for us I guess we have to accept that real life is like that! We have a final group of four papers from SQM '96. I am indebted to Margaret Ross for providing this editorial: The following four papers were presented at SQM'96, the fourth annual conference of the British Computer Society's Quality Special Interest Group, held at Queens' College, Cambridge in March 1996. The first three are related to the theme of satisfying customers' requirements, both functional and non-functional. The last two also discuss the need for an organisation to change in order to enable process improvement initiatives. 'Specifying software quality with the extended ISO model', by R. Van Zeist and P. Hendricks describes a project that developed a common framework, based on ISO 9126, for communication on Software Quality, understandable by all parties, and a guide for using this framework in specifying and assessing software quality. Vicki Sivess, in 'Non-functional requirements in the software development process' treats customers' non-func- tional requirements as constraints on either the development process of the final product, and develops a process model, implemented in software, that allows its user to explore where in the development process non-functional requirements should be dealt with. In 'Establishing a systems integration process infrastructure', Sami Zahran and his colleagues describe a Systems Integration Business Process developed by Bull Information Systems. The systems integration business is driven by individual customer requirements and the impact of the process focus on the organisational structure and practices is discussed. Ed McGuire, in 'Factors affecting the quality of software project management', describes empirical research, car- fled out in a large multinational organisation, on the effect of an organisationally mandated Software Process Improvement initiative on the team effectiveness of an existing software development team. He also discusses the issues faced by organisations moving from traditional management structures to a process-driven, quality-oriented environment. Margaret Ross Finally, I am very pleased to announce that Steve Ralphs is to be our new North American Editor with immediate effect. Steve is a colleague and an acquaintance of mine who I believe will apply the same professional standards to his job as I do. Steve has over twenty years experience in major areas of Information Technology management in the financial, leisure, public utility and computer service bureau sectors. His experience covers: • business development and business planning • business requirements definition, management and implementation • Information Technology integration and rationalization planning • quality management system (QMS) planning and implementation • project management and mentoring • integrated office systems planning, development and implementation • systems education and curricula design • application troubleshooting and maintenance • information centre/computer service bureau management • computer operations management Steve has also developed a post-graduate level course on 'Software Quality and Productivity', currently given at a number of a universities in North America. He is a part-time member of the faculty at the School of Business at Humber College in Toronto. With Steve on board I think we can look forward to a strong input from North America in 1997. I look forward to our first edition together and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New 1997. Ken Croucher 0963-9314 © 1996 Chapman & Hall
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Transcript of Editorial
Software Quality Journal 5, (1996)
Editorial We celebrate the end of our fifth year with a mix of papers, one of which seems to me to be very important for its clear cautionary message: Tracy Hall and Norman Fenton's 'Software quality programmes: a snapshot of theory versus reality' shows up the huge difference between managers' beliefs and reality. It also finds that reviews and inspections, which are known to be very effective, are not widely used even on safety critical software. To me, this finding is one of the most powerful indictments against our industry that I have seen for some time: my own experience agrees with that of the authors.
Alan Jones' 'ISO 12207 Software life cycle processes - fit for purpose?' is also important, because it describes how ISO 12207 is related to ISO 9001 and ISO 9000-3. It operates within the provisions of the former and attempts to address some of the perceived limitations of the latter, by allowing more flexibility in tailoring processes to produce a desired life cycle model. As such it is potentially very useful, especially if (when) ISO 9001 is revised and clarified using SPICE concepts.
Christof Ebert's 'Classification techniques for metric-based software development' suggests that fuzzy classifica- tion provides better predictions of components of a software system that are likely to have a high error rate or need high development effort than alternative techniques. Although this does not help to make life easier for us I guess we have to accept that real life is like that!
We have a final group of four papers from SQM '96. I am indebted to Margaret Ross for providing this editorial:
The following four papers were presented at SQM'96, the fourth annual conference of the British Computer Society's Quality Special Interest Group, held at Queens' College, Cambridge in March 1996. The first three are related to the theme of satisfying customers' requirements, both functional and non-functional. The last two also discuss the need for an organisation to change in order to enable process improvement initiatives.
'Specifying software quality with the extended ISO model', by R. Van Zeist and P. Hendricks describes a project that developed a common framework, based on ISO 9126, for communication on Software Quality, understandable by all parties, and a guide for using this framework in specifying and assessing software quality.
Vicki Sivess, in 'Non-functional requirements in the software development process' treats customers' non-func- tional requirements as constraints on either the development process of the final product, and develops a process model, implemented in software, that allows its user to explore where in the development process non-functional requirements should be dealt with.
In 'Establishing a systems integration process infrastructure', Sami Zahran and his colleagues describe a Systems Integration Business Process developed by Bull Information Systems. The systems integration business is driven by individual customer requirements and the impact of the process focus on the organisational structure and practices is discussed.
Ed McGuire, in 'Factors affecting the quality of software project management', describes empirical research, car- fled out in a large multinational organisation, on the effect of an organisationally mandated Software Process Improvement initiative on the team effectiveness of an existing software development team. He also discusses the issues faced by organisations moving from traditional management structures to a process-driven, quality-oriented environment.
Margaret Ross
Finally, I am very pleased to announce that Steve Ralphs is to be our new North American Editor with immediate effect. Steve is a colleague and an acquaintance of mine who I believe will apply the same professional standards to his job as I do. Steve has over twenty years experience in major areas of Information Technology management in the financial, leisure, public utility and computer service bureau sectors. His experience covers:
• business development and business planning • business requirements definition, management and implementation • Information Technology integration and rationalization planning • quality management system (QMS) planning and implementation • project management and mentoring • integrated office systems planning, development and implementation • systems education and curricula design • application troubleshooting and maintenance • information centre/computer service bureau management • computer operations management
Steve has also developed a post-graduate level course on 'Software Quality and Productivity', currently given at a number of a universities in North America. He is a part-time member of the faculty at the School of Business at Humber College in Toronto. With Steve on board I think we can look forward to a strong input from North America in 1997. I look forward to our first edition together and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New 1997.
Ken Croucher
0963-9314 © 1996 Chapman & Hall
