SE423 · Chapter 7 · Annotated SlidesQuality
Original
Overview

Quality

Quality, QA vs. QC, what makes projects succeed or fail, and software metrics. No past paper asked about this deck directly, but QA vs. QC, success factors and the metric categories make easy MCQ and true/false questions.

How to read this page

Every original slide is shown unchanged. Yellow marks on a slide point to a numbered note: hover or tap a mark to jump to its note, and hover a note to see its marks. Questions tagged Past exam appeared on a real paper; Prediction questions are likely angles, not confirmed. Pick an answer to each question: a wrong pick tells you why it is wrong, so you can try again.

All 45 slides
  1. 1 Quality
  2. 2 Outline
  3. 3 Software Quality
  4. 4 Software Quality
  5. 5 Software Testing
  6. 6 Quality and Testing
  7. 7 Quality Assurance
  8. 8 Goal of Quality Assurance
  9. 9 Planning Quality
  10. 10 Quality Control
  11. 11 Perform quality control
  12. 12 Software Quality Assurance Group
  13. 13 Software Quality Assurance Group
  14. 14 Project Success
  15. 15 Think Small
  16. 16 Process Spectrum
  17. 17 Miscellaneous
  18. 18 Miscellaneous
  19. 19 Success Metrics
  20. 20 Why Do Projects Succeed?
  21. 21 Why Do Projects Succeed?
  22. 22 Why Executive Support?
  23. 23 State of the Practice in Software Management
  24. 24 State of the Practice in Software Management
  25. 25 State of the Practice in Software Management
  26. 26 How to ensure a project fails
  27. 27 Measurement and Metrics
  28. 28 Measurement and Metrics
  29. 29 Why Measurement and Metrics?
  30. 30 Definitions
  31. 31 Software Metric
  32. 32 Categories
  33. 33 Process Metrics
  34. 34 Product Metrics
  35. 35 Project Metrics
  36. 36 Metrics Assumptions
  37. 37 Integrating Metrics with Process
  38. 38 Software Measurement
  39. 39 The Measurement Process
  40. 40 Product Measurement Process
  41. 41 Data Collection
  42. 42 Data Accuracy
  43. 43 What Are Metrics For?
  44. 44 Analysis
  45. 45 Metric Types with Examples
Slide 1 / 45

Quality

Slide 1: Quality

Notes

  1. Quality → QA → QC → project success → metrics.

Slide 2 / 45

Outline

Slide 2: Outline

Notes

  1. QA vs QC is the most testable distinction in this deck.

Slide 3 / 45

Software Quality

Slide 3: Software Quality
Slide 4 / 45

Software Quality

Slide 4: Software Quality

Notes

  1. Three tests, and passing one doesn’t mean you’ve passed all. A program can meet its written requirements and still be impossible to maintain, which is why unstated expectations count too.

  2. Meeting only explicit requirements isn’t enough.

  3. Seen again Ch 1, slide 66: Quality principle

  4. Seen again Ch 1.2, slide 69: Quality in the Delivery domain

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Software that meets all explicit requirements but is hard to maintain is still of suspect quality.

Slide 5 / 45

Software Testing

Slide 5: Software Testing

Notes

  1. If testing only happens with whatever’s left at the end, it gets squeezed. Treating it as a way to judge work at each step finds problems while they’re still cheap.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

What is the purpose of software testing?

Slide 6 / 45

Quality and Testing

Slide 6: Quality and Testing

Notes

  1. A thermometer tells you a fever exists, but it doesn’t cure you. Testing measures quality, so the fix has to come from better design and process.

  2. Each part handles defects at a different point: prevent them, cope with those that remain, and find them. That’s why SQA is much more than a test team.

  3. Trap “Testing improves quality by itself” ✗. Quality is built in by process, design and people.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

“Quality cannot be tested into a product” means:

Slide 7 / 45

Quality Assurance

Slide 7: Quality Assurance
Slide 8 / 45

Goal of Quality Assurance

Slide 8: Goal of Quality Assurance

Notes

  1. Nobody can promise zero defects. So QA aims for two things: few problems remain, and any that do won’t cause serious damage.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which is a goal of quality assurance?

Slide 9 / 45

Planning Quality

Slide 9: Planning Quality

Notes

  1. You can’t check quality without first saying what “good” means. So planning sets standards, including outside ones like ISO 9000 and whatever the customer requires.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which must a project’s plan comply with?

Slide 10 / 45

Quality Control

Slide 10: Quality Control
Slide 11 / 45

Perform quality control

Slide 11: Perform quality control

Notes

  1. QC looks at the actual results: does this work meet the standard? It’s like inspecting a finished part. If it fails, you act to fix the cause.

  2. QA is one step back: is the way we work likely to produce good results? It sets the framework QC then uses. Exams love this difference.

  3. Memory trick QA = Assure the process. QC = Check the product.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Monitoring specific project results for compliance with quality standards is:

PredictionQ2

Which provides the framework of activities and standards for performing quality control?

Slide 12 / 45

Software Quality Assurance Group

Slide 12: Software Quality Assurance Group

Notes

  1. Writing the SQA plan in advance means everyone knows which checks will occur and which documents to expect, so reviews don’t come as a surprise or get skipped.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Who prepares the SQA plan?

Slide 13 / 45

Software Quality Assurance Group

Slide 13: Software Quality Assurance Group

Notes

  1. Audits only help if someone acts on what they find. That’s why noncompliance goes up to senior management, since they can make it matter.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

What does the SQA group do with noncompliance?

Slide 14 / 45

Project Success

Slide 14: Project Success
Slide 15 / 45

Think Small

Slide 15: Think Small

Notes

  1. Big, vague goals are hard to plan and easy to get wrong. Keeping things small means you can see progress and correct mistakes sooner, which is what think small gets at.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which reflects “think small”?

Slide 16 / 45

Process Spectrum

Slide 16: Process Spectrum

Notes

  1. No process leaves people guessing, and too much process stops work getting done. The right point depends on the project, which is the same idea as tailoring. That’s why balance is crucial.

  2. Seen again Ch 1.3, slide 4: Tailoring

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

What are the two ends of the process spectrum?

Slide 17 / 45

Miscellaneous

Slide 17: Miscellaneous

Notes

  1. Every “yes” to a new request costs something. “We’ll put that in phase 2” protects the schedule without just refusing, so saying no politely is a real project skill.

  2. Teams can fail in opposite ways: analyzing forever and never building, or refusing any process for fear of that. Paralysis in either direction stops progress.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

A team spends months on process and finishes nothing. What is this?

Slide 18 / 45

Miscellaneous

Slide 18: Miscellaneous

Notes

  1. Problems often don’t reach a manager through reports. Walking around lets you hear things people won’t put in writing, and spot personnel problems early. Delegating gives you the time to do that.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

What does MBWA stand for?

Slide 19 / 45

Success Metrics

Slide 19: Success Metrics

Notes

  1. A project can tick all four boxes and still leave an unhappy customer. So those four are means to an end. Customer satisfaction is what finally decides whether it succeeded.

Tips & tricks

  • WHOA: Within budget, High quality, On schedule, According to requirements.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

According to the slide, the only real measure of project success is:

Slide 20 / 45

Why Do Projects Succeed?

Slide 20: Why Do Projects Succeed?

Notes

  1. These are early warning signs you can check before starting. Larger, longer projects with more people have more that can go wrong, which is why size predicts trouble.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which could indicate a project’s success potential?

Slide 21 / 45

Why Do Projects Succeed?

Slide 21: Why Do Projects Succeed?

Notes

  1. Why does executive support come first? Someone with power can remove obstacles and find money, and the others on this list get far harder without that help.

Tips & tricks

  • Sentence, in slide order: Every User Enjoys Clear Maps So Few Feel Rushed. Executive support, User involvement, Experienced manager, Clear objectives, Minimized scope, Standard infrastructure, Firm requirements, Formal methodology, Reliable estimates.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which success factor is listed first and emphasized?

Slide 22 / 45

Why Executive Support?

Slide 22: Why Executive Support?

Notes

  1. A PM often can’t get these alone. Top management can reach across departments, which is why a project without their backing tends to stall when it needs resources or cooperation.

Tips & tricks

  • GRaSP: Get approval, Receive cooperation, Secure resources, Provide leadership.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Why does executive support help?

Slide 23 / 45

State of the Practice in Software Management

Slide 23: State of the Practice in Software Management

Notes

  1. Projects don’t only fail because of tools. Social factors like politics often matter just as much, so fixing the technology alone may not save a project.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

What two groups of factors may influence success or failure?

Slide 24 / 45

State of the Practice in Software Management

Slide 24: State of the Practice in Software Management

Notes

  1. Compare each pair across the table: it’s usually the same activity, done or not done. Successful projects aren’t doing magic, just formal basics like reviews and measurement.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which is found on successful projects?

Slide 25 / 45

State of the Practice in Software Management

Slide 25: State of the Practice in Software Management

Notes

  1. Look at how many of these are about people, not code. Executives rejecting honest estimates or teams fighting can sink a technically sound project. So social causes deserve attention.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which social factor appears on unsuccessful projects?

Slide 26 / 45

How to ensure a project fails

Slide 26: How to ensure a project fails

Notes

  1. Reading it backward gives good advice: learn from past work, listen to experts, measure progress, and agree dates with developers. It’s easy to remember because it’s funny.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which is sarcastic advice for making a project fail?

Slide 27 / 45

Measurement and Metrics

Slide 27: Measurement and Metrics
Slide 28 / 45

Measurement and Metrics

Slide 28: Measurement and Metrics

Notes

  1. Measure what matters, not just what is easy to count.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

What does the quote at this slide warn about?

Slide 29 / 45

Why Measurement and Metrics?

Slide 29: Why Measurement and Metrics?

Notes

  1. “Good quality” is a matter of opinion until you measure it. Numbers let you compare two methods fairly, and that’s what objective means here.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

What does measurement allow?

Slide 30 / 45

Definitions

Slide 30: Definitions

Notes

  1. Think of it as three steps: 10 defects is a measure, counting them is the measurement, and defects per 1,000 lines tells you something useful, which makes it a metric.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

“The act of obtaining a measure” is:

Slide 31 / 45

Software Metric

Slide 31: Software Metric

Notes

  1. A number on its own means little. The point is what it helps you do: predict or control. So a software metric earns its place by informing decisions.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which is an example of a software metric?

Slide 32 / 45

Categories

Slide 32: Categories

Notes

  1. Different questions need different numbers. Product metrics ask “is what we built good?”, while process and project metrics ask “are we working well?”.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which category assesses the design and construction of the software?

Slide 33 / 45

Process Metrics

Slide 33: Process Metrics

Notes

  1. If people are judged on a number, they’ll improve the number, not necessarily the work. Using metrics to evaluate individuals makes them hide problems and spoils your data.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Process metrics should be used to evaluate individual developers’ performance.

Slide 34 / 45

Product Metrics

Slide 34: Product Metrics

Notes

  1. Dynamic metrics need the program running, like speed. Static ones can look at the code itself, like complexity. So each tells you about different qualities.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Cyclomatic complexity measured from source code is a:

Slide 35 / 45

Project Metrics

Slide 35: Project Metrics

Notes

  1. These are for acting during this project, not just reviewing later. Noticing delays or risks early lets the team adjust while there’s still time, which is why inputs, outputs and results are tracked.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

What should every project measure?

Slide 36 / 45

Metrics Assumptions

Slide 36: Metrics Assumptions

Notes

  1. You can easily count lines, but you want to know about maintainability. Metrics only help if what’s countable is genuinely linked to what you care about, and that’s not always so.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which assumption do metrics rely on?

Slide 37 / 45

Integrating Metrics with Process

Slide 37: Integrating Metrics with Process

Notes

  1. You can’t claim to be improving without a “before” figure. Without a baseline from past work, any change is just opinion, which is why missing old data is such a problem.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Why is baseline data needed?

Slide 38 / 45

Software Measurement

Slide 38: Software Measurement

Notes

  1. Direct measures can simply be counted. Indirect ones, like reliability, have to be inferred from other numbers. That’s why quality attributes are harder to measure.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Which is an INDIRECT product measure?

Slide 39 / 45

The Measurement Process

Slide 39: The Measurement Process

Notes

  1. One project’s data helps a little, but many projects’ data shows real patterns. Keeping it as an organizational resource means the next team doesn’t begin from nothing.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Why keep measurement data as an organizational resource?

Slide 40 / 45

Product Measurement Process

Slide 40: Product Measurement Process

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

In the measurement process, what do you look for after measuring?

Slide 41 / 45

Data Collection

Slide 41: Data Collection

Notes

  1. Memory fades quickly and people round things off. Collecting data immediately and automatically gives you a true record, without asking busy people to log things by hand.

Tips & tricks

  • SPeD: Static product analysis, Process data collation, Dynamic product analysis.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

When should data be collected?

Slide 42 / 45

Data Accuracy

Slide 42: Data Accuracy

Notes

  1. Decide what you’re trying to learn before collecting anything, or you’ll gather a lot and use little. People are also more honest if they know the data won’t be used to judge them.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

Should metrics data be part of personnel evaluation?

Slide 43 / 45

What Are Metrics For?

Slide 43: What Are Metrics For?

Notes

  1. Metrics exist to support management decisions: control (process) and prediction (product).

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

What are metrics mainly for?

Slide 44 / 45

Analysis

Slide 44: Analysis

Notes

  1. A high defect count could mean bad code or excellent testing. Numbers don’t explain themselves, so local circumstances matter, and a statistician can stop you drawing the wrong conclusion.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

What must data analysis take into account?

Slide 45 / 45

Metric Types with Examples

Slide 45: Metric Types with Examples

Notes

  1. Each type suits a different question. Size metrics count things, function metrics measure what the software does, and product metrics like cyclomatic complexity assess how the code is built.

Exam angle

PredictionQ1

A site has 30 static and 10 dynamic pages. Customization index C = Nsp/(Ndp+Nsp)?