Software Quality Assurance activity

Product evaluation and process monitoring are the SQAactivities that assure the software development and controlprocesses described in the project's Management Plan arecorrectly carried out and that the project's procedures andstandards are followed. Products are monitored forconformance to standards and processes are monitored forconformance to procedures. Audits are a key technique usedto perform product evaluation and process monitoring.Review of the Management Plan should ensure that appropriateSQA approval points are built into these processes.
Product evaluation is an SQA activity that assures standardsare being followed. Ideally, the first products monitoredby SQA should be the project's standards and procedures. SQAassures that clear and achievable standards exist and thenevaluates compliance of the software product to theestablished standards. Product evaluation assures that thesoftware product reflects the requirements of the applicablestandard(s) as identified in the Management Plan.
Process monitoring is an SQA activity that ensures thatappropriate steps to carry out the process are beingfollowed. SQA monitors processes by comparing the actualsteps carried out with those in the documented procedures.The Assurance section of the Management Plan specifies themethods to be used by the SQA process monitoring activity.
A fundamental SQA technique is the audit, which looks at aprocess and/or a product in depth, comparing them toestablished procedures and standards. Audits are used toreview management, technical, and assurance processes toprovide an indication of the quality and status of thesoftware product.
The purpose of an SQA audit is to assure that proper controlprocedures are being followed, that required documentationis maintained, and that the developer's status reportsaccurately reflect the status of the activity. The SQAproduct is an audit report to management consisting offindings and recommendations to bring the development intoconformance with standards and/or procedures.
Team I