Chapter 2: Standards

Overview

Standards are the keystone of an SQS. They provide the basis against which activities can be measured and evaluated. Further, they provide common methods and practices so that the same task can be accomplished the same way each time it is done.

Standards applied to software development provide uniform direction on how the development is to be conducted. Standards also apply to the balance of the SLC. They may prescribe everything from the form on which an original system concept is submitted for consideration to the location in the computer center for four-ply printer paper storage. The degree of standardization is, of course, a company decision. It is important, however, that the development portion of the SLC be standardized as much as is practical. Through the use of intelligent standards, productivity increases can be had, since many mundane decisions need not be made every time a software system is undertaken.

Standards arise from many sources. They may come from the day-to-day activities within the organization, as a "best way to do it" surfaces in some area. An example of this might be the method by which access to the interactive software development facility is allocated. Companies within a given industry often band together to set standards so that their products can be used together or so that information passing between them means the same thing to everyone (e.g., the telephone industry standards for interconnection). Computer user groups and computer-industry associations often work on standards dealing with software development. A subgroup of the IEEE, the Software Engineering Standards Committee, develops standards dealing with software development. These standards deal with topics ranging from the SLC as a whole down through individual activities within the life cycle, such as testing and documentation. Still another source of standards is outside consulting firms that can be retained to study an individual company's specific situation and develop a set of standards especially tailored to that company's needs.

More and more organizations are recognizing the importance of stable, identified processes and their relationship to the overall direction of the organization. Standards play an important role in the development, maintenance, and execution of organizational mission statements, policies, and process procedures. External standards often define or limit the breadth of an organization's freedom in the conduct of its business. Internal standards define the organization's own performance expectations and requirements. Definition of processes is often in the context of standards. These are all subject to evaluation during process reviews.

Standards are one of the yardsticks against which the processes of software development and usage can be evaluated. Deviation from the various applicable standards is an indication that the software development process is veering away from the production of quality software.



Practical Guide to Software Quality Management
Practical Guide to Software Quality Management (Artech House Computing Library)
ISBN: 1580535275
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 137
Authors: John W. Horch

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