Quality Modeling

Definition

Quality modeling is the quality engineering task during which an endeavor’s quality model is produced.

Objectives

The typical objectives of the quality modeling task are to:

• Prepare for the quality control task by determining the quality model for the endeavor’s work products:
  • Determine the relevant and important quality factor (a.k.a., attributes).
  • Determine their associated quality goals.
  • Determine their associated quality requirements.
  • Determine their associated quality metrics.
• Prepare for the quality assurance task by determining the quality model for the endeavor’s process:
  • Determine the relevant and important quality factor (a.k.a., attributes).
  • Determine their associated quality goals.
  • Determine their associated quality requirements.
  • Determine their associated quality metrics.

Preconditions

A quality modeling task may typically be held when the following preconditions hold:

• The endeavor has started.
• The quality team is adequately staffed and trained in performing the quality modeling task.
• The quality needs assessment task has been largely completed.
• The quality engineering overview section and the quality modeling task subsection of the quality plan are relatively complete and stable.

Completion Criteria

A quality modeling task is typically complete when the following postconditions hold:

• The product and process quality models have been:
  • Completed.
  • Incorporated into the system requirements specification (quality requirements).
  • Incorporated into the metrics plan (quality metrics).
  • Incorporated into the metrics plan (quality metrics).
• These documents have been evaluated and accepted by the customer representative.

Steps

A quality modeling task typically involves the following producers performing the following steps in an iterative, incremental, and parallel manner:

• Quality Team:
  • Collaborate with the requirements team to determine the relevant:
    • Quality factors for the work products.
    • Quality goals for the work products.
    • Quality requirements for the work products.
    based on the results of the quality needs assessment tasks.
  • Collaborate with the process team to determine the relevant:
    • Quality factors for the development process
    • Quality goals for the work products.
    • Quality requirements for the development process.
    based on the results of the quality needs assessment tasks.
  • Collaborate with the metrics team to:
    • Determine the relevant:
      • Quality metrics for measuring the quality factors of the work products.
      • Quality metrics for measuring the quality factors of the development process.
    • Collect, analyze, and report the quality metrics.

Techniques

A quality modeling task can typically be performed using the following techniques:

• Quality modeling.

Work Products

A quality modeling task typically produces all or part of the following work products:

• Model Set:
  • Product Quality Model.
  • Process Quality Model.

Guidelines

• Coordinate closely with the requirements team regarding the quality factors, goals, and requirements for the work products.
• Coordinate closely with the process team regarding the quality factors, goals, and requirements for the development process.
• Coordinate closely with the metrics team regarding the quality metrics.
• More information about quality models can be found in:
  • ISO/IEC Information Technology Software Quality Characteristics and Metrics (ISO 9126).
  • IEEE Standard for Software Quality Metrics Methodology (ANSI/IEEE 1061).
  • IEEE Standard Glossary for Software Engineering Terminology (ANSI/IEEE 610.12 - 1990).