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196 PART TWO MANAGING SOFTWARE PROJECTS

primarily on implementation. If the implementation follows the design and the result-
ing system meets its requirements and performance goals, conformance quality is
high.
But are quality of design and quality of conformance the only issues that software
engineers must consider? Robert Glass [GLA98] argues that a more “intuitive” rela-
tionship is in order:

User satisfaction = compliant product + good quality +
delivery within budget and schedule

At the bottom line, Glass contends that quality is important, but if the user isn’t sat-
isfied, nothing else really matters. DeMarco [DEM99] reinforces this view when he
states: “A product’s quality is a function of how much it changes the world for the
better.” This view of quality contends that if a software product provides substantial
benefit to its end-users, they may be willing to tolerate occasional reliability or per-
formance problems.

8.1.2 Quality Control
Variation control may be equated to quality control. But how do we achieve quality
control? Quality control involves the series of inspections, reviews, and tests used
? What is throughout the software process to ensure each work product meets the require-
software
quality control? ments placed upon it. Quality control includes a feedback loop to the process that
created the work product. The combination of measurement and feedback allows us
to tune the process when the work products created fail to meet their specifications.
This approach views quality control as part of the manufacturing process.
Quality control activities may be fully automated, entirely manual, or a combina-
tion of automated tools and human interaction. A key concept of quality control is
that all work products have defined, measurable specifications to which we may com-
pare the output of each process. The feedback loop is essential to minimize the
defects produced.

8.1.3 Quality Assurance
WebRef Quality assurance consists of the auditing and reporting functions of management.
A wide variety of software The goal of quality assurance is to provide management with the data necessary to
quality resources can be be informed about product quality, thereby gaining insight and confidence that prod-
found at uct quality is meeting its goals. Of course, if the data provided through quality assur-
www.qualitytree.
com/links/links.htm ance identify problems, it is management’s responsibility to address the problems
and apply the necessary resources to resolve quality issues.

8.1.4 Cost of Quality
The cost of quality includes all costs incurred in the pursuit of quality or in perform-
ing quality-related activities. Cost of quality studies are conducted to provide a base-