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8 - PROJECT QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Software functionality is measured by the number of requirements, function points, features, user stories, and/
or use cases implemented in the software rather than counting lines of code. Software quality measures may
include churn in baselined requirements, percent of new requirements added, ratios of defect found to defects
fixed, amount of software code changed, and trends in these measures. Additional quality measures may be added
to address specific quality attributes, such as performance, throughput, resistance to security penetrations, or
usability of the software and associated documentation.

The measurement plan, quality management plan, or project management plan may also define how project
efficiency and effectiveness, and thus project quality, will be measured. The most basic measures, suitable for
all types of software projects, are elapsed time and expended effort (e.g., days and staff-days) per function,
feature, story, or use case. The resulting measures of productivity and production rate help in planning how rapidly
software can be produced, including time and effort to correct known defects. These indicators provide inputs for
Project Time Management (Section 6 of this Software Extension) and Project Cost Management (Section 7 of this
Software Extension).

8.1.3.4 Quality Checklists

See Section 8.1.3.4 of the PMBOK Guide.
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Checklists are reminders to complete all steps in a procedure such as conducting a software test, either to
train developers who are being introduced to new tools and techniques or to remind experienced developers to
not inadvertently skip steps. In software projects, checklists cover the steps necessary to complete an inspection
review, to successful complete an integration build, or to check code in and out of a repository. Checklists are one
of the easiest and most effective ways to ensure consistency and accuracy in performing repetitive tasks and to
ensure that the tasks are being carried out in the same manner, no matter who performs the tasks.

8.1.3.5 Project Documents Updates

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See Section 8.1.3.5 of the PMBOK Guide.

8.2 Perform Quality Assurance

Most of the methods, tools, and techniques for Perform Quality Assurance in Section 8.2 of the PMBOK Guide
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are applicable to performing quality assurance for software projects. This section presents considerations that are
unique to or especially important when performing quality assurance for software projects.

The PMBOK Guide states that Perform Quality Assurance is the process of auditing the quality requirements
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and the results from quality control measurements to ensure that appropriate quality standards and guidelines
are used. In software project management, software quality assurance (SQA) involves a broad view of the entire
project to ensure that processes are being performed as documented and are producing acceptable results. In
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this Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide, (SQA) is defined as a set of activities that define and assess the
adequacy of the software processes used to develop and modify software products. SQA provides evidence for a

150 ©2013 Project Management Institute. Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition
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