Key Points

• Achieve "design to benefit" by optimising the product
• Functional requirements and quality aspects
• Controlling risk on product and process

Presentation Abstract

A project runs a lot of risks related to the product to be delivered and related to the process to realise the product. Based on this you can split up risks in two groups of risks: product and process. Each group can be divided into two areas.

When you analyse the mechanism the projectmanager uses to handle the risks, five steps can be recognised. These steps are valid for both product and process.

In the presentation (and paper) the accent will be on the product. The Functional requirements are an image of the business needs and priorities. Quality is strong related to the human factor of an information system. Expectations related to the way the information system should work are difficult to manage. Both issues are very important if you want an information system "Fit for Purpose".

The other reason to address the product: on the areas planning & control and environmental factors there is a lot of literature and a lot of experience.

To handle the quality aspects in a project is one of the services of Software Control Kwaliteitszorg (Software Control Quality Assurance). SCK is looking for a practical solution to control especially the risks on the quality aspects. With Quality Tailor-Made (in Dutch: Kwaliteit op Maat) SCK succeeded in finding a solution. In the approach of QTM the match of the four risk areas with the five steps models the structure of the RADAR Method. RADAR (Dutch: Resultaatgericht Automatiseren Door Anticiperen op RisicoËs ) translated in English: Result-driven Automation by Anticipating on Risks.

To identify the possible goals the quality aspects definitions in ISO 9126 are used. By using a questionnaire with a subset of questions for each roles participants can act in the project, the quality aspects identified are valued. The results of this exercise will be presented in a RADAR diagram. The plot helps in discussions and supports the specification of the requirements.

To determine the risks and to find the right measures to eliminate the risks the requirements (column) will be matched with the products (row) in the Product Risk Matrix.

This will help to identify the spots where the requirements have impact on the products and where products should be checked related to the requirements. In addition to prioritising the needs it helps you also finding the moments to check whether you match the expectations. The earlier the check is, the better the product will fit to purpose: "design to benefit".

RADAR guides you through the five steps to handle the quality aspects in a way that it fits the project: Quality Tailor-Made.

About the Speaker

Ton Dekkers has been working as a practitioner and manager within the area of software quality for a great number of years. Within this area he specialises in estimating, risk analysis and QA in projects (QTM in practise). He is a regular speaker both at national and international conferences and a trainer in software estimating, risk management and QTM.

Ton Dekkers is quality consultant in the division Software Control Kwaliteitszorg of IQUIP Informatica B.V. IQUIP is a Dutch information service organisation (1450 employees) that is mainly active in building, maintaining and implementing information systems. The process is supported by services from the Software Control divisions Kwaliteitszorg (Quality Assurance) and Testen (Testing). He is member of the NESMA workgroups FPA in Maintenance and FPA and New Technology.